Friends of Children receives grant funds

The Friends of the Children in Klamath Falls was the recipient of two grants, according to a news release. They are $50,000 from the Meyer Memorial Trust and $10,000 from the Robert K. and Judith A. McDermott, and Carl J. and Alma Johnson Funds of the Oregon Community Foundation. Included use of the funding will be creating post-graduation plans for mentees and support them in their transition out of the program into independent living. Friends of the Children pairs high-risk children with professional mentors, who provide support and guidance for 12 years of each child’s life. It hires and trains paid mentors, called Friends. Each friend is paired with eight at-risk first-graders. A Friend spends 16 hours per month with each child, both in and out of school, engaging them in an array of academic and enrichment activities designed to build basic life skills, self-confidence, academic success and resiliency. Friends of the Children currently provides these relationships for 40 children at an annual cost of $6,500 per child.