Quarterly Newsletter - June 2023
For our park day, Jahavion decided to bring his new shades. He told me that he didn’t want to wear them because they were “girl sunglasses” and that his brothers were being mean about it but I told him that he can wear whatever he wants and that if it makes him happy, that’s all that matters. After our talk, he decided to put them back on so we could both look cool with our sunglasses together,"  ~ Chris, Friend

 

"For our park day, J decided to bring his new shades. He told me that he didn’t want to wear them because his brothers told him they were “girl sunglasses” and they were being mean about it. I told him that he can wear whatever he wants and that if it makes him happy, that’s all that matters. After our talk, he decided to put them back on so we could both look cool with our sunglasses together,"  ~ Chris, Friend

 

 

🏳️‍🌈At Friends of the Children - Utah, we are living our core values of hope and belonging as we celebrate Pride month and honor the history and humanity of Black Americans on Juneteenth. 🏳️‍🌈

 
 

Jimmy Tyrrell, a graduate of the Friends chapter in Portland, recently visited Utah to share his story with our supporters, partners, youth and staff.  “It was consistency with that one positive adult in my life,” said Jimmy “If I didn’t have him, I don’t know where I’d be.” Click here to watch Jimmy's talk in Utah. 
 

Join us in congratulating our youth on completing another year of school! Thanks to partners like Mark Miller and United Way of Salt Lake, we use the i-Ready platform to support our youth's academic progress and school readiness. By making learning fun and accessible, our youth are on their way to success! 
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Thank you, Senator Luz Escamilla for inviting Friends-Utah to attend the Club America soccer match and meet the players!  We are grateful for the opportunity to support our youth in finding their spark; one youth said it was "the best time in the world" as he walked away with his signed shirt.
 

Three years ago, a community came together to launch Friends-Utah and on May 11th we celebrated the founding donors and partners who made it all possible. Check out the highlights from this incredible evening here.
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Friends Utah welcomes our newest friend, Saxxon! “With 7 years of experience working with youth, I have developed a deep passion for providing mentorship and guidance to help children reach their full potential” we are so thankful to have her on the team. 
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❤️🧡💛Gratitude and Goodbyes💚💙💜
Donations are everything to our work. Without these incredible people and funders, our youth wouldn't have the support and guidance of a mentor.
 
Thank You: Waste Management, Joseph and Kathleen Sorenson Legacy Foundation, David Kelby Johnson Memorial Foundation, Intermountain Health, OC Tanner, Marriner S. Eccles Foundation, Jennifer and Phil Danielson, and Scheels.

Last month, we bid farewell to a few of our founding board members. Tyler Felt, and Mary Kate Ivory Bertha volunteered their time and talents to launch our chapter, bringing the power of professional mentoring to youth in the Salt Lake Valley. 
 
We are especially grateful to our founding board chair, Jennifer Danielson, for her  invaluable leadership and unwavering dedication in shaping our Friends of the Children - Utah and our first three years of success. 
 
 

By contributing to Friends of the Children Utah, you are investing in the potential of these young individuals and empowering them to reach their full potential. Your support truly matters, and together, we can create lasting change in the lives of Utah's children. Please consider making a donation today and join us in transforming lives and building a stronger community.

 
 
 

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