Meet “Building Belonging” The youth named their project Building Belonging, and they didn’t just talk about what they could do, they made it happen. The teens designed and distributed 175 free wellness kits filled with mental health and wellness resources, activities, and information from local community partners. They also created…
Josue first started attending YELLS as a ninth grader who hadn’t quite figured out who he was yet. Now, as he enters his senior year, he has grown into a confident young leader, community advocate, and changemaker who is helping shape the future of the neighborhood he calls home. Over…
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…
Wow, what a journey this past year has been! With yet another year under our belts, we want to take a look back on the past 12 months and show you what we’ve been up to! 2021 was a year with lots of challenges that tested our resilience as an…
“YELLS helped me to grow in my communication skills, keeping eye contact, networking skills, and becoming more of a leader. It helped me to see that there is always a way around things. If there is a bad situation, there’s always a way to make it better. The YELLS values…
