At YELLS, we believe the power to transform a neighborhood lives within the people who call it home. This year, that power shone brightly through the parents who have joined hands with us to shape not just their children’s growth, but the future of their families and their community.
Our multigenerational model is more than a theory. It’s a lived reality where parents are not just supporters but active partners in building a connected, thriving neighborhood. From Franklin Gateway to Fair Oaks, parents showed up, stepped in, and made it clear: when families unite, the whole community rises.
Whether they were pouring positive affirmations into “Positivity Jars” with their children, learning alongside them about conflict resolution through family games, or laughing together while networking at our “Building Our Gingerbread Community” night, parents weren’t just watching from the sidelines. They were co-creating moments of growth, belonging, and joy. The room buzzed with bright smiles and laughter as children proudly led their parents to meet new families, forging connections and turning neighbors into a true YELLS family.
Throughout the year, parents gathered for workshops where they explored the same lessons we taught their children, like conflict resolution skills, the power of their words, or how to help their kids build a resilient inner voice. Together, they squeezed toothpaste from a tube – and then fruitlessly tried to put it back – to see how hard it is to take back hurtful words. Parents visualized the power of a growth mindset as they added food coloring to water representing the negative statements they hear their child utter when discouraged. Then, they took turns reframing these with positive messages and pouring a clear glass of water into the bowl with food coloring. They watched the clear water wash away the food coloring to symbolize how positive self-talk can replace negative messages, nurturing confidence and resiliency. In these moments, parents weren’t just learning from us; they were sharing their wisdom with each other and discovering their own power to help their children thrive.
Beyond family workshops, parents raised their voices at police town halls led by our Community Action Café teens, advocated for safer neighborhoods, and offered input at community discussions. They shared their favorite recipes at potlucks and the teens’ Taste Fest, celebrated their children’s achievements at our year-end awards, and strengthened relationships with their neighbors at events like Trunk or Treat and Family Game Night. And thanks to partnerships like Food Security for America and Marietta City Schools, we were able to offer even more wrap-around support for families through biweekly fresh groceries and a Learning Spaces program where children birth through five years old learn through play alongside their parents. YELLS provides a space where parents can access vital resources while also contributing their own time, wisdom, and gifts to strengthen the YELLS Family and their neighborhood.
This is the heart of our work: engaging the Whole Child, Whole Family, Whole Community in a shared journey toward success. When parents and neighbors come together, they create a network of support, resilience, and possibility that no outside force can match. At YELLS, every parent, every child, and every neighbor is a builder, and together they’re constructing a future rooted in connection, empowerment, and love.
