Looking Back, Looking Ahead MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Friend of Friends: Fall is even more exciting than usual at Friends of the Children this year as we begin to emerge from COVID-19. San Francisco public schools have reopened, our Mentors have complied with the School District’s strict vaccination requirements, and they’re once again meeting with their children both inside the classrooms and out. In other words, after 17 difficult months, our program is beginning to return to normal! We’re proud to say that we found a myriad of new ways during COVID-19 to honor the commitment we make to each child – 12+ years, no matter what! – and our relationships with children and caregivers are now stronger than ever. But the academic, economic, and emotional toll of COVID-19 fell more heavily on our children and their families than on more affluent San Franciscans, and those effects will linger long after the virus subsides. That’s why we’re more committed than ever to continue walking by their side. Thanks to generous supporters like you, we’ve also continued to grow our program and we’ll soon be serving 110 children. So please, take a moment to feel proud that, throughout this difficult period, you continued to support the San Francisco children who face the biggest barriers. Without you, none of this would be possible! Gratefully, Michael Rugen SF Co-Founder & Executive Director Friends of the Children - SF Bay Area Our second annual Pizza in the Park event was a blast! It was our first gathering with our children, families, and staff since the start of the pandemic. It was so wonderful to hear our mentees’ voices throughout the park and see families enjoying themselves. We smiled, laughed, and hula-hooped our way through a fun day in the sun. View gallery of some of the precious moments. Friends-SF is Excited to Share: We’ve Acquired a Brand-new Van! We are so pleased with the results of our partnership with Noe Valley Famers Market that we decided to make it a permanent part of our program. Thanks to generous donors like you, we’ve delivered over 1,200 bags of the freshest produce to families living in Bayview Hunters Point – a food desert, where finding a decent corner store, let alone a source of healthy food, is a major challenge. Our van will enable us to expand the program to feed even more families each week! Special thanks to our Board member Bob House and the House Family Foundation for providing the funding to purchase the van. We’ve come A LONG WAY since we started serving children less than four years ago. Thank you all for being part of that journey! In Memoriam Janice Mirikitani 1941-2021 Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area joins thousands of others in mourning the passing of our founding director Janice Mirikitani, whose tireless activism and powerful poetry helped to advance the cause of social justice in San Francisco and beyond for over 50 years. Janice was our friend, our inspiration, and a fierce advocate for the children and families we serve. We will miss her immensely. Learn more about the incredible life of this incredible woman.