July 27, 2020 Friends of the Children Awarded $250,000 Contribution From AT&T to Address Technology Gaps Organization has completely reimagined their service model, now serving thousands of youth remotely. JULY 27, 2020 PORTLAND, Ore. – AT&T awarded Friends of the Children a $250,000 contribution to respond to the impacts of COVID-19 through technology and expansion of services to thousands of children and families across the country. “We are thrilled to receive this investment from AT&T,” said Terri Sorensen, chief executive officer of Friends of the Children. “Through this contribution, we can meet the increased need for our program, providing our youth, and by extension their families, with opportunities for distance learning, mental health assistance and other critical, stabilizing resources. This supports our shared goals of building connections in communities and empowering youth to graduate from high school and go on to post-secondary success.” Over the past several years, AT&T has invested more than $1.2 million in Friends of the Children. This most recent contribution will impact all 22 Friends of the Children locations. The contribution will be used to launch a technology initiative and mobile app that will provide resources to reach all family members at Friends of the Children and will provide the necessary training for Friends, who are full-time, professional mentors, to deliver those services. This support comes at a critical time as the organization has been reimagining its service model, building out methods for virtual service delivery and working to meet the increased need in our communities due to COVID-19. “AT&T is proud to help Friends of the Children empower youth in our communities who are facing the greatest obstacles,” said George Granger, President-AT&T Oregon. “During these uncertain times, the need to stay connected is greater than ever. We know that more youth and families are counting on this program for support.” Friends of the Children’s technology initiative is also supported by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention at the U.S. Department of Justice. The initiative enhances Friends of the Children’s work to empower youth to earn a high school diploma or GED, wait to parent until after their teens, remain free from involvement in the juvenile justice system, and go on to enroll in post-secondary education, serve our country or enter the workforce. Friends work with youth and families for 12+ years, building trusting relationships through a trauma-informed lens that is culturally responsive and provides critical social-emotional and academic support. Learn more about our model.