When Ruth first joined the YELLS Afterschool Program, she faced a challenge that would intimidate many students her age: learning English as a second language. Reading felt like climbing a mountain, each page filled with obstacles. At YELLS, though, Ruth had learned the power of “yet,” and she knew that…
When Mr. Robin retired, he knew he wanted to use his extra time to make a difference. He had been a 5th grade teacher for three years during his early career, and he was searching “aggressively,” he says, for a place where he could continue to pour into the lives…
We are thrilled to announce that we now have our very own Little Free Library here on campus at YELLS! Little Free Libraries are community tools that operate on the “Take One, Leave One” principle. With this in mind, it encourages students to take a book and leave a book…
YELLS has been actively involved in uplifting the Franklin Gateway community for years, but it’s easy to forget that we are a small grassroots organization that relies on community support to continue the good fight. It is a blessing that our mission to empower the youth of Franklin Gateway resonates…
YELLS prides itself on being a community hub where Franklin Gateway residents can come together to engage with city representatives, community leaders, and their fellow neighbors to discuss the needs and expectations of their community. Together we can accomplish more, and on August 25th we hosted our first YELLS Parent…
After 2 ½ years of shuttered doors, virtual programming, and canceled community events, the Franklin Fair was finally back and better than ever! Reviving this flagship event after all that time was no easy feat for our Mentoring Bigs; they drafted and sent out countless proposal letters, made dozens of…
Since its inception in 2008, YELLS has been fiercely committed to serving and empowering the youth of Franklin Gateway so that they see themselves as change-makers in their own community. While it hasn’t always been easy sailing, one of our saving graces has been the fact that our mission has…
YELLS has seen many volunteers over the years that have impacted the lives of both our staff and the youth we serve. However, few have impacted our organization like one of our AmeriCorps Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA), who dedicated a year of her life to growing the operational…
On May 10th, 2022, YELLS had the pleasure of hosting its first Marietta Police Department Town Hall in over 2 years! Led by Major Jake King, the town hall was a real opportunity for Franklin Gateway residents to come together and engage with city representatives about the needs and concerns…
In our efforts to revive the Franklin Fair after a two year hiatus, we are blessed to have the incredible continuing support from Stablegold Hospitality! For years, the team at Stablegold have demonstrated their commitment to our work of empowering youth and families in our community, and this year they…
