Celebrating 25 Years of Great Life Mentoring!

25th Anniversary Celebration at OMSI

Every year, the Great Life Mentoring (GLM) Staff and Board invite mentors and youth to an event where they can see they are a part of something great. This year's event was especially significant, as GLM celebrated its 25th anniversary. Hosted at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), 75 of GLM's 135 participants celebrated the milestone with an unforgettable event.

From the moment guests arrived, the excitement was contagious. Guests picked up their 25th anniversary t-shirts, stickers and exclusive swag before mentors and their friends posed for commemorative photos. A delicious lunch followed, and the room buzzed with music, stories and laughter.

The heart of the afternoon was a short program honoring the incredible impact of this unique mentoring model. Founder and Executive Director Elizabeth Higley and Program Manager Cindy Fritz received surprise awards from the Board of Directors honoring their 25 and 20 years’ of service, respectively, to Great Life Mentoring and the community.  

After a group photo— with everyone proudly sporting their new t-shirts—mentors and youth spent the rest of the day exploring OMSI’s hands-on exhibits, including the new LEGO® Jurassic World exhibit, and making fun-filled memories together.

This day was more than a celebration of years—it was a celebration of the powerful difference one caring adult can make in a young person’s life.

GLM honored the volunteers who have together provided over 100,000 hours of service—an in-kind contribution valued at over $4 million—to help heal the lives of more than 1,000 youth. Each young person has a unique story all their own, but every story includes a mentor who faithfully provides encouragement, consistency and hope. 

A special guest appearance was made by Phil Dietz, who was Great Life Mentoring’s first mentor, and is still with the program today. Though the youth Dietz was matched with is now in his thirties, their mentoring relationship is still going strong. The young man Phil mentored is a testament to the program’s tremendous outcomes, which boasts transformative mental health and life outcomes.  

What began in 2000 as a small program under a larger mental health agency has grown into an award-winning model poised for national expansion. The GLM model has become a mental health intervention on the Washington State Inventory of Evidence-Based Practices and has received the highest rating—Effective Practice—from the US Department of Justice. Today, GLM is an Oregon-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving youth in the Portland Metro Area and Southwest Washington.

GLM’s youth outcomes are unmatched nationwide, prompting leading researchers to study the model. The Study of Mental Health and Relationships (SMART) is assessing the impact of GLM on the mental health and well-being of youth and will be used to help mentoring programs nationwide to better serve youth.

This small group of committed people are, indeed, part of something great. 

👉 Volunteer as a mentor
👉 Join the Board of Directors
👉 Donate to support youth