Friends for Youth on TV

Friends for Youth was featured on ABC's Beyond the Headlines!
Watch the interview of Friends for Youth Executive Director Rebecca Cooper by Cheryl Jennings on youtube.

Our 22nd Annual Peninsula Golf Challenge was held on October 5th at the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club. Speakers included Mitch Juricich of Hooked on Golf and Junior and Senior Friends who shared about their Friendships. The support we received through the auctions and pledges of general support was fabulous--including multiple winners who donated items to our Friendships--a Sharks Luxury Suite for a second year in a row!--or back to be auctioned again.

Junior and Senior Friends Experience Summer of Awesome Activities

As summer draws to a close, the Mentoring Services Department would like to thank all the many Friendships that have participated in this summer’s group activities. It has been wonderful to see so many Friendships at our various summer activities. The season began with a Scavenger Hunt that had Friendships engaging in an amazing footrace around Redwood City. Final scores from the competition were very tight! We appreciate all of our racers, and special congratulations to Michael + Diego for pulling off the Scavenger Hunt win. Next we sent a group of Friendships to check out the newly renovated California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. The four-story rainforest and aquarium’s alligators and turtles were among the highlights for Friendships. Friends for Youth’s Community Partner Oracle kindly invited Friendships to see the San Francisco Giants battle the Florida Marlins. Also, special thanks to Webcor Builders of San Mateo for inviting Friends for Youth to view a game from their luxury box! Friendships enjoyed a fine night of baseball with Tim Lincecum pitching the win against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Friends for Youth 3rd Annual Summer BBQ was a blast. Water balloon tosses, potato sack races, and a game of jumbo pick-up sticks were all part of the afternoon fun! Friendships also enjoyed:
• San Francisco 49ers games,
• the San Mateo County Fair,
• an outdoor movie, “Iron Man,”
• an artistic evening of “Drawing on Your Heart,”
• a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus show, and
• a Save the Bay community service activity to preserve our Bay’s wetlands.
Finally, the summer ended with a group of Friendships taking the ferry out to Alcatraz to learn about the island and its history! The Mentoring Services Team is looking forward to seeing each Friendship this fall for another round of activities! Check out “The Discovery Times” today and contact your program coordinator today to sign up for September group activities.

Be A Mentor!

Obama urges citizens to undertake national service. Who mentored you? Thank them and pass it on. Be a Mentor!

Friends for Youth in the San Mateo County Times

In her column in the San Mateo County Times on Friday March 27, Carolyn Livengood features Friends for Youth, focusing on our 30 years of service, the 1,750 mentoring matches (and counting) made since 1979, and the impact these Friendships have on young people in our community.

Friends for Youth on the Radio

This week Friends for Youth Executive Director Becky Cooper was a guest on KBLX Radio’s Bayview Program. During the interview, which aired March 22, Becky discusses the successes and challenges of the last 30 years. Tune in to hear about how KBLX Radio and Friends for Youth are both celebrating 30th anniversaries!

Mentoring Programs Change Lives

Parade magazine published an article 3/15/09 which highlights the importance of mentoring as a tool for intervention and says, "Studies show that mentoring programs can play a powerful role in reducing drug and alcohol abuse, youth violence, and dropout rates." And, "Each mentoring story is important in its own right. Each would prove inspirational if told." Check out more Friendship Stories.


Friends for Youth is featured on MENTOR’s Web site, which is listed in the article as a resource for finding mentoring opportunities in your area.

Friends for Youth Celebrates 30 YEARS! *************Join Us!*************

Our 30th Anniversary year has brought challenges to the economy and to the lives of many individuals in our community and throughout the world. Although Friends for Youth has a success rate far above the national average and has a proven history of guiding youth away from violence and substance abuse, many foundations have recently changed their guidelines to support organizations that provide basic necessities like food and shelter. While we understand their motives and value the goals of many wonderful nonprofits doing important work in these areas, we also recognize that preventative programs — such as Friends for Youth — are essential too. During these stressful times, many youth need mentors more than ever. Could YOU give 30 dollars, one dollar for each year Friends for Youth has been making a difference in the lives of at-risk young people? Each and every donation is vital to us. You can make a secure online donation from our Web site http://www.friendsforyouth.org/, call 650-368-4444, or mail 1741 Broadway, Redwood City, CA 94063.