A promise is a promise. Friends of the Children Central Oregon doesn’t make promises they can’t keep. When children are selected for the Friends program a promise is made to stand by them, no matter what.
Amanda was in the first cohort of children selected when Friends expanded to central Oregon in 2017. According to Colleen, her professional mentor or “Friend”, her bright eyes and sunny disposition were contagious. She lit up at any opportunity to learn something new. You would never know the trauma she experienced. Her positive outlook never changed despite being homeless and entering foster care in a town three hours away. Her resilience guided every decision to look past the hurt and focus on the good. The one constant she could always look forward to was the time spent with Colleen. During her time in foster care, she and Colleen would use FaceTime to stay connected.
A year later, Amanda returned to the Central Oregon area but to a place that was unfamiliar to her. With a new home and starting a new school, she struggled to make new connections. Colleen jumped in to support the challenging adjustment. When they talked about Amanda’s hopes and dreams and when she felt the happiest it centered on her love for animals.
There is a local Humane Society not too far from Amanda’s school, so every Monday she and Colleen volunteer to feed and walk the dogs. Through their time there, the staff learned more about the Friends model and really enjoyed getting to know Amanda. “She has such a gentle heart and really connects with the animals that are timid or scared,” a staff member mentioned.
“Friends of the Children gives me opportunities to try new things and visit new places. I love that some days I don’t have to go straight home. I get to spend time with Colleen, and we do lots of fun things together” says Amanda.
As Amanda prepares to enter middle school in the fall, she shares how Colleen has helped instill the confidence to never give up and try her best. “I do better in school now. I’m comfortable around her and know I can share anything with her. She’s a true friend.” Amanda says fondly.
“From the beginning, I knew she was a super sweet girl. Now she’s grown into this super kind and loving human with a passion to better animals and other people. I’m proud of her.” Friend Colleen shares.
“Amanda embodies such resilience and curiosity.” says Rachel Cardwell, Executive Director. “The younger kids in the program look up to her and the staff can see just how much she has grown. They enjoy seeing her aim high, reach her goals and look forward to watching her future unfold.”
Under Friends of the Children each child gets a dedicated, one-on-one Friend who listens to their hopes and dreams, empowering them to set – and achieve – their goals. Friends create meaningful experiences that empower youth to build life skills and make healthy choices while exploring their diverse talents and interests.
Friends expanded into south Deschutes County with funding help from SRWC in 2021 and 2022. This spring Friends of the Children hired two new mentors to exclusively serve the La Pine area. Each Friend will mentor eight kindergarteners. Another $10,000 Friends grant from SRWC funds a Summer Literacy camp for these kindergarteners and their siblings with a goal of each starting the school year reading at grade level. Friends is committed to work with these 16 students for the next 12 plus years to help them succeed. Remember, a promise is a promise.
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