Professional Youth Mentoring for Connection and Lasting Success (2026-2027)
Friends of the Children-Coachella Valley’s innovative program empowers children who face the greatest obstacles through caring, consistent, one-to-one relationships with paid, professional mentors (called “Friends”), lasting over 12 years. Flipping the script on traditional mentoring programs, each 4- to 6-year-old child invited to enroll in our program is paired with a dedicated, full-time (not volunteer) Friend, who spends 4 hours per week with them across all the places that shape them, including at school, at home, and in the community – all the way through high school graduation.
Boys and young men, particularly in underserved communities, are increasingly at risk of isolation and disengagement from their peers, with devastating consequences: they are exponentially more likely to die by suicide, suffer a fatal drug overdose, or be incarcerated. They are also spending, on average, twice as much time playing video games – and less time on physical activity and real-life socialization – as boys and young men 15 years ago. Support from the Anderson Children’s Foundation will help ensure that 24 boys in the Friends of the Children-Coachella Valley program will receive 200 hours per child, per year of intensive, tailored support from a full-time, dedicated Friend who empowers them with the guidance, care, and opportunities to spend time outdoors and away from screens, engaging in healthy, active experiences that build peer relationships, critical social emotional skills, and a sense of belonging.
Contact: Karrie Schaaf, Executive Director
Email: Kschaaf@friendscoachellavalley.org
Phone: (760) 501-8788
