Sadly, all of Oregon’s children and teens do not have caring homes and nurturing adults in their lives. In our experience, when you connect vulnerable young people with caring adults, a positive change can occur.
Whether helping with homework, coaching sports or advocating a child’s best interests before the courts, mentors do make a difference. When we connect a young person with a mentor-adult, the chances increase significantly that the youth will become a responsible, caring citizen. Here are some of the adult-youth programs we support:
CASA — Court Appointed Special Advocate
In a collaboration with other Oregon foundations and the Oregon Commission on Children and Families, OCF is building the capacity of regional CASA organizations. This joint effort seeks to raise funds, recruit more volunteers and advocate more effectively on behalf of abused and neglected children.
Mentoring
Some children lack the kind of parental support that helps them grow into well-adjusted, high-functioning adults. We support mentoring programs for these at-risk Oregon children facing special challenges due to poverty, drug or alcohol abuse in the home, and domestic violence or neglect.