Title
To honor, recognize and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Franklin County Children Services Friendship Program.
Body
WHEREAS, the Franklin County Children Services Volunteer Department was founded in 1964 in response to the community’s request to create positive, meaningful connections for youth in the agency’s custody; and
WHEREAS, the Franklin County Children Services Friendship Program was developed in 1969 to provide one on one mentoring services to the thousands of children who are under the care of Franklin County Children Services; and
WHEREAS, Franklin County Children Services Friendship volunteers have served thousands of youth who may have experienced abuse, neglect or difficult home conditions, by being a positive force in their lives when it was needed the most; and
WHEREAS, the Franklin County Children Services’ Friendship Program is one of the only known programs of its kind in the nation that is housed within a child welfare agency - the program provides youth with life-changing experiences and moves them from a state of being at-risk to a life of promise through the power of relationships; and
WHEREAS, the Franklin County Children Services’ Friendship Program has become the cornerstone of the agency’s mentoring programs - it has served as the foundation for the creation of the Simba, Malaika and College Bound Mentoring programs; and
WHEREAS, Friendship Volunteers have helped provide the inspiration and support that is needed to break the cycle of abuse, by encouraging adults and former mentees to become mentors themselves; and
WHEREAS, April 25, 2019, marks the 50th Anniversary of Franklin County Children Services Friendship Program; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby honor, recognize and celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Franklin County Children Services Friendship Program.