2021 Holiday Gratitude & Reflections from Our Executive Director

Dear Friend of Friends:

2021 has been a challenging year for Friends of the Children, even more so for the children and families we serve. Yet we have much to be grateful for at this holiday season.

First, we’re grateful for incredible supporters like you! Despite the COVID pandemic, we continued to grow in 2021, adding four new employees and enrolling a new class of kindergarteners. Thanks to you, we’re now mentoring 110 children, on track to meet our plan to serve 400 Bayview Hunters Point youth.

I’m also delighted to report that we’re an even stronger organization now than we were in early 2021. Workforce instability devastated many nonprofits and businesses during the pandemic, but our staff has remained remarkably stable – a stability critical to our long-term mentoring model. During COVID, we also increased our outreach to our children’s caregivers, making weekly food deliveries from Noe Valley Farmers Market and connecting entire families with resources to address their most pressing needs. Our caregivers understand now more than ever that we mean it when we commit to walk beside them for 12+ years, no matter what!

Most of all, we’re grateful for the incredible work that our Professional Mentors continued to do throughout the year. After a year and a half of remote mentoring, they are once again supporting children in person, both in and out of the classroom, doing what they do so well. In case you missed it, you can get an inside look at how Mentor Malik is supporting Latrell and his family by watching the short (35 minutes) video of our recent Behind the Scenes event here.

Thanks again to all of you who have continued to support our children and families through this difficult time. And, if you would like to make a first-time or additional donation before year end, please click on the Donate button below.

Happy Holidays!

Michael Rugen
SF Co-Founder & Executive Director
Friends of the Children - SF Bay Area