PSU Magazine Fall 1999

M oily was six years old when she was first linked up with Anne. The child's hair was unkempt that first day and her skin had severe rashes. To make matters worse, Molly was not receiving any ongoing medical care for her skin condition. The child was severely depressed and her school work was suffering. Through a Portland-based program called Friends of the Children, Anne began mentoring Molly along with seven other children who were consid– ered at high risk. It took nearly two years before Anne gained the trust of the child's mother. But once that occurred, Anne was able to seek medical care for Molly and help the child receive treatment for her skin problem. Since then, Anne has helped Molly work on self-esteem issues and encouraged her to join a singing group. "She has the voice of an angel," Anne says. The child has worked through a lot and has made huge strides in her outlook on school and life, thanks to her "Friend," Anne. "I can't erase the scars off of her skin," Anne says. "I try to develop in her the pride and beauty that can only come from inside. Outwardly those scars are going to be permanent. But I ask her to dig deep." T he nonprofit Friends of the Children, which has several ties to Portland State University, employs full-time mentors such as Anne to work with young at-risk children. The mentors are called Friends, and the program currently serves about 200 girls and boys. The program was started in 1993 with a substantial gift from Portland residents Duncan and Cindy Campbell and receives support from a wide variety of individuals and organi– zations. Since then, new programs have started in Washington, D.C., and Chester, Pennsylvania, and Friends of the Children is being looked at as a national model for dealing with our country's most at-risk children. The program is unusual in that it pays mentors a salary similar to that of a teacher. The children are selected for the program with the help of Portland educators. They enter the program at the first-grade level and stay in it for 16 PSU MAGAZINE FALL 1999 Friends of the Children links nurturing adults with children in need. A FRIEND TO By John Furey Angel Williams '97, a mentor with Portland-based Friends of the Children, helps Miranda with her homework. Williams also mentors six other at·risk children , providing a loving and caring long•term relationship with them.