Friends for Youth featured in Redwood City Daily News!

Friends for Youth Program Manager, Jennifer Ashford and her Jr. Friend/Mentee, Iliana Medina were featured in The Redwood City Daily News to highlight their involvement in the National PSA that will be running on local stations promoting January as National Mentoring Month.

We are thrilled that the PSA coverage has brought much appreciated media attention to Friends for Youth as well as to youth at-risk mentoring as a whole. To read the full article please check it out here: http://www.redwoodcitydailynews.com/article/2008-1-18-smc-mentors

If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area and interested in learning about the benefits of mentoring a local youth come to one of our orientations! They are only an hour long and by the end you may just have found that mentoring is your true calling! Sign up here:

http://www.friendsforyouth.org/SignupforanOrientation.html or give us a call at (650)368-4444.

Mentorpalooza - Open to the Community!

Join us to celebrate National Mentoring Month at the evening reception for Friends for Youth's 9th Annual Mentoring Conference.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

7:00pm - 9:00pm

Hotel Sofitel San Francisco Bay

223 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood Shores, CA

Hear local teenagers talk about how their mentors have impacted their lives & the best ways adults can provide support for their success. In this facilitated conversation, adults will be able to really listen to what they have to say.

Sponsored by The Preteen Alliance, a program of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health & Hotel Sofitel San Francisco Bay.

Facilitated by Youth & Family Enrichment Services Youth Development Initiative & Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center. Presented in partnership with the Mentoring Coalition of San Mateo County, a program of the Adolescent Collaborative Action Team.

Please arrive by 7:10pm to participate in the evening's program.

Questions? Contact Sarah Kremer, Friends for Youth’s Mentoring Institute, at sarah@friendsforyouth.org or 650-559-0200.

Friends for Youth featured in the San Mateo County Daily News!

Our very own Jennifer Ashford was asked to talk to the Daily Journal about her mentoring experience at Friends for Youth. Jennifer has been a mentor to Iliana Medina, 18, for four years and their relationship has become an inspiration to many in the mentoring community.

Jennifer and Iliana were matched nearly five years ago and have, as they both say, a “real” friendship. Iliana says the changes in her life have been significant: she has been to “places I had never gone before. I met new people and I got into sports. My bad grades turned into A’s and B’s; I was on the honor roll for the first time ever in the fall. I NEVER thought I could have done this. I am pretty sure that if I would not have met her I could have gone to jail, dropped out of school and been involved in gangs.”

Congratulations to both for being selected to be featured in Public Service Announcements that will air nationwide throughout January, which is National Mentoring Month.

To read the full article click here:

http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?type=lnews&id=85559&eddate=01/07/2008

Friends for Youth has been dedicated to making a difference in the lives of at-risk youth since we began in 1979. By establishing and supporting one-to-1 mentoring relationships between youth-in-need and responsible, caring adults, we know we change lives for the betterment of individuals and the community.

Visit us to learn more about becoming a mentor at http://www.friendsforyouth.org/ or call (650) 482 - 2868.

46 Boys and 10 Girls are waiting for mentors. Could 1 be waiting for you?

January is National Mentoring Month!

We at Friends for Youth wanted to remind everyone that January is National Mentoring Month. Friends for Youth has teamed up with the Harvard Mentoring Project and Bay Area Mentoring to jump start our efforts in bringing awareness to communities nationwide of the importance in mentoring at-risk youth.

Mentoring is a rewarding and fun way to make a positive impact in the life of a young person simply by sharing your time and having fun. Currently, there are over 40 young people on our waiting list who actively wish to have a mentor.

Did you know that many celebrities, political leaders, famous writers and musicians were mentored when they were youths? To list just a few...

• Oprah Winfrey, mentored by Mrs. Duncan (4th grade teacher)
• Gen. Colin Powell, mentored by his father Luther Powell
• Dr. Martin King, mentored by Dr. Benjamin E. Mays
• Denzel Washington, mentored by Sidney Poitier
• Gloria Estefan, mentored by her grandmother Consuelo Garcia
• Quincy Jones, mentored by Ray Charles

Do you live in the San Francisco Bay Area? Curious to learn more about mentoring? Do you feel you have what it takes to inspire and nurture a great young person? Start the new year off with giving back to your community and building a wonderful future with a new friend in need.

2008 National Mentoring Month Events

1/24/08 – Thank Your Mentor Day!
Submit your personal story and honor your mentor by sending an e-card available for distribution online at http://www.whomentoredyou.org/

1/29/08 – San Mateo County Board of Supervisors NMM Proclamation
January Supervisors meeting will feature a presentation of proclamation co-sponsored by Supervisors Adrienne Tissier (President) and Mark Church.

1/31/08 to 2/01-08 – Friends for Youth Mentoring Conference
Friends for Youth’s Annual Mentoring Conference, Mentoring Youth: Defining the Difference It Makes, will be held at the Sofitel San Francisco Bay and Oracle on January 31st and February 1st. This gathering of mentoring professionals attracts a national and international audience and features pre-conference courses, workshop sessions, and keynote presentations. This conference is also sponsored by the Lucile Packard Foundation for Public Health Preteen Alliance. For additional conference information go to http://www.friendsforyouth.org/

Mentorpalooza An evening event featuring a Fishbowl Forum for mentored youth, will be at the Sofitel San Francisco Bay on January 31st at 7:00pm and is open to the community. Local teenagers will talk about how their mentors have impacted them and the best ways adults can provide support for their success. In this facilitated conversation, adults will be able to really listen to what they have to say.

Don't hesitate to contact Friends for Youth at (650) 482-2867 and please check us out on the web at http://www.friendsforyouth.org/