We call our paid, professional mentors “Friends” because of the role they play in the lives of our children. Friends have a gift for working with children. Friends are there for their kids, not only in a one-on-one capacity, but as advocates in their schools and as members of their communities and extended families. They offer their children a world of experiences that they might never have known, but, more importantly, they are a trusted friend. They listen, encourage, advise and are simply “there” for them.