UNION COUNTY — Friends of the Children has taken big steps forward toward establishing a chapter in Union County.

The national nonprofit organization is looking to fill two key leadership positions in Eastern Oregon, according to Chief Expansion Officer Angela Groves. A program director and an operations director will help run the new chapter.

“Our goal is to complete hiring and enrollment,” Groves said, “before school is out for the summer.”

Friends of the Children aims to end generational poverty by providing professional mentors to children, particularly those who face systemic obstacles, from the time they are in kindergarten through high school graduation.

Local partners, such as Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen, Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes and La Grande School District Superintendent George Mendoza, have been working hand in hand with the organization to establish a chapter in Union County.

Chapters typically partner with local school districts, the child welfare system and other community organizations. Groves said the organization has signed a memorandum of understanding with the La Grande School District and is working toward an agreement with Eastern Oregon University Head Start. These community partners will refer the 16 children to become the chapter’s first cohort.

Friends of the Children has 41 locations nationwide with seven chapters in Oregon: Portland, Gresham, Eugene, Bend, La Pine, Chiloquin and Klamath Falls. Union County will be the organization’s first chapter in Eastern Oregon.

The program director is responsible for leading the professional mentors, implementing the selection process for children and growing the relationship between the chapter and schools, families and community partners. The position has a salary range of $70,000 to $85,000 depending on experience, according to the job description.

The operations director is responsible for the day-to-day functions of the chapter. The position supports human resources, finance, information technology, social media and marking. The job comes with a salary range of $65,000 to $80,000 depending on experience.

Once the chapter has a program director in place, Groves said the chapter will work on hiring its first two “friends.”

Friends are what the organization calls professional mentors. They are full-time employees who go through a four-stage interview process as well as a vetting process and background check. Each friend works with eight children — spending three to four hours each week with each child. The friends help teach valuable life skills and model healthy behaviors.

The nonprofit hit its $1 million goal for seed funding necessary to establish the Eastern Oregon chapter in the fall of 2024. The seed funding, which covers 100% of the costs related to the first year of operation, 50% of year two and 25% of year three, allows the incoming executive director to focus her energy on building the team and setting up a base of operations. The seed funding allows the chapter to hire two friends every year for the first three years, according to Groves.

Many notable local and regional funders contributed to the program as key catalytic seed funders. These included The Ford Family Foundation, Les Schwab Tire Center, Seavert Ranch, Blue Mountain Early Learning Hub and the Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization.

To learn more about Friends the the Children’s mission, check out the organization’s website friendsofthechildren.org and this informational video at tinyurl.com/frp673nv.

Questions about the Union County chapter can be directed to Angela Groves via email at agroves@friendsofthechildren.org.

Interested in joining the team or know someone who might be?

Check out the online applications for the program director at http://bit.ly/3CP4Mgm or the operations director at https://bit.ly/4hTnv9a.