FRIENDS OF THE CHILDREN- PORTLAND
FriendsPDX has redefined the youth mentoring field by creating the first and only long-term professional mentoring program in the country. Our Friends are experts in building sustained and nurturing relationships with youth. We specialize in working with youth who have faced a lot of adversity. We have the data to show that it's real and it works.
Our model was founded on research showing that the single most important factor in overcoming childhood adversity is a long-term, nurturing relationship with a consistent and caring adult. Research over the past three decades continues to affirm how much these relationships matter.
Our healing-centered, long-term mentoring model is now being sought after by communities and systems around the country and the world. They recognize that children who've experienced a lot of adversity need more specialized and long-term mentoring relationships that Friends of the Children—Portland provides.
One day, Diamond came to me with a goal: “Ayni, I want to learn gymnastics.” This was no surprise, as she’s one of those kids who drops into the splits on command to make people cringe and does cartwheels whenever there’s grass around. Together, we broke that big goal down into smaller goals and identified the barriers to problem solve.
First, we wrote a letter to a gym which earned her a scholarship so the family wouldn’t pay out of pocket. We found a gym near her home and arranged weekly transportation through one of our staff members. Diamond used her monthly budget from Friends PDX to pick out a leotard she felt confident in. This youth worked so hard to take the seed of an idea and turn it into something real.
But here’s where it gets special—through a connection, we were able to set up a Zoom meet-and-greet with none other than Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in history! Diamond’s story has many parallels with Simone’s story. Experience with foster care and adoption, being a person of color in a predominately white sport AND being wicked smart and super funny. It was a pivotal moment for her to imagine the many, many options available in the future. She continues to attend weekly classes, building both skills and friendships, AND she leveled up again last month.
This isn’t only a story about a youth learning gymnastics. It’s about how Friends of the Children lets youth lead, creates opportunities for them to deeply explore their interests, supports them in developing skills, navigates barriers to success, and ultimately empowers them to write their own stories. Like one who recently graduated from dental school, another who’s currently stationed in Japan serving in the Marines, or another who earned Middle School Teacher of the Year this spring.
If you’ve had a mentor at some point in your life, you know how transformational it can be. If you didn’t have one, you deserved one. Thank you all for supporting the work we do to provide caring, consistent adults for all youth who could use a Friend. Most importantly, thank you for believing in our youth and their families.
- Ayni H, Associate Director of Outreach & Enrollment
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