Friends of the Children Receives $150K in Foundation Grants

BEND, Ore. - Friends of the Children–Central Oregon just received two major grants from the Ford Family Foundation and the Silver Family Foundation totaling $150,000 over the next three years.

Friends of the Children–Central Oregon, whose mission is to provide a compassionate, paid professional mentor for children at risk, hired its first three mentors and began serving 24 children this Spring. Each Friend is trained in youth development best practice and trauma-informed. The Friends spend 16 hours of one-on-one time a month with each child. They spend time together in the classroom, around the community and at the Clubhouse.

Both grant awards will support a large portion of the salaries for two new mentors over the next three years. The two new mentors will identify and serve an additional 16 children in Redmond starting Fall 2018.

The Ford Family Foundation’s goal is to improve the lives of children in rural areas, ensuring they are healthy and kindergarten ready, which leads to success in school and beyond. The Silver Family Foundation is based in Portland, Ore. They support nonprofits who focus on transitional youth development.

The multiyear commitment from the Ford Family Foundation and the Silver Family Foundation is key to the success of Friends’ sustainable plan to serve all children in the program for 12+ years. Friends–Central Oregon is truly honored to be a recipient of these awards.

To see the KZTV article, go to: http://www.ktvz.com/news/frien...