Beginning this Sunday, the coins and small bills collected in our Change for Change buckets will benefit Friends of the Children (friendspdx.org)
FotC is a unique program that pairs up fully-trained, paid mentors (“Friends”) with children most at risk. The relationship begins when the child is around kindergarten age and continues until they graduate from high school.
Friends support and empower youth by:
Spending time with or on behalf of the child in school – working with teachers, advocating for individualized academic plans, and empowering older youth to advocate for themselves.
Creating connections – with other youth who share their interests or to resources in their own communities.
Exploring their interest and sharing in new experiences, through trips to museums, visiting the library, or taking an art class.
Connecting youth to opportunities, like internships, scholarships, and informational interviews.
Helping a child identify coping skills, regulate emotions and find constructive outlets for stress and frustration.
Being a consistent adult in a child's life as they move from placement to placement in the foster care system.
Please contribute what you can on Sunday mornings (or earmark a donation online or through the mail). According to the Harvard Business School Association of Oregon, every $1 invested in Friends of the Children saves the community over $7 in saved social costs. Helping one child saves the community $900,000. An incredible return on investment — besides the blessing of seeing a child grow happily and healthily into an adult.