Friends of the Children - Twin Cities

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Friends of the Children - Twin Cities

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Impacting generational change by pairing youth facing obstacles with a paid, professional mentor.

10/06/2026

Dream big. And then dream bigger. 💛

That was the message Simone Biles shared when she spent an afternoon with our youth and Friends in the Twin Cities.

Simone talked about much more than gymnastics. She shared the importance of asking for help, having trusted adults in your life, persevering when things are hard, and believing that your dreams are possible.

As a former foster youth herself, Simone also shared why Friends of the Children has meant so much to her:

“I wish I had something like that, kind of that constant, that you guys have with your mentors.”

Our kids asked questions, shared their own dreams, ate pizza, laughed, and got to spend time with someone who reminded them that even the biggest accomplishments start with a dream and people who believe in you.

THANK YOU, Simone, for continuing to be in the corner of Friends youth everywhere.

Friends of the Children - National

09/30/2026

Look at that smile! Jaylen* was so happy when his Friend, Darlington, showed him that his reading level had gone up.

“He’s been saying how he wants to work hard to be smart,” Darlington says. “We’ve talked about how one day the ultimate goal would be to go to college.”

With North Star Readers, our literacy initiative, Friends and youth set reading goals together and track their progress along the way. On this last day of National Literacy Month, we're celebrating Jaylen and all Twin Cities youth who are working hard to grow as readers.

*Name changed for privacy.

09/24/2026

Amara* had been asking to go to the Minnesota Children's Museum all summer. So for her birthday, her Friend Roxy made it happen and brought Ellie* along too. The two girls call each other best friends, and once they got to 'Our World', they were in their element, dressing up and playing pretend almost the entire time.

Happy birthday, Amara!

*Youth name changed for privacy

09/16/2026

Isaiah* and his Friend, Darlington recently caught a Minnesota Twins game before the season winds down. It turned out to be SpongeBob SquarePants Day, and Bikini Bottom took over Target Field with characters and themed jerseys. Even the videoboard got in on it, which Isaiah thought was so much fun!

When Darlington explained what a rookie was, Isaiah was quick to share that his favorite player was rookie Kaelen Culpepper.

The Twins may not have gotten the win, but these two still had a great time cheering them on. Thank you, Tickets for Kids Charities - MN for another memorable day at the ballpark.

*Youth name changed for privacy

09/14/2026

Jayden* is full of energy and always up for a challenge. Sometimes he gets overstimulated, especially when things feel out of his control or someone pushes his buttons. His mom turned to his Friend Darlington to help find an outlet, and they landed on karate. Jayden's been raving about the class ever since. And just last week, he got his first stripe on his white belt.

Way to go, Jayden!

*Name changed for privacy

09/10/2026

"What are five things you love about yourself?"

That's how our Friend Kyah kicked off the final Journaling Club meeting. The girls answered with colorful handprints, writing words like beautiful, nice, kind, worthy, and smart on each finger.

It was a fun way to end their weekly meetings, and now, when self-doubt gets loud, youth will have their own words ready to answer back.💛

09/09/2026

Marcus* is ready for the new school year, and he has plenty to say about it!

Between all the playing at Eagle’s Nest Indoor Playground, Marcus told his new Friend, Wuanell, what he’s looking forward to and which subjects he wants to get better at. Wuanell was all ears, asking questions and listening.

They’re still getting to know each other, but little by little, they’re building the trust that will help Wuanell support Marcus as he works toward his goals.

*Youth name changed to protect privacy

09/03/2026

Backpacks are full and ready to go!

Last week, our Friends spent hours filling them with school supplies straight from our wishlist. Thank you to everyone who helped make this drive a success so youth can start the year strong.

09/02/2026

That's a wrap on our SELebration of Summer Camp!

Over the course of six weeks, youth took on STEM challenges, art projects, reading, and strengthened their social emotional skills. When something got hard, their Friends pulled up a chair and worked through it with them. When something clicked, everyone celebrated. This summer was full of growth, but there was also plenty of fun along the way.

We're so proud of the effort youth put in and thankful for everyone who made this camp possible.

08/27/2026

Zuri* and Naya* climbed to the top of the big pink slide at Slick City Action Park, looked down, and climbed right back off. Over and over.

Their Friend Kyah never pushed. She just encouraged them and reminded them it was ok to feel nervous.

When the girls asked Kyah to go first, she admitted she was nervous too but was going to face her fear.

“If you can do it, we can do it, right?” Naya asked.

Kyah counted to three and went for it. Both girls followed right behind her! They all laughed and couldn’t stop riding it after that. 💗

The trust Zuri and Naya have built with Kyah gave them the confidence to follow her lead. And in that moment, they practiced something they can carry into the next challenge: feeling fear and trying anyway.

Youth names changed to protect privacy.

Address

323 N Washington Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
55401

Website

https://www.friendstwincities.org/

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