Support Friends
Help a child have someone in their corner.
Every week, close to 100 kids in Walla Walla and College Place sit down at lunch with a mentor who chose to show up for them. Your gift keeps those friendships going.
Where your gift goes
Friends of Children of Walla Walla runs lean, with a staff of two, and every dollar stays here in the Valley. Your donation helps us:
Recruit, screen and train mentors, so every child is matched with a safe, caring adult.
Make and support matches in local elementary schools, working alongside teachers and community partners like Communities in Schools and Whitman College.
Match more kids. Every new mentor we recruit and support means one more child with a Friend.
Why it matters
Friends is the only school-day mentoring program in the Valley’s public elementary schools. Since 1999, Friends has served about 2,800 kids, and some of our mentors today once had a Friends mentor themselves.
Because mentoring happens during the school day, kids don’t need a ride, a parent who can take time off, or a schedule that works around sports and jobs. And it costs families nothing. Every match takes real time and resources to recruit, screen, train and support, and Friends covers that cost, so whether a child gets a mentor never depends on what their family can afford. That’s what your gift makes possible.
The need is bigger than we are. There are always more kids who need a mentor than we can recruit, and kids are often waiting to be matched. Your support helps us find, train and match more mentors, so fewer kids are left waiting.
Ways to give
Give online. Make a one-time or monthly gift through our secure donation page.
Become a business partner. Sponsor Friends monthly and support kids in your community. Email us to learn more.
Attend an event. Our two signature events, the End of Summer Supper and Breakfast with Friends, fund much of our work, and we host smaller gatherings throughout the year. See all of our upcoming events.
Friends of Children of Walla Walla is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so your gift may be tax-deductible.
Questions about giving? Email us at info@wallawallafriends.org.