Athletes For Kids has been named Bonneville Seattle’s Charity of the Month for September, for changing the lives of children with disabilities by educating youth and modeling inclusion and acceptance.

Athletes For Kids is a youth mentoring program that specifically serves children with special needs and disabilities of all kinds. The ‘Kids’ in their name are children grades 1-8 being mentored by the program. The ‘Athletes’ are high school athletes who make a commitment to mentor one child for the duration of their high school career.

Their mission is to create communities where all children of all abilities are celebrated. They do this by providing dedicated young mentors to children who are in need of a friend.

Founded on the idea that friendship has the power to restore a child’s faith in life, Athletes For Kids were incorporated as a non-profit in 2002. Since that time, they have grown from a small group at one school to an organization serving families in Issaquah, Sammamish, Bellevue, Redmond, and surrounding areas.

For more information about Athletes For Kids, visit their website at AthletesForKids.org.