Kris Forzley (Family of Friends, Faithful Friends)

I really got inspired by Kris, both because of her enthusiasm for helping kids, and the efficacy of her programs. And her advice for young people is spot on if you ask me, “ask yourself, what’s the worst thing that can happen?….and then what will you do?…So go for it! Have experiences that test you and bring you out of your comfort zone!”

Kris Forzley created two nonprofits, Family of Friends and Faithful Friends. Both organizations pair at-risk children with adult mentors who help broaden these kids’ horizons and provide a broader support network. Kris has great stories about creating these organizations, the key decisions made while growing them, and how both groups change lives. I hope you’ll enjoy our conversation.

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We discuss:

Kris’ early days working at Friends of the Children
Creating Family of Friends
Her vision for these programs
The need she saw among at-risk youth
Screening mentors
Stories of how mentors impacted these children’s lives
Growing the programs
Typical mentor profiles
Creating Faithful Friends
Partnering with local churches to recruit mentors and fundraise
Her advice for young people looking to make an impact

You can find Kris Forzley and her organizations at family-of-friends.org and faithfulfriendspdx.org.

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Music for this podcast is by Cambrian Explosion, whose music drove the snakes out of Ireland. Because snakes have terrible taste. You can find their music on apple itunes, spotify, or cepdx.bandcamp.com. Thanks for listening. If you like the podcast, you can find more content at nicholaspihl.com