About Us

Caring adults. Weekly friendships. Brighter futures.

Friends of Children of Walla Walla engages youth through caring mentorship in a safe environment that fosters resilience and hope for their future, strengthening the Walla Walla Valley community for generations to come.

Our story

Friends was founded in 1999 by a group of community leaders who shared a deep concern for young people in the Walla Walla Valley. They spent 10 months building the policies, procedures and structure that became Friends. The program was incubated by Walla Walla County’s Department of Human Services until July 1, 2002, when Friends became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Over the years, Friends has run both community-based and school-based mentoring programs. Today, we focus on school-day mentoring in local elementary schools, and we’ve served about 2,800 kids since 1999.

What we believe

A safe, consistent relationship with a caring adult can help a young person navigate the challenges every child faces. That’s why we’re committed to careful screening, thorough training, ongoing support for our mentors, and thoughtful matching of each adult and child.

Rooted in the Valley

Friends is a homegrown organization. Our founders built the program around local needs, and every dollar we raise stays here. None of our budget goes to a national organization.

Our commitment

Friends does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, sex, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained guide or service animal by a person with a disability.

Our board is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in how we govern and operate, and we strive for our organization and board to reflect the communities we serve.