Friends of the Children-SF Bay Area

Summer has brought sunshine and the launch of our Scholars Fund at Friends of the Children-SF Bay Area! This program is the next step in addressing academic disparities, and we need your help to make it happen. The children in our program have big dreams and unique talents. They are also resilient, as all have experienced the effects of early childhood trauma. This trauma, coupled with learning loss due to the pandemic, has created big obstacles for the youths' academic progress. Donate to our Scholars Fund (https://lnkd.in/gJjc97QC) and help us reach our $100,000 goal to improve academic outcomes for the children we serve. Your donation ensures tailored academic support for our youth. Thank you for partnering with us!

Our heartfelt thanks to Fenwick & West's San Francisco office for hosting an engaging and educational Law Day event for the youth we serve. They organized an exciting trademark mock trial where the jurors, made up of the youth and Mentors, deliberated whether Snow White had infringed upon the Evil Queen’s iconic trademark for "The Fairest One of All." We are so grateful to everyone at Fenwick & West who made this incredible event possible. Thank you Fenwick & West for your support and engagement! And, in case you were curious, the student jurors declared Snow White not guilty!

We are so thankful to Fenwick & West for organizing an incredible Career Exploration Day for the youth we serve!

Welcome to Friends of the Children-SF Bay Area, Tamika! We are thrilled to have Tamika join the team as a Professional Mentor. Known to her students as Ms. Tamika, she started her journey of working with children with special needs in 1998 with the West Contra Costa Unified School District as a one-on-one instructional aide. She completed her Early Childhood Education Certification from Contra Costa College and continued to work for the WCCUSD for over 25 years in the role of a Paraprofessional. Her love for the outdoors led her to the role of Site Coordinator with the Mt Diablo Unified School district and the Albany YMCA where she coordinated summer and afterschool programs for over 500 youth! Tamika credits her role as a mother to her 2 amazing children to the extensive years of working with students from different backgrounds and cultures. She is driven by the belief that every young person deserves the opportunity to discover their own identity through self-confidence. We are ecstatic to have Tamika join our team as a Professional Mentor to advocate and support her youth! To learn more about Tamika and our other amazing staff members, visit our website at https://lnkd.in/gwrzQb4X! #NewMentor #Welcome #Team #SanFrancisco #BayView #BayArea #FriendsOfTheChildren

Join us for an evening of inspiration and joy at our Find Your Spark! Gala on Thursday, May 9th, 2024, from 6:00 - 9:00 PM at the SF Design Center. We’re excited to celebrate Resilient Bayview and our commitment to providing professional mentorship to the youth we serve for 12+ years, no matter what! Please consider supporting our mission of breaking the generational cycle of poverty by becoming a gala sponsor (https://lnkd.in/ePxjNuv6) or purchasing tickets (https://lnkd.in/ex-s6qU9).

From February 8 - 10, Executive Director Tim Waters attended the Friends of the Children’s Network Board Chair/Executive Director Summit in Washington, D.C. Tim was joined by esteemed Board Member, William Jeffrey, who spent 20 years as a leader within the federal government. Together, they met with legislative policy advisors representing Senator Alex Padilla, Senator Laphonza Butler, and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. They used the opportunity to share the phenomenal impact that Friends of the Children's professional mentorship model continues to have on all the children and caregivers we serve across the country, and particularly in Bayview Hunters Point, one of San Francisco’s most historically disenfranchised and marginalized communities.     Tim Waters and Bill Jeffrey also took full advantage of the excellent workshops coordinated by Friends of the Children and the opportunity to work with leaders from Friends of the Children's 36 locations. Over two days, the chapter leaders met with more than 70 Congressional offices in both the House and Senate. Thank you to Friends National for coordinating an enriching Capitol Hill Summit! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gpnuQKT9

Welcome to Friends of the Children-SF Bay Area, Jahlan! We are thrilled to have Jahlan join the team as a Professional Mentor. Jahlan was born and raised in the Bay Area and received her BA in Child and Adolescent Development from California State University San Marcos. Jahlan joins our organization having served in many youth-oriented roles. She strongly believes that all kids have the capability to reach their full potential if given the right resources and support from positive role models. We're so happy to have you join our team as a positive role model, Jahlan! To learn more about Jahlan and our other amazing staff members, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gwrzQb4X! #NewMentor #Welcome #Team #SanFrancisco #BayView #BayArea

BIG NEWS! Friends of the Children was featured in this past Saturday’s edition of The New York Times. The opinion piece was penned by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Nicholas Kristof, who has written about Friends of the Children before. It is the sixth piece in his series “How America Heals,” in which he examines “the interwoven crises devastating working-class America and exploring paths to recovery.” As Kristof describes unique solutions which can help America heal, he highlights Friends of the Children's long-term paid, professional mentoring model. Read the article online here: https://nyti.ms/3OemNXI

BIG NEWS ALERT! We're ecstatic that Simone Biles is featured on the cover of Vanity Fair and has chosen to share about her work with Friends of the Children. To read the article online, visit https://lnkd.in/gXnb3ya7 Thank you for advocating for our organization and the power of mentorship during #NationalMentoringMonth, Simone Biles!

Your generosity goes a long way in breaking the cycle of generational poverty — and now your support will be doubled! Every donation through the end of the year will be matched until we hit our $20,000 Goal. To double your donation, click here: https://lnkd.in/gJjc97QC Jayden*, a young child who loves to play, started working with Mentor Joshua this year. Recently, Joshua went to Jayden’s school to participate in an educational assessment. After the assessment, Jayden ran up to Joshua and gave him a big hug and wouldn’t let go. It was a turning point for Joshua as Jayden’s Mentor. “I think he finally realized that I’m not just here to play and that I am here for him and his personal and academic success. We had a breakthrough moment, and I was excited to have him trust me on this new level.” - Joshua, Professional Mentor Your gift supports our mission to provide Professional Mentorship to youth who face the biggest barriers for 12+ Years, no matter what! Mentors support youth in pursuing goals addressing five focus areas: School Success, Healthy Habits, Making Good Choices, Pro-Social Development, and Plans and Skills for the Future.