Our successful Find Your Spark! Gala raised over $1 million in April! Our sincere thanks for making this possible.

MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Greetings!

Thank you to all who graced us with your presence at our Find Your Spark! Gala on April 27th! I am humbled by your engagement, support, and most importantly, commitment to the mission and vision of Friends of the Children-SF Bay Area.

Whether or not you were able to attend the Gala, I hope you feel the power of our collective impact. We have the ability to effect meaningful change through mentorship of the children and families we serve as they strive to break the cycle of poverty, foster resilience, thrive, and strengthen our communities. I encourage you to invest 4 minutes of your time to Meet Our Mentors through the video we shared at our Gala.

As I mentioned during the Gala, many of us have benefited from having mentors in our lives. As we end our fiscal year on August 31st, I humbly ask that we continue to “pay it forward.” Please consider donating today to our 2023 No Matter What! Campaign!

With your support, we have already raised $2.1 million toward our $2.5 million goal.  Every dollar will be matched as we close out our campaign for this fiscal year with the ambitious yet achievable goal of raising an additional $200,000.

Thank you for joining us as we commit to each child for 12+ years, NO MATTER WHAT!

With gratitude,

Timothy Waters
Executive Director
Friends of the Children-SF Bay Area

Executive Director Tim Waters with Van Jones, CNN Host

Our annual Find Your Spark! Gala on April 27th brought together more than 350 supporters and school and community partners for an evening filled with inspiration and joy. Guest speaker Van Jones emphasized the transformative power of mentorship. The Gala was a resounding success, as we collectively raised over $1 million furthering our mission of breaking the generational cycle of poverty in San Francisco. 

Friends of the Children-SF Bay Area participated in its third MeWater Foundation-sponsored Surf Outing on March 25th. A large group ventured out to Miramar Beach in Half Moon Bay to learn how to surf and boogie board and play in the waves. MeWater Foundation is a local nonprofit organization that provides healing and joyful surf outings that educate, inspire, and empower youth facing obstacles through the magic of Mother Nature. 

Through this outing, Professional Mentors were able to facilitate youth’s core asset development, including finding their spark, hope, belonging, and perseverance. 

Our Mentors have been creating outings where their kids can find their spark, soak up the sun, and cheer on the San Francisco Giants!

Nathan* got to experience his very first San Francisco Giants game, and it was a game-changer! Accompanied by Mentor Malik, Nathan soaked up every moment of the electrifying atmosphere at the ballpark. During the game, the Center Fielder launched a soaring ball into the stands, and guess who caught it? Nathan! The crowd erupted with cheers and applause, showering Nathan with a thunderous roar of support. A truly special night for an awesome youth and his Mentor!

*Name altered