Kevin Durant is a Mentor!

Two weeks ago, NBA superstar of the Golden State Warriors Kevin Durant announced his partnership with My Brother's Keeper, Obama's mentoring initiative. In a letter that he posted to the White House website, Durant outlines the initiative's goal to provide mentors to at least 250,000 at-risk youth in the next two years. 

Durant understands the dire situation these youth live in, as he himself grew up in poverty in a single-parent household, raised mainly by his grandmother. His mother, as a hard-working woman with four children, had little time to spend with Durant. However, she made every effort possible to keep him off of the streets by putting him in after-school programs. It was in one of these programs that young Durant met his childhood coach and self-proclaimed mentor, to whom he attributes much of his professional success.

Watch Durant's White House PSA about how mentoring changes lives.

There are 16 million youth living in America that are growing up without a mentor. That is 1 out of 3 young people who don't have a trusted adult outside of immediate family who they can turn to for guidance and support. With just a little bit of your time, you can change the life of these youth. Learn more about how you can help make a difference on our website so you can join Obama and Kevin Durant in becoming a #MentorIRL.

Source: http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2016/10/27/13439826/nba-2016-golden-state-warriors-kevin-durant-my-brothers-keeper-mentor-success-president-barack-obama
https://www.serve.gov/mentor

29th Annual Golf Tournament Was A Success!

What an amazing turnout at our golf tournament and dinner this year! It was a fun game of golf and a beautiful dinner and presentation, chock-full of cool prizes, auction items, contests, and more!

On behalf of everyone at Friends for Youth, including the ConnectSHS students that this event supports, we'd like to give a huge thank you to every tournament player and dinner attendee that came to generously support our organization! This is our biggest fundraising event of the year, and is what allows us to create new programs like ConnectSHS to help even more at-risk youth in our area.

Didn't make it this year? Take a look at some pictures from the event on our Facebook page and make it a plan for next year!

It's Less Than 2 Weeks Away!

Time flies! 

Our 29th Annual Peninsula Golf Challenge is now officially less than 2 weeks from today, and we are so excited to see this year's teams play! 

Have you reserved a spot for your fivesome team yet? We still have openings!

Check out our event page to buy tickets for yourself or your team. 

Don't golf but still want to support Friends for Youth? Come out to our immaculate 5-star dinner and join in on the fun with our live and silent auctions!

Time is running out! Visit eventbrite.com for more on the event and buy tickets before it's too late.

We hope to see you there!

It's Back to School Time!

As the summer season comes to a close and the leaves begin to fall, it can only mean one thing for students and parents alike; school's starting!

For some, this might seem like a prison sentence. But success in school is easy to achieve with just a little hard work and determination.

One factor, however, that parents and adult mentors may overlook when considering the success of their children, is the impact that home life and emotional support has on a student. 

Here's a few tips that both mentors and parents can reference when trying to optimize their child's success:

•  Encourage healthy habits by exercising with your child in fun ways and cooking nutritious meals. Children can't focus in class if their health is suffering.
• Create a routine and designated work space for studying and homework. Clear instruction and a desk area help keep kids focused.
• Read with your child every day. Reading both fiction and educational books motivate children to learn and become better readers.
• Show interest in his/her school. Regularly meet with teachers, review curriculum, and do homework with your child.
• Talk to your student often and ask about how they feel about school. Show interest in what they are learning and their friends. The best way to make children interested in school is for them to have a positive school experience.

A healthy home life is the first step to educational success.

Friends for Youth's new group mentoring program, ConnectSHS, provides in-class mentoring services to at-risk 9th graders at Sequoia High School. Connect is designed to give extra educational and emotional support to students who may not have the optimal home situation. 

Learn more about ConnectSHS and how mentors can create successful students on our website.

Good luck in the 2016-2017 school year!


Source: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/school/Pages/Ten-Tips-for-Your-Childs-Success-in-School.aspx

San Francisco Zoo Habitat Reconstruction Activity!

Our friendships had a blast at the San Francisco Zoo last weekend! Friends for Youth had the opportunity to volunteer in partnership with HandsOn Bay Area at the zoo restoring animal habitats. It was fun for all ages, and the friendships were rewarded with free admission to the zoo after all of their hard work. Great job, team!

We hope to continue providing friendships with exciting volunteer opportunities and ways to give back to the community. 

Stay involved in upcoming events by checking out our Facebook page. 

See you at the next event!

Youth Who Volunteer Become Better Adults

It's obvious that community service has a huge impact on those that it serves, but what is often overlooked is the influence it has on the volunteers themselves. Working with others on a humanitarian project creates an environment that can facilitate the growth of leadership and social skills, self-esteem, and even better general physical health. Points of Light, an international non-profit that focuses on volunteer service, as well as the University of Nevada-Reno, both published research articles on the effect of volunteering on youth, and the results are encouraging:

Over the last 10 years, youth volunteering has risen dramatically. 30% of youth participate in volunteer activities at least once a month. This is a huge increase, considering youth now spend 2.4 billion hours a year volunteering, which equates to a $34.3 billion increase to the U.S. economy.

Youth who volunteer do better in school, get better grades, and are 50% less likely to use drugs, alcohol, or engage in risky behaviors. Those who donate their time also experience greater health benefits than those who don't, including greater mental health like the reduction of depression and anxiety.

The effects go even deeper, as youth who volunteer are 3 times more likely to volunteer as adults, and 81% of those who volunteer continue to donate as they get older.

It's now proven that youth who volunteer grow up to be stable, compassionate adults who also volunteer.

Friends for Youth promotes the benefits of volunteering to our mentor/mentee friendships, and always encourages our youth to join in volunteering opportunities.

An upcoming friendship volunteering event at the San Francisco Zoo is coming up, and we are so excited to impact the lives of our youth and the community!

Stay tuned for updates!

Sources: https://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/cd/2003/fs0323.pdf
http://www.pointsoflight.org/sites/default/files/site-content/files/social_impact_of_volunteerism_pdf.pdf

Get Involved: Our New Social Media Campaign!

Calling all Friends for Youth supporters! Want an easy and fun way to support your favorite non-profit mentoring organization? Join our social media campaign!

We just launched a new campaign to raise awareness for Friends for Youth. Our board member, Linda Chen, has generously agreed to donate $25 for each selfie that's posted online in front of our ConnectSHS banner on Sequoia High School's fence, located on El Camino Real in between Broadway and James Ave in Redwood City, CA. Post your picture on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook with the hash tag #ConnectSHS and tag @friendsforyouth, and your efforts will provide FFY with a $25 donation! What an amazing opportunity! 

Check out our Facebook for more information. We will be periodically featuring our supporters on our Instagram and Twitter, so keep a look out for your selfie, we might just feature you!

Exciting News!

Friends for Youth is happy to announce our recent upgrade to Platinum Status on GuideStar! 

GuideStar is a database for non-profit organizations that gives accurate and up-to-date information for donors, allowing them to make educated decisions about where they want to donate. Platinum is the highest status that GuideStar currently awards, and we are proud to share that we've achieved this level of recognition. We pride ourselves on the transparency that we have within our organization, and hope that everyone can benefit from the information that we provide. 

Take a look at our GuideStar profile and see for yourself the commitment that we have for sharing what we do!

Why Be A Mentor? Impact A Youth's Life

A Lasting Impact

If you think back to your own childhood, you may remember an adult who played the role of a mentor in your life, and that you believe positively influenced your future. The real impact of mentors on youth wasn't fully understood, but now the release of new research studies prove the lasting effect a mentor has on their mentee. According to MENTOR, the National Mentoring Partnership, 1 in 3 young people grow up without a supportive adult role model and/or caretaker in their lives. This is especially concerning, as having an adult mentor impacts a child's future educational achievement, self-esteem, and emotional well-being.
Nationally, 1.3 million students drop out of school every year. Half of low-income and minority youth fail to graduate on time. Only 10% of at-risk youth in the lowest income quartile graduate from college.
But there is hope; the new statistics concerning mentors is promising.

At-Risk youth that have a mentor are:

• 55% more likely to enroll in college
• 78% more likely to volunteer regularly
• 52% less likely to skip school
• 46% less likely to start using illegal drugs

Friends for Youth has a success rate far above the national average. Not only do 98% of mentoring relationships created in our program complete the 1-year term, 90% stay connected and have long-term mentorships that exist outside of the program. 100% of our mentees stay in school, and 88% avoided and/or stopped use of illegal drugs and alcohol. As you can see, mentoring works!

How Can You Help?
  
The facts don't lie. Having a mentor during child and early adulthood has an immensely positive effect on an individual's life. 
So, don't you want create a lasting impact on a local youth in-need, in a way that effectively changes their future? Become a mentor! Sign up for an info session today and learn more about how you can get involved.  

Source - http://www.mentoring.org/why-mentoring/mentoring-impact/#1442263051104-6ca77555-c66a1be4-a01f

Petaluma Speedway Event Was A Success!

The debut of our race car sponsorship at Petaluma Speedway was a resounding success! 

We are thrilled to have had such a great turn out with friendships, staff members, and local Friends for Youth advocates all coming together to show their support for Paul Hanley as he secured 9th place in the main event. Amazing job, Paul!

 A big thank you to everyone who attended, including JT Graphics and Kristen Hanley for the in-kind donation of the sponsorship.

Didn't make it? Check out our Facebook page for photos and video from the event so you won't miss out on the action!

Stay up to date on upcoming events by visiting friendsforyouth.org.

We hope to see you at the next one!

Petaluma Speedway Race Car Debut 2016

Friends for Youth has it's own race car sponsor!

Due to the generous in-kind donation from JT Graphics and father/daughter racing duo Kristin and Paul Hanley, we are being represented at the Petaluma Speedway 54th Anniversary Event.
 
Come join us for a fun evening at the track and show your support! As a special bonus, the first 10 friendships who sign up on Eventbrite get FREE tickets!

So come out July 9th to our Race Car Debut Event and support local at-risk youth. We hope you'll be cheering along with us!

More Details and ticket information on Eventbrite.com.

Name it & Win it!

Friends for Youth was named by a Friendship back in 1985 and we need YOUR help once again to name our new mentoring program!  

We have an exciting announcement! At the end of this summer, we will be adding a new school-based mentoring program that will take place at Sequoia High School. We will be offering group mentoring to incoming freshman who have been identified as needing extra guidance and support to reach their goals. 

About the Program:

·      Where: Sequoia High School

·      When: Academic year during school hours

·      Student Mentees: Incoming 9^th graders

·      Mentors: Caring adult volunteers

·      Mentor:Student Ratio: 1:4

·      Program Model: Through conversations, activities, and field trips mentees will access tools to develop their interests, build healthy habits and networks, overcome obstacles and reach short and long-term goals.

Program Name: Catchy to teens and adults, may represent a community of support, and students' success. It could even be an acronym... 

Prize: $50 gift card

Deadline for Submission: Wednesday, June 1st

How: Simply email any ideas to info@friendsforyouth.org. The more suggestions the better your chances of winning! 

P.S., Is your mentee all grown up or do you now have more time? If you or someone you know would be interested in getting involved as a group mentor or partner, please contact sarahnorman@friendsforyouth.org for more information.  

Mentee Becomes Mentor

An organizational milestone for Friends for Youth, the first mentee becomes a mentor in 2016

Pictured above are the original photos archived by Friends for Youth of the first meeting between all mentor and mentee matches.

In 1998, 13-year-old Juan found out about Friends for Youth from his friend who was in the program. He was excited to get involved and went to a counselor at Kennedy Middle School to learn more.  Juan had limited resources at home, and was struggling to make friends, pass his classes and improve his English language skills. “I felt like I was missing out on a lot and there was so much to do and see.” 

A few months later, Juan met his mentor, Trish.

“She took me places that I had never been before. We went to Six Flags, we went kayaking, horseback riding, and I visited her at her job, which I thought was cool. She was a DEA Agent at San Francisco Airport. We also watched [her husband’s bike] races.”

Juan attributes his motivation to be healthy, improved social skills, and increased resiliency to the experience. He also said Trish helped him with homework and staff connected him to tutoring services.

He became the first in his family to go to college and graduated with a degree in Child Development. He has since worked as a preschool teacher and is currently in school to become a social worker. Juan reconnected with Friends for Youth for a school project and afterward felt compelled to become a mentor.  “I remembered Trish talking about her job and how she was married. If she made time for me, then I can make time for someone else.”

Juan is now a positive role model for his mentee, Mateo. “It makes me feel good when I expose him to something new… His dad approached me and said I just want to thank you for what you’re doing for [us].”

He recently found Trish on Facebook and exchanged thanks and memories. “I posted a picture of Mateo and myself at the Giants game and she replied that I had made her morning that I was now volunteering.”

Mentoring transforms the lives of youth, families, friends and communities.
Help us expand the ripple effect of mentoring today!

Ryan and Leo's College Visit

Ryan decided to take his mentee Leo to his alma mater, SJSU! They explored campus, ate at one of Ryan's favorite local spots and got to talk about school. 

Leo is currently in middle school but would be a first generation college student. This was his first time getting to ask an adult a lot of questions about college and picture himself on a college campus. Having a mentor helps inspires youth like Leo to work hard in school and believe in their goals.

Creating Photo Memories

We love seeing how each Friendship decides to experience their year. Mirjam and Sharon make a photo collage to remember each visit!

Here's their collage from the zoo and what they talked about that day. The text reads: "We absolutely cannot change the past. What happened, happened. The quickest path to hopelessness lies in all of the "what if, could have, should have"... that our minds try to trap us in. Don't travel that path. It will never take you where you need to be. Choose to focus on the moment you are in, and make it enough." It is inspiring to see the creativity and wisdom that comes out of youth and adult friendships!

Lots of skating and cheer at Annual Friendship Holiday Party

There was a perfect break in the rain for the Friends for Youth Holiday Party, which was held this past weekend at the Winter Lodge in Palo Alto. Thanks to a very generous Emeritus Friendships donor, more than 50 people enjoyed an afternoon of skating, food, drink, and holiday cheer. Mentors, mentees, and their guests took to the ice and then warmed up with hot cocoa and apple cider. Each Friendship also received a special holiday treat. Everyone was in the holiday spirit, and a car full of canned goods were collected and donated to our local food bank. Thank you to everyone who came out to join us!

Mentee Evaluation 2.0

In order to gather outcome results on the effectiveness of our program, Friends for Youth conducts both pre- and post-match interviews with our mentees. Our evaluation tool was created in 2000 by Dr. Cynthia Sipes, then of Public/Private Ventures, and measures areas of impact including academic engagement, risky behaviors, positive behaviors, goals, and self-concept. An outside evaluator/researcher provides analysis of our data.

In 2013 Friends for Youth began working with mentoring researcher Roger Jarjoura of American Institutes for Research to update our mentee evaluation tool. This was the first major revision to our youth interview questions since the evaluation project was created. Among the updates are new data metrics on the impact our Mentoring Services program on bullying, both in terms of victimization and aggressive behaviors. In addition, new questions measuring the trust, empathy, and closeness of the mentoring match were added. Following a pilot project testing the new mentee evaluation tool, Friends for Youth began full scale implementation in late 2014, with results of the first group of youth expected to be completed and analyzed next year. 

In the meanwhile, we have a few highlights to share from our 2015 mentee outcome evaluation data.

Meet Our New Program Coordinator!

Sarah is a Bay Area native, and recently moved back from Los Angeles. In LA, she worked at a leadership program for underserved youth and coordinated volunteers. She has also worked with food access, employment, and arts programs. Sarah earned her BA from University of Oregon in Planning, Public Policy and Nonprofit Management. As the Program Coordinator, she is excited to use her experience to support great matches and see how they impact each others' lives.

In her free time, Sarah enjoys the arts, traveling, volunteering and spending time with friends and family. She looks forward to meeting and forming Friendships!

This Friendship celebrates highlights of their year!

Mentoring pair Julius and Allan are celebrating one-year of Friendship!

"My mentor has helped me be a better person, be more responsible, and has given me advice. Our friendship is really good, fun, and we have many things in common!" ~Mentee Allan

"My mentee has shown me how to have fun, how to look at things differently, how to be more patient, and how to turn anything into an adventure." ~Mentor Julius

Congratulations Julius and Allan on this significant milestone and thank you for being part of Friends for Youth!

Are you ready to mentor? http://friendsforyouth.org/get-involved/

First Friends for Youth Bowl-a-thon brought tons of friends and fun!

On Thursday, July 23, more than 110 bowlers and supporters packed Bowlmor in Cupertino for the first-ever Friends for Youth Bowl-a-thon. The event raised more than $15,000 for Friends for Youth and brought together 9 mentor/mentee Friendships, 6 Board members, and supporters both familiar and new to the organization. 

Groups from Google, Adobe, RSC, and Architectural Lighting Works all helped fill our 14 lanes of fun in the bowling alley. The night included a raffle, a photobooth with props for silly photos, and special Friends for Youth M&M party favors. Teams enjoyed pizza and rang cow bells as strikes were bowled!

 

Our deepest thanks to the Friends for Youth Bowl-a-thon Committee: Co-chairs Jessica Boisselle-Rairkar and Connie Maurer, Ashish Farmer, Petere Miner, Selim Onal, and Paulette Savage. This group worked tirelessly for months to plan this event, lead our fundraising efforts, and help recruit our bowlers. 

And thank you to everyone who came out to join us and the many who generously donated to make this event a success!

Incredibowls 

Leviloff

Jez n Friends

Lizbet and Connie's Alley Cats

RSC

Jim Prior and Friends

                                       

Goofy Goobers

Savage Strikers

Go Adobe

I Can't Believe It's Not Gutter

Always Be Bowling