Mission/Vision
Impacting generational change by empowering youth who are facing the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional mentors – 12+ years, no matter what.
Thanks to the generosity of Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, SCHEELS, Mary and Bill Underriner, The Echo Fund, and Kim and Pat Lewis, Friends of the Children – Eastern Montana launched in the fall of 2022. In collaboration with our partners, Billings and Lockwood Schools and DPHHS Child and Family Services, we have 32 enrolled children. We’re honored to walk alongside the children and families who will be part of our lives for the next 12+ years. We meet children between the ages of 4-6 and work with them and their caregivers for 12+ years - from pre-kindergarten through graduation and entry to post-secondary education and the workforce. We disrupt generational poverty and trauma, give children hope and belonging, and grow with each child.
We aren’t just changing the stories of children facing the highest risks. We’re changing the collective stories of Eastern Montana for the long run. Our work is focused on one child at a time, but it affects our entire community.
Our Land Acknowledgement
In alignment with the values of Friends of the Children – Eastern Montana, as an organization we acknowledge that our chapter is located on Apsáalooké (Crow) lands that were home to Indigenous people since time immemorial. We acknowledge that we will never be able to replace what was lost. In the operation of our chapter, we are committed to respecting the inherent sovereignty and unique cultures of the first peoples of this land.
Friends of the Children is a national nonprofit organization that selects and invites youth – all of whom have unique talents, interests and dreams, and face multiple systemic obstacles – to be paired with a paid, professional mentor called a Friend. We hire and train Friends to support our youth from as early as age 4 through high school graduation – 12+ years, no matter what.
Our model is distinct, courageous and proven. We revolutionized the youth mentoring field by creating the first and only long-term professional mentoring program in the country. We are experts in building sustained and nurturing relationships with youth.
This is at the core of what we do. Each child gets a dedicated, one-on-one Friend who listens to their hopes and dreams. Friends empower our youth to set – and achieve – their goals. Friends also create meaningful experiences that empower youth to build life skills and make healthy choices while exploring the child's diverse talents and interests.
Our model is real, and it works.
Impacting generational change by empowering youth who are facing the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional mentors – 12+ years, no matter what.
At the core of Friends of the Children’s mission is our organizational value of putting children first—walking alongside youth who face some of life’s hardest challenges from kindergarten through high school, for 12+ years no matter what.
Putting Children First as a key value for the organization means that the youth we serve are the primary focus of everything we do at Friends of the Children. We intentionally serve youth who are facing great obstacles. We listen to youth and base decisions on their needs and dreams, as they write their own stories of success. We foster a supportive, consistent relationship between each youth and professional mentor—a relationship that grows through high school, and into their adult lives.
We nurture long-term relationships from a foundation of love and acceptance. Our practice is rooted in the wisdom of communities, tailoring support to honor each youth’s unique identity and shared heritage. We don’t give up easily and take a no matter what approach to our work. We intentionally develop collaborative relationships over time with trust, empathy and healthy communication. We build community through one-on-one connections that are authentic, respectful and meaningful.
We leverage personal strengths to take ownership of our futures. We build relationships within the communities of our youth and families to strengthen social networks and provide bridges to new opportunities. We consistently inspire possibility through empathy, hard work and fun. We model all of this for our youth, families and each other.
We celebrate all achievements, big and small. We are disciplined in our commitment to goals, while innovative in how we reach them. We believe that the definition of success requires intentional reflection and adjustment over time. We work together and hold ourselves accountable with data to achieve short and long-term outcomes.
We believe everyone deserves the chance to reach their full potential, because where you start shouldn’t decide how far you go. We advocate to ensure every child, regardless of historical and present challenges, has the resources, support, and voice needed to thrive. We amplify and listen to the hopes and dreams of the children, families, and communities we serve. We harness different perspectives to overcome barriers and drive measurable change for every child. Together, we work to challenge and remove obstacles so potential isn’t limited by any circumstance.