May 21, 2026
Be a Friend
We're hiring a full-time, paid professional mentor in Billings.
Last year, Katie was still building her reading confidence.
She's a second-grader now. She'll tell you what she's proud of: earning stickers on her reading chart. She's been working on that chart all year with her Friend, Natasha. They started over the summer, kept reading together through the school year, and Katie's reading scores have moved. So has her willingness to try the harder books.
Reading isn't the only thing they do. Natasha goes swimming with Katie, and she's been helping Katie think through the two personal goals Katie set for herself this year: practicing good manners in social situations, and managing her screen time more independently.
One day, on a literacy outing at a local smoothie shop, Katie wanted another sticker, so she sat down and read aloud right there in the busy shop. Another customer gave her two thumbs up, and Katie beamed with pride.
That moment was small. It was also the work.
The work, up close
At Friends of the Children — Eastern Montana, we hire and train paid, professional mentors. We call them Friends. Each Friend is paired with a small group of children, and the commitment is the long one: 12+ years, no matter what.
The work happens in three places. In schools across Yellowstone County, Friends advocate alongside teachers and help kids stay on track. In the community, they meet youth where they are. At the Clubhouse, they read, cook, play, problem-solve, and build the kind of trust that takes years to grow.
For each child a Friend mentors, the role asks for 14 to 16 intentional hours a month. Each Friend works with 8 to 10 youth.
Friends come from all kinds of places.
Natasha came from education and now leads our literacy program. Savannah joined us this past year with our third cohort. Ethan moved to Billings from Bozeman with his fiancée to do this work. Adam moved from Portland. Ted is a retired school principal from Alaska.
What they have in common isn't a single background. It's the willingness to be consistent, week after week, for the long haul.
If you've spent years showing up for kids, as a teacher, a paraeducator, a coach, a librarian, a social worker, an aunt, a neighbor, you already know how to do most of what this asks. We can teach the rest.
We're not looking for someone perfect. We're looking for someone steady, curious, and ready to be there over years, not weeks.
How we take care of our team
Friends are paid full-time, with health, dental, and vision coverage (employee premiums covered at 100%), three weeks of paid vacation plus floating holidays, short-term disability, life insurance, and a SIMPLE IRA with a 3% match.
This work matters, and we know it asks a lot. Our chapter also invests in our team's day-to-day well-being:
- Mental Health Days. A monthly paid day for emotional health and well-being.
- Wellness Retreats. Twice a year, our team comes together for restorative sessions.
- My Work BALANCE App. A wellness tool with workshops and resources for managing stress.
- Bi-weekly team time. Every other Friday morning, our program team gathers to share stories, celebrate wins, and support each other through the harder moments.
The ask
Two things you can do right now.
Apply. If this is your work, we want to meet you.
Pass it along. If a name came to mind as you read this, share this page with them.
Questions? Want to talk through whether this could be you, or whether someone you know might be a fit? Write us at dwilson@friendsmontana.org
In Eastern Montana, there are more children who could benefit from a Friend than we currently have Friends to match them with. The right person can change that.