Child Protection United States Project #9092

Year of mentor activities for 50 vulnerable youth

by Friends of the Children-Portland

Year of mentor activities for 50 vulnerable youth

Project Report | May 16, 2014
Thank you!

By Karin Zimmer | Marketing Specialist

THANK YOU!

"The environment I grew up in was hard and made school a struggle. My Friend John and Friends of the Children gave me the stable environment I yearned for and needed. I needed a positive male role model, and John was it. John taught me never to give up and to always give back.

I thank John and every person at Friends of the Children for helping change my story and the story of the future generations of my family." - Jimmy Tyrrell, Program Graduate

Thank you for supporting Friends of the Children!

Your generous giving at throughout the year helps create stories of success like Jimmy's, and hope for the future for young children.

Thanks to you, we are able to make a 12 ½ year commitment to each of our youth, selecting them in kindergarten and staying with them through high school graduation. 12 ½ years. No matter what.

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Feb 14, 2014
Care Day

By A Friend | Professional Mentor

Giving back is not an occasional habit but a way of life at Friends of the Children. Throughout the year, Friends frequently find ways to engage their kids in community service, and every summer, the FOTC community service committee plans a full-day service project that all are welcome to join. At this summer’s service event, called Care Day, the kids delivered lunch to local workers and tissue paper flowers to senior citizens in assisted living.

In the morning, as kids arrived at the FOTC basement with their mentors, they sat together coloring paper lunch sacks. Some were still groggy and slow-moving, even resistant to the idea of pitching in. Once everyone arrived, they formed an assembly line cranking out PB&Js and adding fruits, veggies, and cheese to the lunches. This hands-on activity woke up the stragglers, and by the time the group had produced a few dozen meals, the kids were all upbeat and eager to help. About half of the group took a van to deliver the food to laborers at a nearby immigrant center. One 12-year-old boy, Robbie*, really took the lead in finding hesitant men who hadn’t claimed a meal and approaching them with the childishly decorated bags of food. It was clear that, although he couldn’t quite articulate it, he loved reaching out to help: “That wasn’t half bad,” he said, as we walked away from the site. Meanwhile, the kids who stayed back at the office made thank you cards and delivered them to the FOTC staff.

After lunch, the group made brightly colored tissue paper flowers and passed them out to the overwhelmed but delighted residents of Marquis Piedmont. One man followed the group around the home after receiving his flower, watching them visit the other seniors. He smiled as he looked on. “I love getting to see kids,” he commented, “You know why? I raised 12.” Edna, a tiny lady who had seemed sad, promptly and wordlessly put her flower on top of her head and sat looking happy as a clam. The kids loved this and crowded around to see her; everyone agreed Edna stole the show.

When everyone circled up to reflect at the end of the day, the Friends said they were proud of the kids for their positive attitudes, and the kids expressed gratitude for the opportunity to help others. Sarah*, 15, said it best: “I liked how everyone put a lot of love into what they were doing, like we weren’t just here because we had to be or someone made us.”

*Names have been changed to protect our program youth.

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Oct 15, 2013
Thank You, Steve

By Malcolm | Program Youth

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