The 2023-2024 Mentoring Retreat was a huge success! Each year, to welcome our “Bigs” into the Mentoring program, we host a retreat that emphasizes and teaches the importance of the YELLS values. “Bigs” are 9th-12th grade students who will be paired with one elementary schooler that they will mentor and…
YELLS has enjoyed abundant holiday blessings this year thanks to the generosity, hard work, and community spirit of the Marietta Country Club. For the past nine years, the Marietta Country Club has been giving back to local organizations through their ThanksGIVING Golf Classic, and YELLS is so honored to be…
YELLS is a place for community empowerment and action, and our Community Conversations event provided an intentional forum for youth, parents, neighbors, business leaders, City and County representatives, and stakeholders to unite to uplift our shared community. As our special project in celebration of the National PAL (Police Athletic and…
We are so grateful for our wonderful partners at Assurant who have gone above and beyond in providing our teens with incredible opportunities to explore their professional passions and practice their networking skills, as well as experiences that they will remember for a long time! Assurant Career Day In the…
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…
