Friends First Facts
Who We Are
Founded in 1987, the Friends First program of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls is a one-on-one mentoring program matching children in need with positive adults of the same gender who serve as role models.
We believe that all children benefit from the caring involvement of positive adults in their lives, particularly children whose lives have often been marked by disappointment, limited opportunities and distressing circumstances in their neighborhoods and schools.
Friends First has introduced over 600 children to carefully screened and prepared mentors since its beginning and is currently supporting approximately 75 active matches. Over 60 children are still waiting to be matched with a mentor in Friends First.
The Friends First staff has over 42 years of work experience at Mercy Home.
Friends First is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Children and Families and is recognized for achieving the highest standards of excellence in its care.
What We Do
Friends First screens and provides training to adult volunteers who wish to mentor a child. We provide ongoing support, supervision and encouragement to matches. Through professional staff services, we help to foster the formation of significant and life-changing friendships.
In addition, Friends First offers support and referral services to entire families to counteract the underlying challenges that many of our children and families face.
Who We Serve
Friends First serves at-risk children between the ages of 9 and 17 in many areas of Chicago and the nearby suburbs.
African Americans and Latinos represent over two-thirds of the children we serve. Our children are predominantly from single-parent and low-income homes. Currently the program is serving an equal number of boys and girls.
How We Make a Difference
Friends First offers several layers of support above and beyond that provided in typical mentoring programs, including access to a licensed psychologist 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our staff is on a first name basis with every mentor and child in our program and considers all of our families and volunteers to be part of the Friends First community.
A study conducted by Public/Private Ventures shows that children in mentoring programs similar to Friends First are less likely to start using drugs or alcohol and less likely to skip school. They are also more likely than their peers to develop a more trusting and supportive relationship with their parents.
Consistency is critical to the development of positive mentoring friendships. Over 60% of our current matches have continued to mentor beyond their initial one year commitment.