Children who’ve experienced a lot of adversity can benefit from a long-term, nurturing relationship with a consistent and caring adult. This is why Friends of the Children redefined youth mentoring by creating the first and only long-term professional mentoring program in the country.
They select children who could benefit most from a relationship with a professional mentor who they call a Friend. The mentors’ full-time job is to empower and support youth and their caregivers. By moving mentorship out of the volunteer realm, they can get the quality, consistency, and commitment these children need and deserve.
Each child gets a dedicated, one-on-one Friend who spends a minimum of 14-16 hours per month to set goals and design activities that build life skills. In addition, Friends of the Children will work with the child’s school, neighborhood, and home to link the different areas of a child’s life. To learn more or to get involved visit friendsutah.org.
SelectHealth recognizes the youth development of Friends of the Children as another example of how Utah Gives Back.