Celebrating with Our Community: Open House 2024

Image: Friends of the Children - Eastern Idaho Executive Director Gina Judd, American Falls Mayor Rebekah Sorensen, and Friends of the Children - Eastern Idaho Board Members Randy Jensen, Heidi Colson, Becky Martin, and Kathy Downes participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at our August 2024 Open House.

Earlier this month, we welcomed youth and their families, local leaders, and community members to our first-ever Open House! We are still smiling from the joyful support we felt during the event, and are more motivated than ever to grow the impact of our Friends of the Children program here in Eastern Idaho.

If you weren't able to join us at the Open House, here are some of the highlights:

Randy Jensen, American Falls School District Superintendent and Friends of the Children Board Member, told the great story of how Friends - Eastern Idaho came to be, highlighting the tremendous outpouring of support from the communities of Eastern Idaho and the pivotal funding investment made by the AFSD School Board.

American Falls Mayor Rebekah Sorensen helped us celebrate our chapter's launch with a ribbon cutting ceremony and meaningful words about our program and our role in the community.

We were delighted to host Renee Richardson, representing Senator Jim Risch, and Josh Sorensen, representing Congressman Mike Simpson.

Staff played games with youth and families that illustrated how we work to cultivate the core assets of the Friends of the Children model.

Members of our board of directors shared their passionate support for empowering youth and families and encouraged community members to become involved supporting our program.

Everyone enjoyed exploring our space, building connections over shared food and treats, and learning about the work our young chapter is already doing in the Eastern Idaho community.

Whether you were able to join us in person or not, THANK YOU for being part of our community! Be sure to subscribe to our email list and follow us on social media to stay in the loop on future events.