Celebrating Our Fifth Year Anniversary! MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dear Friends: Please join me in celebrating Friends of the Children – SF Bay Area’s fifth anniversary! Since we opened our doors in 2017, we’ve grown to serve 110 Bayview Hunters Point children and we’re ready to take the next big step toward our goal of serving 400. But we can’t do that without your help! Today I’m announcing the launch of our 2022 No Matter What! Campaign, with a goal of raising $2 million. To catalyze that campaign, a number of our generous donors have agreed to offer a challenge grant of $1 million, which means that every $1 donated during the campaign will yield $2 of support for our children. As the centerpiece of that campaign, we’ll be hosting an in-person gala on May 12 at the SF Design Center. As you can see from the description below, we’ve got a fun and inspirational program lined up so I hope you can join us. We’re delighted that COVID has receded sufficiently that we can get together once again with all of you, but the academic, emotional and economic effects of the pandemic will continue to burden the children and families we serve for a very long time. And that means our children need their mentors now more than ever! Thank you for your past support and please continue walking beside our children as they break the cycle of poverty. Please join us on May 12 or, if you can’t make it, donate to the campaign by clicking here: Gratefully, Michael Rugen SF Co-Founder & Executive Director Friends of the Children - SF Bay Area Watch This Short Video to See Our Mission Brought to Life! Our 2022 Find your Spark! Gala is Almost Sold Out! We hope you will join us. And it has already made a HUGE difference in our food deliveries to families and outings with our youth!