Friends serves any child (6 to 17 years old) who wants to have an adult friend in the Walla Walla area.  Friends has matched children in Walla Walla, College Place, Milton-Freewater, Prescott, and Waitsburg.

As with the volunteers, we ask that the child and child’s family commits to one year to an adult friend.  Friends is strictly a voluntary program, never required.  Friends is unable to serve requests for short-term friendships because research has shown that children do better with long-term relationships with an adult rather than short-term relationships.  A child can have one friend for a multitude of years; it depends on life situations, such as some volunteers and families move out of the area to find jobs.

Once a youth turns 18, the friendship graduates into an “unofficial” friendship and it is up to the volunteer and the family to decide if continuing contact is appropriate.

The children referred to our program come from all background, socio-economic status, and family dynamics.  Some special needs children, families, and volunteers are welcomed to request a friend, however, Friends may not have the resources to find the appropriate match.

·    Friends is not a respite program or an academic/tutoring program. 

The focus of the friendships is on the youth to develop a healthy, safe relationship with an adult in the community.  If the child asks for help with school work, the volunteer may choose to help.  Academic success if not the focus of Friends.

·    Any child who does not want a friend. 

Any child CAN do better with a mentor, but the friendship cannot succeed if a child does not want the mentor.

·    Any family that does not agree with Friends expectations and policies of the friendships. 

Parents hope for the best for their children, however, not all problems can be solved with a mentor.  Friends expects ONE HOUR per week for at least a year committment for little/no cost to the volunteer.

·    Any family that does not honor a volunteer’s boundaries (time, money, activities, etc.). 

Friends is not a babysitting service.  Friends does not provide social services beyond the mission of one volunteer per child.  The focus of Friends is to make and sustain friendships between a youth and volunteer.

·    Any youth that has not been stabilized.

Some youth have a period of transition into foster care or changes in their lives that make starting a new friendship difficult.  We ask that the youth/family/caseworker to follow-up at a later time.