Friends of Children of Walla Walla Changing lives and communities...one child at a time.   Our Vision  Friends is a non-profit organization that matches adult volunteers with children 6-17 years old in need of a safe, consistent adult presence in their lives. We believe that one safe, caring adult can make a profound difference in the life of a child and can help to negotiate the developmental challenges that children inevitably face.  We are committed to creating positive change in the lives of families in the Walla Walla Valley – one child at a time.   Our Role   The Friends organization was developed around the belief that children thrive in a one-on-one relationship with a safe, consistent, caring adult and that the relationship can be healing, nurturing and encouraging. Although it is clear that mentoring relationships, which focus on concrete goals (such as academic achievement or self-improvement) can be helpful, Friends’ adult volunteers concentrate on the child, letting the friendship find its own impact and letting the child lead the way. Adult friends do not act as parents, teachers, disciplinarians, coaches, therapists or saviors. Instead, they act as friends, providing a listening, encouraging, caring presence that the child can count on over time. This respectful approach opens doors to mutuality in an adult/child relationship that is, sadly, all too rare for children today.   Over the life of the Friends organization, we have seen countless examples of the power of the friendships we've generated through our programs. National research has shown that mentoring relationships have a clear positive impact on the life of the matched child in the following ways: ·          More likely to have fewer school absences ·          More likely to attend college ·          Less likely to initiate drug & alcohol use ·          Less likely to be physically aggressive with peers ·          More likely to look forward to the future ·          More likely to trust their parents and communicate more effectively with them     Current Newsletter:  2009 Fall Newsletter.pdf   Upcoming Events Event:        Friends Family Game Day Date:         Saturday, December 12th Time:        10am-1pm Location:  61 E. Main Street (corner of Main & Colville, across from Macy's) What:         We're inviting parents and kids of all ages to come play games with Friends and local partners.     Friends' internet service donated by:                             Friends is a partner of: