UNION COUNTY — A national nonprofit organization soon will be giving youth in Union County a helping hand.

Friends of the Children recently opened its Eastern Oregon chapter in La Grande and is preparing to enroll its first cohort. The multi-yearlong effort have involved the nonprofit’s staff and local supporters, as well as the woman who was the initial catalyst to explore the region — Christine Rood.

“To have the chance to give back to where you come from is powerful and meaningful to me,” she said.

A fifth-generation Union County native, Rood was born and raised in La Grande. She attended high school locally and earned her degree at what was at the time Eastern Oregon State College.

Although she moved away around 1986, her hometown remained important to Rood and she maintained ties to Eastern Oregon. This connection is what first brought Friends of the Children to Eastern Oregon.

The national nonprofit organization works to end generational poverty by providing professional mentors to children, particularly those who face multiple systemic obstacles, from the time they are in kindergarten through high school graduation.

Friends of the Children has 41 locations nationwide with seven other chapters in Oregon: Portland, Gresham, Eugene, Bend, La Pine, Chiloquin and Klamath Falls. La Grande marks the eighth chapter in Oregon and the organization’s first chapter on the east side of the state.

Before getting involved in any philanthropic endeavor, Rood said that her and her husband, Gary, thoroughly research the group.

“Friends (of the Children) is just top,” she said, “As far as what they give with what they get.”

Rood said the nonprofit’s mission and its proven success with helping children is what drew her in.

Of the children involved with the organization, according to the 2023 impact report, 83% graduate from high school or earn a GED diploma, 92% go on to enroll in post-secondary education, enlist or enter the workforce, 93% avoid involvement with the juvenile justice system and 98% wait until after their teen years to become parents.

In 2023, the Roods donated $33 million to the nonprofit organization with $23 million directed toward expanding services and $10 million for challenge matches for the Duncan and Cindy Campbell National Center of Excellence and for the Gary and Christine Rood Southwest Washington Clubhouse.

The Roods also invested in the launch of the Eastern Oregon chapter.

“Their investment in Friends of the Children has been transformative,” CEO Terri Sorensen said.

Rood first approached Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen on an informational basis to share what Friends of the Children does, see if there was a need for this kind of program locally and find out whether he believed there would be community support for bringing this organization to Eastern Oregon.

“I still remember that conversation and how much I thought that La Grande, especially, needed something like this,” Bowen said. “Not wanted, but absolutely needed.”

Bowen, along with other local partners such as Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes and La Grande School District Superintendent George Mendoza, has been working hand in hand with the organization to establish the chapter. Friends of the Children Eastern Oregon is not some organization coming in from the outside, Rood said. The local perspective — from the board compositions to goals, objectives and programming — drive everything about it .

“This is truly going to be local,” Rood said. “Run by locals, supported by national.”

Chapter leadership

The board consists of four people — three of whom call Northeastern Oregon home.

Robert Mulcare is the board chair, Bowen is the vice chair and Danelle Lindsey is secretary. The board also includes Friends of the Children Chief Expansion Officer Angela Groves, who helped spearhead efforts to establish the chapter.

Northeastern Oregon local Neesha Turner joined the chapter as the executive director. Turner earned her bachelor’s degree in human development and family sciences at Oregon State University before going on to receive her master’s degree at OSU in school counseling.

Turner brought these skills back to Union County. She was a school counselor at La Grande Middle school for three years, as well as at Island City Elementary School for 11 years.

She said it was a difficult decision to leave the school district for this new position, but as a counselor she saw firsthand the need for Friends of the Children and wanted to support the endeavor.

“I feel honored to be able to serve in this role,” Turner said. “I feel so strongly about the need for this in our community.”

Cody Drey has joined as the operations director and Kole Guentert will be joining the team as program director.

Helping the youth

The sheriff also has seen the effects of generation poverty firsthand while in law enforcement — especially during his tenure as a school resource officer. Bowen said he would see the improvements students made Monday through Friday while at school and then how that progress would revert over the weekend — leaving everyone back at square one.

Mendoza said while there are good systems in place at the La Grande School District, there still are youth who need additional support and guidance. He said he believes the program will do great things for the children and the community.

Friends of the Children’s proactive approach of pairing youth with professional mentors blew Bowen’s mind.

“I couldn’t fathom why everybody didn’t have this program,” he said.

The chapter partnered with the La Grande School District and Eastern Oregon University Head Start to select the first cohort of 16 youths and their caregivers. The goal, Turner said, is to have the children enrolled by the end of the school year.

She added the nonprofit is working to hire the first two mentors for the chapter.

Each mentor — or “friends” in the organization’s parlance — works with eight children. The friends are full-time employees who go through a four-stage interview process as well as a vetting process and background check. They spend three to four hours each week with each child, according to the Friends of the Children program overview. They help teach valuable life skills and model healthy behaviors.

The organization takes a two-generation approach, Groves said, mentoring youth while also providing support to their caregivers and families.

“The contribution will be felt years and years down the road,” Bowen said.

Want to learn more or get involved?

To learn more about Friends the the Children’s mission, check out the organization’s website friendsofthechildren.org and this informational video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqDcsvSkyQk.

Questions about the Eastern Oregon chapter can be directed to Neesha Turner NTurner@friendseasternoregon.org.

The chapter takes donations via check, wire, pledge or online.

Checks can be made payable to Friends of the Children – Eastern Oregon and mailed to 44 NE Morris St., Portland, OR 97212. For wiring instructions, call 503-820-0903.

For multi-year pledges, contact Turner via email or at 541-805-9129. Donates also can be made online at tinyurl.com/msdwhs8r.