Friends of the Children Opens National Mentoring Hub in Portland

The center honors the organization's founders, who launched the initiative in 1993 to address systemic challenges through long-term professional guidance. Beyond serving as a local campus, the building functions as a research and training hub designed to scale the nonprofit’s impact. The project reached completion through the support of two-dozen private donors and foundations, highlighted by a $5 million contribution from Gary and Christine Rood.

CEO Terri Sorensen emphasizes that the space will act as a collaborative venue for thought leaders to refine mentoring strategies. The organization plans to use the facility to advance three core pillars: improving developmental outcomes in mental health and literacy, launching a professional mentoring certification program, and establishing a center for technical training. By centralizing operations, the nonprofit seeks to transform how communities address generational poverty through its signature model of salaried, 12-year mentorship commitments.