one by one®: Friends of the Children
Friends of the Children’s Phoenix chapter has grown exponentially since it was started less than two years ago. Joy Klein, founding executive director, credits some of its success to building connections and trust with the children and families it serves. Klein used a one by one grant to purchase pens and bandage dispensers, which were used as nonprofit promotional giveaways that she thought caregivers would appreciate.
“People can always use pens, and I’m stunned by how many people have loved the bandage dispensers,” said Klein. “I picked them on a whim and only have a few left because our families loved them.”
Nonprofit promotional giveaways symbolize commitment
Klein made it easy for caregivers to access the items by displaying them on the front entry tables of what the organization calls its “clubhouse”—a place where it holds caregiver meetings. While the focus of Friends of the Children is to provide students with paid professional mentors, the chapter in Phoenix is what’s called a “two-generation site,” meaning it also engages with parents and grandparents. In addition to hosting meetings, the organization helps people secure basic needs like education, housing, employment and more.
The Phoenix chapter currently serves 200 individuals through its 51 youth mentees, with an average family size of seven. That’s more than double the number of children it served when the organization started in March 2022.
Mentors guide children for more than 12 years
The goal of Friends of the Children is to break generational poverty. It provides mentors to students who need them most in the Roosevelt School District in South Phoenix. Each child has a mentor assigned to them from kindergarten through high school graduation.
“Many organizations have to pick between helping the youth or the family. The fact that we can help both is a testament to how good our mentors are,” said Klein. “We hire those with lived experiences like the students. These individuals have chosen to make a career out of being a mentor. It’s an honor to get to know each of them and realize the amount of caring they have for our youth and understanding how much the impact of a consistent adult can have in creating a relationship and making a difference.”
A note from Cheryl
It’s amazing to consider how much inherent value there is in nonprofit promotional giveaways, including simple items like a pen or bandage dispenser. These items serve as a reminder of the difference that Friends of the Children is making in all the lives it touches. We’re honored to have helped this organization in its mission to provide for children and their families. If you’re interested in a one by one grant, visit onebyone.4imprint.com.