Friends of the Children - Twin Cities

Friends of the Children - Twin Cities Impacting generational change by pairing youth facing obstacles with a paid, professional mentor.

Summer learning for the win! 📚💻Nia* has been working with her Friend Te’Ashia toward her goal of reading at grade level....
08/17/2026

Summer learning for the win! 📚💻

Nia* has been working with her Friend Te’Ashia toward her goal of reading at grade level. Using our new literacy tool, Renaissance, Nia put her skills to the test and did a fantastic job!

Best of all, she had fun along the way, building her skills and confidence while keeping the learning going all summer long. 💛

*Youth name changed to protect privacy.

Leading up to her birthday, Amara* set a goal with her Friend, Te'Ashia, to make positive choices at daycare.Not only di...
08/11/2026

Leading up to her birthday, Amara* set a goal with her Friend, Te'Ashia, to make positive choices at daycare.

Not only did she reach her goal, but her teacher even recognized her with an award for her great behavior! 🌟

At a young age, she's already developing Self Determination, one of the nine Core Assets Friends help youth build. She set her sights on something, believed she could get there, and did.

She celebrated her birthday splashing around at the water park, all smiles the whole day.

Happy birthday, Amara!

*Youth name changed to protect privacy

Sesame Street Live did not disappoint. 🎶Some youth recently had the opportunity to experience Sesame Street Live, and fo...
08/11/2026

Sesame Street Live did not disappoint. 🎶

Some youth recently had the opportunity to experience Sesame Street Live, and for many it was a night full of firsts: a first visit to the State Theatre and even a first introduction to Elmo! ❤️

Once the music started, any nerves quickly gave way to singing, dancing, and a whole lot of fun. Amir* and Zayden* danced so enthusiastically in the aisle that other kids nearby joined right in, turning their section into its own little dance party.

And Nia*, who had never heard of Sesame Street before, had such a great time that she couldn’t stop talking about Elmo on the ride home.

New places, new experiences shared with their Friends, and memories made together made it a pretty great night out. 💛

Thank you to for Kids Charities - MN for helping make it possible!

*Youth names changed to protect privacy.

📚 Happy Book Lovers Day! 📚From favorite stories to discovering a book they just can't put down, reading opens up so many...
08/10/2026

📚 Happy Book Lovers Day! 📚

From favorite stories to discovering a book they just can't put down, reading opens up so many chances to learn, imagine, and feel seen.

For youth at Friends of the Children–Twin Cities, building literacy skills isn't just about reading well. It's confidence, growing right alongside it. 💛

Grateful for the caring adults who read alongside young people and help that love of books grow.

We're so happy to announce that Mary Rennekamp has been named Interim Executive Director of Friends of the Children-Twin...
08/06/2026

We're so happy to announce that Mary Rennekamp has been named Interim Executive Director of Friends of the Children-Twin Cities!

Mary has already been working alongside our team over the past several months, supporting fundraising, organizational strategy and board development. She brings more than two decades of experience in philanthropy, including executive leadership roles with community foundations, private foundations and nonprofits.

Her connection to this work is also deeply personal. Adopted from the foster care system herself, Mary brings both lived experience and a profound understanding of why trust, stability and community matter so much for children and families.

Outside of work, Mary loves traveling, sharing a great meal with the people she loves and taking walks through the neighborhood with her dog, Zelda.

We are grateful to have her experience, heart and leadership guiding us during this next chapter.

Please join us in giving her a warm welcome!

Over the past few weeks, Friends of the Children–Twin Cities has been hosting our SELebration of Summer Camp! ☀️📚🎨Youth ...
08/04/2026

Over the past few weeks, Friends of the Children–Twin Cities has been hosting our SELebration of Summer Camp! ☀️📚🎨

Youth and their professional mentors have been spending time together building literacy and social-emotional skills through reading, hands-on activities, creative projects, and plenty of outdoor summer fun.

With 3 weeks of camp in St. Paul followed by 3 weeks in Minneapolis, SELebration gives youth opportunities to keep learning, connecting, and practicing important skills while school is out, helping keep the summer slide at bay along the way.

We’re having a great summer so far, and there’s still more SELebration to come! 💛

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to our newest professional mentor: Wuanell Bear-Cummings! 🎉Wuanell’s experience ...
07/30/2026

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to our newest professional mentor: Wuanell Bear-Cummings! 🎉

Wuanell’s experience as a Youth Facilitator showed him how much a consistent, positive adult can mean in a young person’s life. He is excited to bring that experience, along with his creativity, leadership and passion for working with youth, to Friends of the Children–Twin Cities.

Outside of work, Wuanell enjoys spending time with family, staying active and barbering.

Welcome, Wuanell! We’re so glad you’re part of the team.

Naya* recently went to her very first baseball game and she was a ball of excitement from the moment she walked in!Her F...
07/28/2026

Naya* recently went to her very first baseball game and she was a ball of excitement from the moment she walked in!

Her Friend, Kyah, said Naya was amazed by how big the field was. She cheered, joined in the crowd activities, and enjoyed some cotton candy while watching the Minnesota Twins take on the Dodgers. It was a really memorable experience and we're so grateful to Tickets for Kids Charities - MN for making it happen.

*Youth name changed to protect privacy.

Young people do better when the adults who care for them are supported, too. Through our 2Gen approach, we work with you...
07/27/2026

Young people do better when the adults who care for them are supported, too.

Through our 2Gen approach, we work with youth and their caregivers, recognizing that their well-being and goals are closely connected.

This , we celebrate all the caregivers who partner with us, advocate for their children, support their learning, and help create the stability they need to thrive.

Thanks to your generosity, we exceeded our $80,000 Challenge Match goal!Because of you, our youth are spending the summe...
07/23/2026

Thanks to your generosity, we exceeded our $80,000 Challenge Match goal!

Because of you, our youth are spending the summer learning, reading, exploring, and enjoying healthy meals while school is out. Your support also helps us meet other critical needs across our chapter.

Thank you for showing up for Twin Cities youth and making this campaign a success. 💛

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323 N Washington Avenue
Minneapolis, MN
55401

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