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…
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…
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…
In the past, YELLS has strived to be a hub for the Franklin Gateway community, offering our space as a venue for town hall meetings, community food programs, professional workshops and more. That took a hit during the pandemic as we pivoted to ensure the safety of our youth and…
YELLS is blessed with so many partners that pour into our youth and community and make our work possible. Often when we think about these amazing partners, our first impulse is to consider those that work directly with our youth. But the truth is that partners come in all shapes…
Whenever possible, we like to take a moment to pause and celebrate some of our amazing youth who exemplify our YELLS values in beautiful and inspiring ways. At the heart of our mission is to serve and empower our youth to see themselves as change-makers, equipped with the tools and…
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…
Here at YELLS, we have always been proud of the various innovative ways that we serve the students in our programs. From our teen-led Community Action Café to the different community projects conceived by the Bigs and Littles in our Mentoring Program, our goal is to instill in our kids…
We are truly fortunate to have volunteers who come in and work hands-on with our kids, making sure they have the support and resources they need to thrive. This month, we’re spotlighting a special new volunteer who has been leading our ASP kids and CAC teens in valuable social-emotional learning…
