Great Nonprofits

When I heard about Friends for Youth, I was really interested in becoming a senior friend/mentor. I kept saying tomorrow, when work lets up, when my travel schedule declines, when....and then one day I it clicked....you have to make the time to reach out and help. I was matched in January with a young boy, age 9. Over the past 8 months we have formed a heartwarming relationship that is built on trust, guidance, friendship, and dependability. We both value our friendship and I can honestly say, it is good for my heart and soul.

I have been involved with FFY for the past 10+ years as a supporter of their charitable events, Anniversary Dinner, Golf Tournament Fashion Show and as a personal donor. Mentoring is key to the success of us all and the stories of success that FFY has to tell are tremendously rewarding. It is a pleasure as a current Board Member and past President, to asscociate and make a commitment to the organization and staff.

No one would argue that having people around who believe in you, who are there for you in good and bad times, who inspire you to aim higher and achieve is critical for your success. What if you are a child and there is no one around you who could fulfill that role? Friends for Youth is an answer. They have proven that mentoring works, if it is done right. One child's dream can go from a desire to clean the planes in hopes of finding lost valuables, to owning a store in just a few months of mentoring by a person who was carefully selected. FFY's success rate is amazing because they put a lot of thought and energy into the process of selecting and training future mentors. Combining theory (mentoring institute) with practice helps FFY to be one of the best mentoring organizations. Their reputation is well deserved.

Friends for Youth is a jewel of an organization that has been addressing the issues of at risk kids for 30 years! Mentoring is a proven methodology for introducing and supporting healthier behaviors and lifestyles, and FFY knows how to both match mentors and mentees for the best results, and provide the practical and emotional support that facilitates the best possible experience. I am proud to be a part of this important and high impact effort.

I initially came to Friends for Youth after graduating from UC Berkeley because a friend told me about her experiences with the organization, specifically what a great time she was having with her Junior Friend (mentee). Little did I know that 19 years later, I would still be involved with the organization. After being matched with my first Junior Friend, I felt this was an amazing organization with a great mission and staff to support it. During our official year, Marvin and I visited Alcatraz, Disneyland, Lake Shasta and made many trips to the pool. I initially thought I could help Marvin improve his studies but soon learned that just spending quality time together making meals and talking about our lives would become the biggest takeaway for me. I got so much more out of the relationship than I expected because the staff did such a great job of matching me with Marvin and supporting us throughout the year. After our official year completed, we decided to continue seeing each other and Marvin slowly but surely worked himself into my family and group of friends. A few years ago, I attended a San Francisco Giants game for kids who were waiting to be matched with a Senior Friend. After an on field ceremony where Friends for Youth received an award, we were invited to watch the game in the bleachers. Shortly after the game began, one of the kids sat next to me and we had one of those conversations that people have with close friends. After the game, one of the staff members approached me about becoming a Senior Friend for a second time. A few months later, I was matched with RJ and we were off to the races. Because RJ lives close to my office at Oracle, we spent many hours at California Pizza Kitchen working our way through their pizza menu and conversations about school and life. More than half way into our official year together (and visits to the Exploratorium, California Academy of Sciences, more SF Giants baseball games) RJ asked if I wanted to come to his Back to School Night. I gladly accepted his invitation and had the opportunity to meet all of his teachers and school couselor. This really was a turning point in our relationship as he took the initiative to bring me into his academic life which most kids his age would not ever think to do of most adults in their lives. After learning that RJ was very interested in art and graphics, we went to the Museum of Modern Art, took a tour of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and even met with friends that work at Electronic Arts. As I have been involved with the program for quite some time, I can honestly say that this is a world class and award winning organization that really makes the difference in the lives of kids who just need to have a positive person who believes in and supports them. We are obviously doing something right as many youth organizations take advantage of our best practices through workshops facilitated by our Mentoring Institute. I am happy to give Friends for Youth five stars as they are clearly on the cutting edge of the mentoring field and continuously seem to improve on their ability to make successful matches and create long term relationships!

Friends for Youth helped me discover the true meaning of mentoring. By being a mentor for over three years to an at-risk boy I was not only able to give back to the community in an enormously rewarding way, but I also learned a lot about myself, including recognizing the mentors of my own past. Friends for Youth is a great organization run by a passionate team who go through great lengths to help the at-risk youth of the San Francisco Bay Area. Successful one-on-one mentoring goes beyond pairing a responsible adult with a child, Friends for Youth has a fantastic model and great support throughout the mentorship that has resulted in amazing success rates. Friends for Youth is truly making a difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and society as whole. I'd encourage anyone who is considering to volunteer or donate to go with Friends for Youth.