Children from low-income families in Gresham will be paired with volunteer mentors through a creative partnership between the City of Gresham and local nonprofit Family of Friends with support from Multnomah County and the United States Conference of Mayors.
"Family of Friends hit the ground running and is already training new mentors to help Gresham's at-risk kids. Our collaboration is a win-win for this community,” said Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis.
For 13 years, Family and Friends was a program of Trillium Family Services. Last fall the team decided to branch out into its own nonprofit. Through their program, mentors are matched with kids from low-income families that want extra support. They commit to weekly visits for at least one year, and staff provide in-depth screening, training and coaching every step of the way. Kids reporting the relationships build positive self-identity and social and emotional skills.
Since 2003, Family of Friends has matched more than 250 children with volunteer mentors, many of whom are still in contact today. The connections are so strong than nearly nine-in-10 kids stay in touch with their mentors.
Gresham has teamed up with Multnomah County to grow the program.
"I greatly value our partnership with Multnomah County as well as the support from Chair Deborah Kafoury," said Bemis. "As we move forward, we'll explore ways we can collaborate to maximize Family of Friends' impact on at-risk children in our community."
Multnomah County and the City of Gresham have worked together for years on grants and projects to meet people’s needs and build leadership within communities that too often go unheard.
But none are more important than supporting kids transitioning into adulthood. And no combination is more powerful at reducing truancy and improving grades than strong mentors paired with safety net services and academic supports.
“We are excited about the prospect of working more deeply and intentionally with the city of Gresham as a partner in our ongoing efforts around youth violence prevention, health and supports for student success,” said Chair Deborah Kafoury.