On May 15, 2025, the SLM community came together at the Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts in Boston to celebrate youth in foster care and the power of mentoring. Together, we raised $625,000 to ensure that youth in foster care have access to a caring, committed adult relationship!
We are so grateful to our young people, mentors, sponsors, and guests for making the evening a night to remember. We want to especially thank our 2025 Match Host Committee and its co-chairs Sonia Chung and Matt Marcotte for their hard work and leadership.
Match Gala is a night filled with impactful storytelling. At this year’s event, youth speaker Josiah shared the profound challenges he faced growing up in foster care—40 placements across four states. Constant moves meant constant instability, making it nearly impossible to build trust or form lasting relationships. But then he met Jesse, his Silver Lining mentor. Josiah said, “Jesse asks about my interests, my dreams. I matter to him, and so does my success. For the first time, I know I have someone by my side who’s not going anywhere.”
SLM Lead Program Coordinator Valentina Alfaro (far right) presented the Power of Two Award to mentee Deavonie (second from right) and his mentor, Keith (second from left), in recognition of the trust, support, and true connection they’ve built through their mentoring relationship.
“Both Keith and Deavonie have shared that they had no idea what they would eventually mean to each other. What began as a relationship built around goals—conversations about careers, music, and business—soon blossomed into something deeper: a genuine, lasting friendship.”
Sonia and Matt energized the crowd during a spirited auction and paddle raise, helping to generate vital support for our programs. We’re deeply grateful to everyone who gave so generously—ensuring more youth in foster care have access to a caring, committed Silver Lining mentor.
The funds raised will allow us to fight the loneliness and isolation that can define life in foster care. Thanks to the generosity of so many, we can provide those who need it most with a Silver Lining mentor who will be there for them no matter what.
We’re already looking forward to Match Gala 2026 and will be finalizing details soon. We hope you’ll join us!
Check here for more pictures from Match 2025, as well as updates in the coming months about how you can be a part of Match Gala 2026.
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