Future for Kids

I began mentoring with Future for KIDS this school year and have had a wonderful experience! I truly enjoy spending time with the kids, and the support that comes from the other mentors, program leads, and program management is fabulous. FFK also makes it a point to plan fun social and educational events for mentors and program staff to mingle, get to know one another better, and share our individual experiences with one another so that we can all learn from them and provide the best support possible to the children that we work with. I look forward to continuing to work with Future for KIDS.

I have been associated with Future for Kids for over 14 years now as a volunteer, mentor, and now a board member. The impact that this organization has within the community is immeasurable. I have seen organizational reach go from 4 kids in 1 after school school helping them with there homework to multiple locations that serve over 1,000 children per year in helping them develop their minds, bodies, and character. I could not be more proud and impressed with the success of this organization and the positive influence that it has on the youth of Arizona. Future for Kids has helped me to grow and give back to the community in a way that I never knew possible. I am honored to serve with this incredible organization.

I started volunteering with Future for KIDS just over one month ago, and I have already loved working with them. The staff is very friendly and flexible, and it is obvious that they are dedicated to improving the lives of kids involved in the program. As my first time mentoring youth, this organization has inspired me to continue working with kids and volunteering in the community.

I have been involved with Future for KIDS for almost 8 months now. It's already part of my life. Going mentoring every Monday and Wednesday is part of my daily routine now. I cannot say enough about how I love working with everyone in the office at FFK. They are all amazing, and most friendliest people I have ever met. Both of the program leaders are super easygoing and helpful. It helps mentors and youth at each site have a great time each day. The youth I mentor are very grateful and polite, they thank me for more than what I deserved all the time. It makes me feel happier and more successful everyday by spending time with them, and helping them out with homework, reading, and writing. I developed a strong friendship with the youth I have been working with. It makes me to behave better to be a better role model, and have higher standards for myself.
If you want to help out youth who are facing adversity; if you are interested in mentoring; if you like fitness activities and sports camps; if you want to get more involved with the communities, and want to feel more confident and successful, come and join us at Future for KIDS. Trust me, you will never regret it!

Future For KIDS has been an organization that has grown very close to me within the past year. Not only do I love what I do for the kids but the staff that work their hardest to show their appreciation for us volunteers has exceeded my expectations. I have never met a group of workers who have shown as much appreciation as the FFK staff do for their volunteers. The FFK organization is a place that I feel so many people can learn & grow from not just because of the cause but from the experiences that FFK provides for everyone. The FFK team has made me feel like part of the family & I highly recommend others to join the FFK team!

I was looking for a local charity, and found Future For Kids! They are doing amazing work for at risk youth, all over the metro area! I have had he opportunity to give some time in the business office, and the staff is so very dedicated! And, I have never met a Director of a non-profit, with more enthusiasm and drive, than Madonna Bistany. She, the entire staff, and the many volunteers (mostly young, college students), work tirelessly on a very limited budget. It has been my honor to become involved with such a terrific group of people, and see the wonderful work they are doing!!!
Peggy Wilson

As a non-profit professional with over 26 years experience in the non-profit field, I can honestly say that Future for KIDS is one of the best non-profit organizations I have had the privilege of working with. Future for KIDS (FFK) is one of the most effectively and efficiently operated non-profit organizations in the state of Arizona. The level of professionalism, expertise and excellence that the Executive Director, staff members and Board members exhibit is exemplary. We have partnered with FFK for the last four years and the benefit their programs provide our Boys & Girls Club members cannot be captured. We have a partnership made in heaven! We have the youth and teen members and we have the facilities. FFK has the trained mentors and the proven programs. Together, we are able to provide youth with academic success, mentoring and healthy lifestyles programming with a deeper impact than either organization could do alone. Our missions are very similar, as we both work with the underserved youth, helping to prepare them for a successful future. FFK helps our Boys & Girls Club members have the positive, life-changing experiences and opportunities they need to realize their full potential and become productive, caring and responsible citizens.

I am a big fan of FFK and endorse this non-profit organization as one of the best of the best!

I work as a mentor for Future for KIDS and I cannot say enough about the foundation. I spend two hours a week with the kids going over homework, reading, discussing important ethics topics and engaging them in a sport or another physical activity. The kids are amazing and they each have their own personality and abilities. I love to see them learn, play and even get frustrated sometimes with homework, but be able to work through it and really thrive. I love walking into the classroom each week and witnessing how excited they are that we get to hang out that day. Time really does fly when you're having fun!

I absolutely love Future For Kids! I originally started with the non-profit organization as an intern and then continued as a volunteer. I can tell you each one of their employees, board members and volunteers truly care about serving their mission and helping at risk children through academics, athletics and ethics. I was able to work directly with their mission at community centers and also volunteered and assisted in the planning of some of their largest annual events like sports camps and the Monday Night VIP Football Party. I enjoyed all the years I spent volunteering with Future For Kids. I met some amazing people and was thrilled to make a difference in even just one child's life. I'm happy to see they are still pushing strong for this great mission!

Volunteering with youth at Future for KIDS has been amazing! I have really connected with a small group of girls, and each week when I volunteer I look forward to seeing them and catching up on what they have been up to. I find it rewarding to work with kids on homework. You explain concepts to kids in a different way than their teacher and you watch them have an "a-ha" moment where they suddenly get it, and you know that you have contributed to their success. I especially love coming back each semester and the kids remember me and are excited to see me.

I've never felt connected or valued as a volunteer until I started serving with Future for KIDS. They do an amazing job of making you part of the team and connecting you to the resources you need. Each of the women that run it remember your name and information and do all that they can to help you succeed both with the organization and in your own life. They truly exemplify what it means to be a professional in the field. They're able to combine that professionalism with their passion to help kids and young adults into an unstoppable powerhouse of action. They love what they do and it makes you want to do the best that you can to help them in their mission. Truly an amazing organization.

Future for KIDS is an amazing organization! As a current mentor and intern, I am learning so much every day I spend in the office and out in the field. The other volunteer mentors I have worked with are great people and are so dedicated to the organization. The youth participants show up every week with smiles from ear-to-ear... A true testament to how amazing Future for KIDS is!

I absolutely love this nonprofit. I have volunteered for them in every area, from the office to out on the field. It is run by the most hardworking and dedicated women I have ever met and their passion is evident from the moment you step through the door.

If you are looking for an organization that educates and inspires children then you have found it.

Future for KIDS is so unique in that it focuses on improving each child's skills in not only academics but in their ethical reasoning and in their athletic abilities as well.

My great experience with Future for Kids started from an internship program back in 2012. My heart and drive has always been inspired to give, help and reach out. Future for Kids had opened that door in which allowed me to accomplish what my heart had desired all along. As an intern I had the pleasure to work with an amazing group of staff, several after school programs in different pockets of the community, and numerous fundraising events. The opportunity to be a part of this non-profit organization is a rewarding experience and my service to give back is well cherished.

My first encounter with FFK was with a volunteer group for homeless children and their families. This group was invited to the FFK summer camp in 2012, and I was a chaperone. From the first time we stepped on the field at ASU, there was nothing but excitement and fun. Each station was filled with sport equipment, volunteers, and even professional and collegiate athletes. The children had an awesome time and I knew on that day that I wanted to be apart of this organization. I was able to speak with Madonna at the camp, and not even 2 months later, I was beginning as a mentor at one of the FFK sites. The program that semester was phenomenal and touched all three of the core values so perfectly. Academics, Athletics, and Ethics were daily topics and I was able to be involved by using these values to create fun and new experiences for the kids. Because of the impact that the kids and the staff had on me that fall, I applied to be an intern for my last semester of my undergraduate career in the spring of 2013. I was able to further touch each child that I worked with before and give the new ones at different sites tools become successful, educated, and fit individuals. I had the privilege to see children become empowered by the services that FFK provides and will serve with them as long as I am able to.

Being a mentor at the Children's First Academy has brought a lot of joy into my life. I have a set group of 10 kids every week that I mentor and feel that I have really bonded with them and I can see how far these kids have come since the first day we started. The Discover Your Future program that Future for KIDS has makes a huge impact on both the community and these children.

I was blessed to be given the opportunity to intern at Future for KIDS in the spring of 2010. It was a life changing experience that caused me to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector. Although I was only with Future for KIDS for a short six months, I was able to learn everything I needed to know about a successful nonprofit organization. I learned fund development through assisting with silent auctions, golf tournaments, and various special events. Myself and another intern even got to design and implement our own charity event that involved Arizona State's student body, which turned out to be extremely successful! Being able to work hands-on with the kids at the after-school programs allowed me to see exactly who we were helping and how much these children benefited from our efforts. Future for KIDS is a special family where all staff, board members, and volunteers are very dedicated and passionate about our mission.

Future for KIDS is an amazing non-profit. I am lucky enough to be a mentor as well as an intern this semester (Spring 2011). As an intern I have learned so much about how non-profits operate and I have also been a part of the planning of the 2011 Sports Camp! Reaching out to future partners and getting the community involved has been very fulfilling. I think it is amazing that so many sponsors support this organization and make it possible to host a FREE sports camp for at-risk youth.

As a mentor to the children Future for KIDS serves, I have been blessed to get know the kids we work to support. At the Discover your Future program that I mentor at on Tuesdays I have formed relationships with the kids and have such a good time interacting with them, teaching them about health and fitness and encouraging them to always do their best and be the best person they can be.

Future for KIDS does it all right. I am so lucky to help serve the mission!

This organization does it right! Active and involved board members, volunteers that go above and beyond,and sponsors that care. Providing at risk kids the opportunity to participate in mentorship programs,learn about being self-disciplined, fitness, wellness and building a healthy lifestyle. I recently participated in one of the Sports Camps the organization runs and was amazed at the number of kids that came. Each child received a pedometer, t-shirt, fitness journal, health and diet info from Blue Cross Blue Shield and over the course of the summer 6-8 weeks received follow up from their mentor tracking their results. Providing much needed accountability and encouragement for kids that normally do not have someone paying attention. Future for Kids makes it happen! Greatest Non-profit if you ask me.

What I truly love about my involvement with future for kids is the success that we have on changing kid’s lives on 3 levels. The first level is obviously the at-risk youth that benefit from the excellent mentorship of our volunteers. Based on the mentorship experienced by our founder and board members through athletics and activity based organizations, these kids have the opportunity to quickly learn life lessons such as goal setting, visioning, work/life balance, etc. Our volunteers and program mangers are the absolute best. The second level of kids that benefit from FFK are the volunteers and program managers that receive the invaluable experience of changing a kid’s life through mentoring. This experience is so well known that we consistently carry a waiting list of volunteers to place. You have heard from some of these magnificent people in previous posts. The third level of “kid” that benefits from FFK is that of our board members and executive leadership. This is obvious by attending any of our events, athletic camps, partner organizations, etc. Although we may not be quite as limber as we used to be, it is always fun and uplifting to participate in any of the FFK events. We are constantly humbled at the powerful effect FFK has on our kids at all levels. I invite all to contact FFK and get involved at any level. It is an organization where you can make noticeable difference in a short amount of time and come out laughing like a kid.

Future for KIDS is a blast! I had fun while I was doing the right thing. This was such a fulfilling experience and it really puts my values in order and gives me the right perspective to live my life. A few hours a week can make a huge difference. I felt better about myself, knowing that I was making a positive difference in the community. This is truly one of the most beneficial experiences for both the mentors and mentees.

I love this organization!! I worked as an intern at Future For KIDS this past summer (2009) and gained knowledge and motivation to continue volunteering. My internship has ended and I am already making steps to becoming a mentor for Future For KIDS because I believe in what they do and have seen children respond to their programs. This organization is unique in many ways but most because of its small staff that truly has passion for the work they do and believe in the cause. I was the site coordinator for one of their summer fitness camps and was able to influence children to live a healthy daily life through physical activity and nutrition choices. My favorite part of my job was showing up to the site every week and having the kids excited to see me and participate in class. Future For KIDS not only gives people an opportunity to volunteer but to make a difference in a child's life.

I have worked with Future for KIDS since January of 2009. I love this organization and all that it does for at-risk youth of the Metropolitan Phoenix area. Their free sports & fitness camps and after-school programs cater to the children's needs and give them positive role models. Future for KIDS believes every child deserves a wonderful life, and by placing volunteers at numerous partner sites, these children have a chance to connect with mentors and realize their potential. The changes in the attitudes of the children is very noticeable and such a fulfilling feeling. Future for KIDS prides itself on its free sports & fitness camps and after-school programs that incorporate 3 very important areas: academics, athletics and ethics. With the help of the community, Future for KIDS has made a difference in thousands of children's lives and keeps growing and succeeding in its mission to provide at-risk children education through mentorship and sports programs.