June 2026

Summer is a critical time for literacy development. Without regular access to books and opportunities to read, many children can experience the "summer slide," losing some of the academic gains they made during the school year. That's why creating excitement around reading and helping young people discover books they genuinely love is so important.

On June 3rd, Friends of the Children – Utah launched our Summer Literacy Initiative with a family book fair!

Brain Food Books, a nonprofit partnered with Salt Lake City's beloved King's English Bookshop, rolled up in their Booknerd-mobile, a bookstore on wheels, loaded with hundreds of donated books for our youth and families to choose from. They also left a collection behind for our clubhouse library.

Families enjoyed a reading-themed soda bar with book-inspired beverages, literacy games, and time exploring new books together. One parent shared how meaningful it was to select brand-new books alongside her children — an experience, she noted, they had never had before.

The event was a joyful reminder that literacy thrives when the whole family is engaged and every home has access to books. We're grateful to Brain Food Books for helping us bring that vision to life.  

What does it take to build a relationship-based nonprofit that commits to supporting children for 12+ years?

Recently, our Executive Director Kelsey Lewis joined Frank Dolce and Preston Cochrane on the eHub Gives a Ship podcast to share the story of how Friends – Utah came to be and the work that goes into sustaining our unique long-term mentoring model.

In the conversation, Kelsey reflects on her first introduction to Friends of the Children, the impact of our professional mentoring approach, and the journey of launching and growing the Utah chapter. She also offers an inside look at the realities of building a mission-driven organization—from developing community partnerships and referral networks to supporting staff and scaling impact while remaining deeply relationship-centered.

Whether you're a longtime supporter or just learning about our work, this conversation provides valuable insight into the vision, commitment, and collaboration required to help youth who are facing the greatest obstacles thrive.

We have so much to be thankful for this month! We are grateful for the support of all of our CRA partner institutions, and want to give a shout out to Community Coastal Bank for their recent support of our program, as well as our board member Tyler Weight, who serves as their corporate treasurer.

Support like this reminds us that creating brighter futures for children is truly a community effort. Whether through generous donations, meaningful connections, or simply rounding up at the register, every act of support helps ensure youth and families have access to the long-term relationships and resources they need to thrive. Thank you to Community Coastal Bank and all of our partners, donors, and supporters for standing alongside us and investing in the potential of every child we serve.

Friends – Utah is seeking artists and sponsors to help make this year's Community Arts & Crafts FRIENDraiser our most impactful event yet!

This unique event brings together local artists, businesses, and community members to support children and families through the power of long-term mentoring. Artists are invited to showcase their work by donating a piece or pieces. Although we would love to see you at the event, event attendance is not necessary for participation. Our team will set up and display your work. Event sponsors have the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to strengthening our community and investing in the next generation.

Whether you're a painter, photographer, woodworker, jeweler, craftsperson, or business leader looking to make a difference, we'd love to partner with you. Your participation helps ensure that children facing the greatest obstacles have a dedicated Professional Mentor by their side for 12+ years.

Join us in creating lasting change through creativity, connection, and community!

Summer is full of opportunities for children to explore new interests, build confidence, and discover talents they may not have known they had.

This season, one of our youth, Mason*, decided to try his hand at entrepreneurship by setting up his own lemonade stand. His hard work paid off! Not only did he earn a stack of cash, but customers couldn't stop talking about how delicious his lemonade was and how they wished they could buy more!

Experiences like these help children develop important life skills, from communication and problem-solving to goal setting and financial literacy. We're excited to see where Mason's entrepreneurial spirit takes him next and grateful to be part of a program that creates opportunities for youth to learn, grow, and thrive all summer long.

*Youth name changed to protect privacy.

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Friends of the Children - Utah

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Kearns, UT 84118