Friends of the Children mentoring program expands to Eastern Oregon

In April, national youth mentoring nonprofit Friends of the Children announced it was expanding into Eastern Oregon for the first time by opening an office in La Grande.

The move is a part of a larger ambition to seed mentors throughout Eastern Oregon.

One of the group’s first moves was to hire Neesha Turner as director of its La Grande office. A longtime counselor for the La Grande School District, Turner said she decided to make the career switch to make a broader impact.

“La Grande really doesn’t have any type of mentoring program,” she said.

While her office is still undergoing its first round of hires and training, the group hopes to eventually welcome a cohort of 16 children, ages 4 to 6, with the expectation that they will be mentored for the next 12 years or more. The two mentors on staff will meet with the children for four hours per week both inside and outside school.

Turner said Friends of the Children can help fill a gap in services that children can’t get through social services, education or health care.

“The lack of access to resources for mental health for children in Eastern Oregon is really difficult,” she said. “Just to have another avenue, families are really excited.”

Friends of the Children said in a press release it has a track record of student success. Headquartered in Portland, the organization has 46 locations across the country, including eight in Oregon.

Related: Friends of the Children granted $44M for long-term mentoring mission

A 2017 study found that students in the Friends for Children program were less disruptive in school and had higher “emotional strengths.” The organization said most of the children in their care also graduate high school and avoid the juvenile justice system.

The organization said Eastern Oregon was a “natural focal point” for expansion because of the region’s demographics. In Union County and neighboring Umatilla County, about 2 in 5 families face financial hardship, while 1 in 6 children are living in poverty, and 1 in 10 families face food insecurity, according to the Ford Family Foundation.

Turner said the goal is to eventually expand mentoring services to other Eastern Oregon communities outside of Union County, after establishing a presence in La Grande.

“We’re new,” Turner said. “Let’s make sure we’re doing it properly and it’s strong and healthy, and then once we have that, (we’ll be) able to expand out into the communities that we’re invited into.”