Friends of the Children looks to bring mentorship to the youth of Union County

LA GRANDE — Youth in Union County could soon have another helping hand.

Friends of the Children is a national nonprofit organization that works to end generational poverty by providing professional mentors to children, particularly those who face multiple systemic obstacles, from the time they are in kindergarten through high school graduation, according to Chief Expansion Officer Angela Groves.

“Our primary focus is on the child, but we recognize the better we can help strengthen and stabilize the entire family and household, the better our outcomes with children will be,” Groves said.

Around 60 local residents gathered at Tap That Growlers on April 30 to learn more about the program and the work that has been done over the last year to bring Friends of the Children to Union County.

The organization has 37 locations across the country with seven chapters in Oregon. The existing chapters in the state are in Western and Central Oregon: Portland, Gresham, Eugene, Bend, La Pine, Chiloquin and Klamath Falls.

Union County would be the organization’s first chapter in Eastern Oregon.

Friends of the Children looks to expand into new locations by invitation, according to Groves. One of the organization's national donors grew up in La Grande, she said, and that served as the initial catalyst to explore the region.

So far, Groves has made four trips to Eastern Oregon to meet with local stakeholders to see if Friends of the Children would be welcome and where the organization might fit within the existing local resources that support children and their families.

“It’s been resoundingly positive and welcoming and amazing," she said. "Particularly Union County is where we’ve had the most traction and momentum."

Local support

Groves added that “phenomenal local advocates” have emerged in the community, including Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen, Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes and La Grande School District Superintendent George Mendoza, as well as Union County Juvenile Department Director Ben Morgan and Resilience Coordinator Kitia Chambers.

“Everyone we’ve talked to has been: ‘What can we do to help you, how do we make this happen?'” Groves said.

Over the past year Bowen has been working to help bring Friends of the Children to Union County. The sheriff said he has seen the impact of generation poverty firsthand during his time in law enforcement.

“What it (could) do for the children of Union County is astronomical,” Bowen said of the mentorship relationships that Friends of the Children could provide.

Morgan said when he first heard about Friends of the Children it was like this lightbulb turned on. Mentorship and guidance is critical for youth.

“In Union County, we don’t have these kinds of resources available for youth,” he said.

As the director of the juvenile department Morgan's end goal is to put himself out of a job, he said.

Morgan added that while the juvenile department is unlikely to see an immediate impact of bringing this program to Union County, he believes that an organization like Friends of the Children would have long-term positive results.

Funding

Groves explained that when Friends of the Children is looking to launch a new chapter the organization aims to have between $1 million and $2 million in seed funding. The goal for Union County is $1 million, Groves said, and around 70% of the funding has been secured.

She added that there has been an outpouring of support from the local community following the event on April 30, including from the owners of the Tap That, who donated 10% of sales during the event to Friends of the Children.

Groves is also working to leverage partnerships with both state and regional funders to help close the gap.

The first three years

The seed funding allows Friends of the Children to stand up the new chapter as an independent 501(c)(3) with local leadership and a board, according to Groves. The funding covers 100% of the costs related to the first year of operation, 50% of year two and 25% of year three.

Groves believes the seed funding goal could be met within the next couple of months.

Once funding is secure the national board needs to approve the location and then the organization will start the search for an executive director. The organization will also support the executive director with hiring a team, building the board and establishing the local chapter.

“The whole team, especially the program team and the 'friends' that are going to serve the children, will be from and really knowledgeable about the community and understanding of the barriers and the challenges that children and family are facing, but also the resources available and the partners across the community,” Groves said.

During the initial three years of operation Groves said that each year Friends of the Children will have a cohort made up of 16 youths and their caregivers.

While agreements with local partners still need to be finalized, Groves said that she anticipates one of the first partnerships will be with the La Grande School District. She added that the district requested there be a “focus and prioritization of Greenwood Elementary,” so that felt like a perfect starting point.

Each mentor works with eight children — meaning the Union County chapter will be looking to hire two "friends." Groves explained that mentors are full-time employees who go through a four-stage interview process as well as a vetting process and background check.

The mentors spend three to four hours each week with each child, according to the Friends of the Children program overview. They help teach valuable life skills and model healthy behaviors.

Groves said the organization takes a two-generation approach: mentoring youth and also providing support to their caregivers and families.

The goal is to be operational and ready to serve children in Union County by the end of 2024.