YAP, Inc.The Neighborhood Advocate

Gloucester County, NJ – Over the 28 years that Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Life Skills Coordinator Sarah Gross has worked at the nonprofit; she estimates that she has worked with hundreds of program participants and their families.  

“I was barely older than the youth we were serving when I first started working at YAP®,” Gross recalled in a recent interview. “In the beginning, it was a job to pay bills while attending college, however, it became much more meaningful and rewarding as time went on. The youth that I had the opportunity to work with, especially for the last 15 years, has helped me stay young. They taught me all the TikTok dances.”

YAP® is a national nonprofit in 33 states and Washington, D.C., providing services that reduce the nation’s overreliance on youth incarceration, residential care, group homes and other out-of-home placements. Celebrating its 50th year in 2025, YAP® partners with public systems to provide community-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to residential care and incarceration. YAP® has served New Jersey for nearly 47 years.

Gross spoke and was recognized by YAP®’s Board Chair Teddy Reese and fellow members, YAP CEO/President Gary Ivory, and staff of the nonprofit’s Executive Team during the organization’s Board meeting dinner in Atlantic City, NJ in May. Gross was accompanied by current program participants Eniya and Gregory who shared stories of their time at YAP® and their appreciation of Gross. She said as the three of them made their way through the hotel to find the ballroom where the meeting was taking place, they stopped and asked for directions from a security guard. 

“There was a young man there and he said, ‘Are you Sarah, do you remember me? I went into the military, and I was going through a really bad time, and the program really helped me,’” Gross said. “That is a blessing when you’re able to hear that because not all workers in this field receive that kind of feedback. It can be very challenging to work with the youth we serve, but I see the fruit of YAP®’s work and it is a privilege and honor to be a part of that.”

Gregory and Eniya shared the same sentiments about Gross as the security guard did. Gregory said she helped teach him about life.

Gross started with YAP® Gloucester County’s Youth Justice Program as an Advocate in 1997 while in college working with program participants who were living in shelters and resource homes. She also facilitated a YAP® anger management program. Today, as a life skills coordinator, she provides support to young people by assisting them to learn how to be self-sufficient through career exploration, post-secondary education planning, budgeting, housing, self-advocacy, self-awareness, healthy relationships, communication skills and responding to adverse situations.

The age population YAP® Gloucester County works with is 8-17 year-olds who have been referred to the program through the courts, self-referrals, law enforcement or other entities; and pairs them with a neighborhood-based Advocate who champions for them and their families and connects them to economic, emotional or education services in addition to overall life skills. The Advocates and program participant spend up to three hours a week together.

“For the two and a half years I’ve been with YAP® there’s been a trillion things Sarah has helped me with,” Gregory said, “from the talent show at school that I wanted to schedule or the extracurricular stuff I wanted to do at my school; and all of the regular teenager stuff.”

Gregory said Gross taught him about co-payments and worked hard to make sure other youth in the program had gifts to open for Christmas.

“She has probably been my favorite person ever,” Gregory added. “I think [Gross] is amazing and I love her. I like this program because it gives people what they deserve and teaches them about life.”

Eniya said before YAP she didn’t know how to regulate her emotions, didn’t know what she wanted out of life, or how to speak up for herself.

“[Gross] has given me the ability to have a voice,” Eniya said. “She has given me the ability to be my own advocate even though she is my advocate. She has given me the ability to have my own two feet to be able to walk on.”

Just recently, Eniya graduated from high school and Gross was in attendance.

“She is just absolutely amazing,” Gross said of Eniya. “We helped her apply to college and complete financial aid applications. She plans to begin community college in the fall and Gregory has been accepted to a four-year college.”

Eniya texted Gross, “Happy Mother’s Day,” because she said she is like a mother figure to her.

“Ms. Sarah [Gross] is someone I will remember for the rest of my life even when I have my own kids,” Eniya said. “I really appreciate the person she is. You guys are really lucky to have someone like her.”

Gross has kept the same phone number for years and still receives calls and text messages from former youth she’s worked with all the time.

“I love it when they stay in touch. I’ve had the same phone number when I started YAP®, so I still receive calls and texts from former youth who are now adults with children,” Gross added. “They are all doing really well. We know that YAP® has a very specific purpose, and we have to be intentional with the time we are spending with them by maximizing each moment by meeting their immediate needs, while helping them prepare for the future.”

Gross said she is thankful for YAP® and gave credit to the current and former colleagues she’s worked with over the years who have supported her and worked hard to change the lives of young people.

“YAP® has a deep, meaningful culture, especially in New Jersey where we hire people with the same goals, same mission and the same purpose,” Gross said. “It’s an honor to be able to serve people in this area.”

YAP®’s decades of service include working with many young people whose histories include serious offenses, multiple arrests, and lengthy out-of-home placements. John Jay College of Criminal Justice research found 86 % of YAP’®s youth justice participants remain arrest-free, and six – 12 months after completing the program nearly 90% of youth served still lived in their communities with less than 5% of participants in secure placement.  

Read more about Gross here. For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org.

Submitted by Jorge Retamar

YAP Orange County, NY Project Rise Program Director

Orange County, NY – Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Orange County’s Project RISE  (Reinvest, Inspire, Support and Empower) Program was honored as a Community Partner through the Newburgh Enlarged City School District‘s 2nd Annual Newburgh Free Academy (NFA) West Campus High School Mentor Recognition event in early June.

“It was an honor to accept the Community Partnership Recognition Award on behalf of Project RISE by Youth Advocate Programs, Inc.,” said YAP Project Rise Program Director Jorge Retamar. “As the program director, I’m incredibly proud to represent a team of passionate, dedicated individuals who serve the youth of Newburgh with purpose and heart every single day.”

Celebrating 50 years in 2025, YAP® is a national nonprofit that partners with public systems in 33 states and Washington, D.C. to provide community-based and behavioral health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis in corrections and residential care facilities. 

YAP® Project RISE is a community-based program funded by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) that works to empower youth ages 14-25 who are involved in the justice system—or at risk of becoming involved—by helping them build brighter, more hopeful futures. Through behavioral health sessions, SPARCS (Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress), and YAPWrap®, the organization’s wraparound services neighborhood-based Credible Messengers, meet each young person where they are, and surround them with individualized support designed to address their unique needs—whether it’s education, employment, mental health, housing, or family dynamics.

“At the heart of our program are our credible messengers—individuals with lived experience who serve as Advocates and role models,” Retamar added. “Their presence helps create genuine, trusting relationships that foster accountability and transformation.”

Through YAP®’s core “no eject, no reject” policy, Retamar said credible messengers do not give up on youth, adding, that no matter how many setbacks they face, “we remain by their side. We believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to grow, heal, and thrive—without being pushed out or written off.”

“This recognition from the Newburgh Board of Education means so much to us,” Retamar added. “It represents a shared vision for our community—one where every young person has the opportunity to succeed, and where systems work together to uplift rather than punish. On behalf of the entire team at Project RISE by Youth Advocate Programs and DCJS, I thank you for this honor, for your partnership, and for believing in the potential of our youth, we will keep showing what’s possible when we put community first and never give up on our young people.”

For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

Charlotte, NC – All photos from Shot By ChrissyB

Youth Advocate Programs’ (YAP®), Inc. Youth Justice and Alternatives to Violence (ATV) teams – Beatties Ford Road and West Boulevard – hosted a free community Sneaker Ball on June 8 to raise awareness of gun violence prevention and connect with program participants, their families, and neighbors.

Held in June to mark National Gun Violence Awareness Month, the Sneaker Ball gave community members an opportunity to enjoy music, food, mingling and dancing –  all while several community members and organizations were recognized for their support and partnership. YAP ATV and the Youth Justice Programs help detect and interrupt violence and support individuals who are at the greatest risk of engaging in violence by connecting them to educational, emotional and economic tools that provide practical life choice alternatives.

YAP® became the city’s first ATV partner with the Beatties Ford Road site in 2021 as part of a partnership with the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, using Cure Violence Global (CVG) methods working with individuals who are at the highest risk of engaging in violence. YAP®’s Mecklenburg County Juvenile Justice Program has partnered with the court system since 2019 – where through referrals – program participants are matched with a neighborhood-based YAP Advocate who champions for them and their families.

Celebrating 50 years in 2025, YAP® is a national nonprofit that partners with public systems in 33 states and Washington, D.C. to provide community-based and behavioral health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis in corrections and residential care facilities. YAP®’s decades of service include working with many young people whose histories include serious offenses, multiple arrests, and lengthy out-of-home placements. John Jay College of Criminal Justice research found 86 % of YAP’®s youth justice participants remain arrest-free, and six – 12 months after completing the program nearly 90% of youth served still lived in their communities with less than 5% of participants in secure placement.  

Honorees included:

YAP Mecklenburg County Youth Justice Program Advocates and YAP ATV Violence Interrupters and Outreach Workers

West Charlotte High School

Block Love Charlotte

Inlivian Housing Authority

For the Struggle

Diversified Performance Training

Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Association

Traletta Banks

Kim Alexander of Our Daily Bread

Alternatives to Violence – Nations Ford Road Team

Dr. Raquishela Stewart, Deputy Director, City of Charlotte’s Housing and Neighborhood Services

Chad Martin, Youth Program Manager, City of Charlotte’s Housing and Neighborhood Services.

For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

See video interview below with Michael Umpierre, Director of the Center for Youth Justice at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, formerly the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform. The Center for Youth Justice is the preeminent data and training resource for practitioners and policy makers implementing and advocating for innovative tools to help communities provide more effective and lower cost alternatives to placing youth in trouble or crisis in correctional and other residential facilities. Umpierre will moderate the 50th anniversary YAP® Making Change Happen Summit’s “Justice Reform” panel discussion Nov. 6, 2025, in Philadelphia, PA. 

Cook County, Ill. – Sixteen-year-old Charles was one of 36 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students who graduated in April from Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc., Chicago’s YAPWORX® employment readiness program. YAPWORX® is a unique paid workforce development curriculum designed to equip systems-involved and other young people facing employment barriers with job readiness skills.

“We met every Tuesday for 10 weeks to talk about things like mental health, how to do a resume, and all of that,” Charles said. “It was all about the essentials of being an (adult). Just knowing what we need to know in order to be independent.”

Celebrating its 50th year in 2025, YAP® partners with public systems in 33 states and Washington, D.C. to provide community-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis in corrections and residential care facilities. The national nonprofit also uses its unique youth and family wraparound services model to help cities reduce violence among those at the greatest risk. YAP® Advocates are trained to help program participants and their parents, guardians and other family members see and nurture their strengths while connecting them with individualized resources and support.

YAPWORX® engages volunteer business owners, leaders and employees from various fields to educate program participants about their work and provide mentoring and social capital. Through a partnership with Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Student Support & Engagement, YAP® Chicago delivered YAPWORX® services to Charles and his classmates from February through April for two hours once a week. Program participants received a $75 weekly paycheck paid through YAP.

Charles was referred to YAP® last year through the court system when he landed on probation from a gun charge. He was assigned to YAP® Advocates Marie Tribett and Patricia Jackson. Jackson described Charles as “shut off, closed and not talkative,” when they initially met.

“He was a little standoffish at first and I had to break the ice,” Jackson said. “He really doesn’t open up to everyone, but over the course of a year he’s grown a lot with communicating more.”

A high school junior, Charles took a while before letting Jackson gain his trust. She helped Charles with his schoolwork and assisted him in getting his identification card. Jackson said they also take walks together, go to gaming centers, go fishing and that Jackson took him out to eat at Olive Garden for the first time.

“Just to see him have joy and smile while doing something different warms my heart,” she said. “He’s really a respectful young man. He is family-oriented and he loves his [9] siblings.

During his time in YAPWORX, Jackson taught Charles to use his money responsibly. For example, she got him in the habit of purchasing his Pace Pass (bus payment card) first to get to-and-from school before he did anything else.

“While in YAPWORX, I would take him to cash his check. I taught him that when he gets paid to take care of his needs first, then take care of his wants second,” Jackson said. “It was teaching him responsibility. He definitely grew in that area.”

Chicago YAP Advocates took turns providing YAPWORX lessons to the group of program participants. In addition to topics that included emotional wellbeing and resumes; other topics included entrepreneurship and how to dress properly for a job interview.

“Charles loved YAPWORX,” Jackson said. “He wanted to participate because it kept him busy.”

Before YAP and Jackson, Charles said he kept to himself but now he is able to be himself, is more independent and stays away from anything that might put him in the wrong predicament.

“Right now, he is in a good place with the courts, parole office, with school, and his family. He’s doing so good right now,” Jackson said, adding that Charles is getting better with being on time for school and engaging more with his teachers. “His grades are getting better. He still needs work in that area, but they are improving.”

Jackson said if she had to describe Charles in one word it would be “honest.” As for Charles, he now doesn’t feel the need to be out and about as much as he would have been before YAP and he reaches out to his Advocate three or four times a week to update her on how he is doing in school, family life or if he needs anything in general.

“I love that lady,” Charles said of Jackson. “She most definitely ‘be coming through.’ She makes sure I am straight.”

Charles is expected to be discharged from the program in November.

“I really believe in giving kids a second chance. I have seen growth and change in families,” Jackson said. “I am proud to be [Charles’] Advocate, slash [second] momma.”

For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org.

Charlotte, NC – Youth Advocate Programs’ (YAP®), Inc. Alternatives to Violence (ATV) West Boulevard team transformed a little used west Charlotte apartment complex community center to meet the practical needs of its residents.

The overhauled Little Rock Apartments’ community resource center provides residents with a community closet, bike rentals and a reading corner where children and parents can gather, study, use a computer, meet with the team, check out books and even take the GED exam.

“This gives us an opportunity to promote pre-intervention,” said YAP ATV West Boulevard Site Supervisor Anthony Davis who grew up in Little Rock Apartments. “If we can get to the kids before violence actually happens, it makes a difference. Our community closet and all of our activities that we encompass are part of the intervention process.”

YAP ATV is a partnership with the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County using Cure Violence methods and is supported by the generosity of the GreenLight Fund. Charlotte’s first ATV partner, YAP now serves two of the city’s three sites, the Beatties Ford Road Corridor and West Boulevard. YAP ATV provides intensive services for young people ages 14 to 25 who have been identified by schools, community groups, the youth justice system and other referring partners, as being at the highest risk of being engaged in violence. Risk factors include group violence involvement or affiliation, being recently released from prison, or experiencing the loss of a loved one due to gun violence.

Celebrating its 50th year in 2025, YAP® is a national nonprofit that partners with public systems in 33 states and Washington, D.C., to provide community-based individual and family wraparound services as an alternative to placing youth in trouble or crisis in correctional or residential care facilities. In addition to providing alternative-to-youth incarceration services in Mecklenburg County, YAP combines its evidence-based wraparound services with the Cure Violence intervention approach in its ATV work. The YAP ATV teams detect and interrupt violence, identify those at high-risk for engaging in violence, and mobilize community change. YAP ATV employees are hired from the communities they serve and often share similar backgrounds.

When the YAP ATV West Boulevard team is not out canvassing in their catchment area; they can be found at the Little Rock Apartments’ Community Resource Center at 5712 Leake St. The Community Closet opened in March and allows residents to receive men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, toys, household items, and canned foods among other basic needs items at no cost from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. every other Friday. Donations are provided through churches, other local organizations and from individuals.

“This was a community center when I lived here,” said YAP ATV Program Manager Donnell Gardner. “We started meeting a lot of people and they were telling us about the things they needed, so we wanted to bring this to the community. We’re from here, so we know a lot of their needs.”

YAP ATV West Boulevard Outreach Worker Yulonda Johnson keeps track of who’s receiving items and limits clothing to two items per person. The Community Closet is open to YAP ATV program participants from both the nonprofit’s West Boulevard and Beatties Ford Road sites.

“This helps boost the morale of the residents,” Johnson said. “We built this store up. Initially we only had enough items to fill the tables, but now we have a little corner boutique.”

If a resident has an emergency need, such as diapers for their baby, Johnson said the team will make exceptions to get individuals what they need.

“We’re dealing with high-risk individuals but the Community Closet is an extension of the program,” Gardner said. “This was important for us to turn this into something.”

Additionally, every Wednesday from 3-5 p.m., children can rent out bikes to ride around the neighborhood for two hours. YAP ATV West Boulevard Violence Interrupter Shawn Moore came up with the idea to provide the service.

“We allocate time and bikes for kids who don’t have a bike,” Gardner said. “The kids get the bike for a couple of hours and then bring it back. We work on an honor system. We wanted to add this resource.”

Moore works on the donated bikes, and adjusts the seats for the children or fixes them up if required.

“The bike program is amazing,” Johnson said. “If the kids even think we’re in here, they will come to the door looking for us.”

On Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m., children and young adults can check out books, get help with reading, or use the computers to complete or study for their high school General Equivalency Diploma (GED) or certificate and apply for jobs.

“Residents can choose a book and take it with them to read,” Johnson said. “Sometimes program participants read books to the kids or a team member will read to a child.”

Johnson said children are rewarded if they read five or more books at the end of the month, which gets them excited about literacy.

“We keep data of what they’re reading in order to access their progress,” she added. “We even have young adults who have trouble reading and we’re here to support them and not embarrass them. We will read with them individually if they let us know they need help.”

Although the target age range for ATV program participants is adolescents to young adults, Johnson said all of initiatives at the Community Resource Center are part of pipeline to prevention.

“The YAP ATV team is here to help identify barriers and remove them,” Johnson added.  “That’s what we’re all about, helping to reduce violence by keeping young people engaged in other activities.”

In addition to Gardner and Davis, Moore, and YAP ATV Beatties Ford Road Site Supervisor Roosevelt Brooks, also grew up in Little Rock Apartments.

“Now we’re able to come back and we understand the wisdom that was given to us before when we used to come to the Community Resource Center,” Gardner added. “We’re able to reach back and it’s a beautiful thing. Inside there’s a happiness that words really can’t put in perspective.”

To donate books, bikes, clothing or other items to the Community Resource Center, email Gardner at dgardner@yapinc.org or Davis at andavis@yapinc.org. For more information on YAP visit yapinc.org.

Essex County, N.J. – Going to school late, acting out in class, and talking back to her mom led Najah to Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. in Essex County, N.J. when she was in the seventh grade.

“I was in middle school when I enrolled in the program because I was following the wrong people, but I wasn’t doing bad things,” Najah said. “I was acting out in school because I wasn’t accepted. I am 4 feet and 4 inches tall, and people would make fun of me and call me a midget. My parents were continually having to come to school for me.”

That was five years ago. Now Najah, 19, is finishing up her freshman year at Saint Elizabeth University College in Morristown, N.J.

“I don’t know where I would be without YAP,” she added. “I am doing amazing. I am in school and working a job.”

Celebrating its 50th year in 2025, YAP® partners with public systems to provide community-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to residential care. YAP® is a national nonprofit in 33 states and Washington, D.C., providing services that reduce the nation’s overreliance on youth incarceration, residential care, group homes and other out-of-home placements.

Najah was part of YAP® ‘s Essex County Community-Based Diversion Program, which has since ended, but like the nonprofit’s existing youth justice program, provided her with a neighborhood-based Advocate.  YAP® Advocates are trained to deliver wraparound support to program participants and their parents, guardians and other family members. The evidence-based YAPWRAP® services model helps young people see and nurture their strengths and connects them and their families with individualized resources and support. The diversion program worked with low to medium-risk youth ages 13-17 who had begun to engage in antisocial and low-level delinquent pathways or formal involvement in the youth justice system. Program referrals came from parents and schools. 

Najah said her Advocate helped her do everything she could to succeed, helping her with schoolwork. Najah became an honor roll student in high school and is a recent recipient of the Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund Scholarship for Continuing Education. She was awarded $1,200, applied to her school tuition. Eligible current and former program participants, along with their parents/guardians, can apply for the scholarship annually for tuition and fees assistance or a laptop computer.

“I let my wall down,” Najah said about working with her YAP Advocate. “I thought my parents were just being mean to me, sending me to work with a stranger, but that became someone that I really care about. I realized that I was taking advantage of my parents.”

In addition to being picked on at school, Najah says she was acting out because her sisters were older and not living at home anymore, leaving her lonely and bored. She is the youngest of her three siblings who are now 38 and 33. Najah’s parents worked long hours, so she sometimes ate dinner alone in the evenings but on Wednesdays she went to her local YAP office where she and other program participants heard from speakers each week who encouraged them. Her mom, a corrections officer, heard about the diversion program through Curtis Moore, who at the time was the program coordinator. Today Moore is the program director of YAP Essex County’s Youth Justice Program.

“Mr. Curtis would bring all of the youth together for focus groups and we would eat dinner and have conversations,” Najah said. “I love Mr. Curtis. He has a great impact on youth. Some days after school I was home by myself since my parents were working so I looked forward to those Wednesdays. At YAP we were all a family. There was tutoring and he would provide clothing if we needed it. We all looked out for one another. It touched my heart.”

Moore said he lives by a quote of the late W.E.B. Dubois when it comes to helping young people.

“’The gift of life is the Creator’s gift to us, but what we choose to do with our life is our gift to our Creator,’” Moore said quoting Dubois. “I choose to be a humble servant of my community and youth.”

Najah thanks her family for connecting her to YAP, along with Moore, her Advocate and all YAP staff for helping her in her pre-teen and teenage years.

“I want to thank the YAP program for their services to help save teens,” Najah said. “I’m glad I did all those bad things then because I know better now. I love YAP.”

For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

Radio One/Reach Media Programming SVP speaks with TheNeighborhoodAdvocate.org‘s Kelly Williams, CMO/CCO at Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. about a time early in his radio career when he worked part-time as a neighborhood-based YAP Advocate. A national nonprofit, YAP delivers community-based services that give youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, education, public safety and other systems alternatives to placing young people who are in trouble or crisis in correctional and residential care facilities. 2025 marks YAP’s 50th anniversary.

Ulster County, NY – When Raymond Samuels was referred to Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc., he was having difficulty in school with his peers, but once he was paired with his Advocate, he says his life took an entirely different turn that has now come full circle.

“My Advocate helped me navigate through toxic, as well, as healthy relationships,” Samuels said. “He also taught me how to be myself, while still helping me build my confidence to where it felt normal to be outgoing and personable.”

YAP® is a national nonprofit in 33 states and Washington, D.C., providing services that reduce the nation’s overreliance on youth incarceration, residential care, group homes and other out-of-home placements. Celebrating its 50th year in 2025, YAP® partners with public systems to provide community-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to residential care.

Samuels is a former YAP Ulster County, New York youth justice program participant. He has since graduated high school, enrolled in community college, became a YAP Advocate and has been promoted to administrative manager. YAP Ulster County provides justice and child welfare program to youth ages 11-22 with wraparound support known as YAPWRAP® in which they and their families are provided with resources and support.

“From participant to Advocate has been possibly the largest full circle moment of my life as of yet,” Samuels said. “As a former YAP participant, I have always capitalized on what the program has had to offer me.”

Additionally, eligible current and former program participants, along with their parents/guardians, can apply for the Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund Scholarship for Continuing Education, which provides $1,200 for tuition and fees or a laptop computer. Samuels now has a laptop thanks to the scholarship fund that will come in handy while attending Dutchess Community College where he is majoring in social work.

“My career goal has always been to help at-risk youth realize there is always a way to win the game regardless of the cards dealt,” said Samuels who grew up in foster care. “As I am still relatively young, I find myself constantly learning alongside the youth I work with; in addition to providing the advice I benefited from when I was in the program as well.”

YAP Ulster County Program Director Jenilee Pollan who has known Samuels for seven years, described him as “exceptionally gifted at making others feel comfortable and always maintaining a positive attitude.”

“Raymond is an individual who shows up earlier than asked, works hard, and carries himself in a polite, respectable manner,” Pollan added.

Samuels thanks YAP for supporting his educational goals and helping to turn his life around.

“To move from a terrible past, you must make a better one over time,” the 19 year-old added. “I do this by consistently reaching for the moon, because even when I fail, I tend to land somewhere among the stars.”

For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

Submitted By Kimberly Brandon

Harris County, Texas —Three students from Youth Advocate Programs’(YAP®), Inc. Harris County, Texas Evening Reporting Center graduated with General Education Development (GED) certificates from the county’s Opportunity Center — a milestone achievement marking a transformative step toward brighter futures.

Now in its 50th year, YAP® is a national nonprofit is in 33 states and Washington, D.C. that works with youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and other local and regional governments to provide community-based services as an alternative to placing young people outside of their homes in residential care or corrections facilities. Working with cities across the U.S., YAP® also uses its neighborhood-based Advocate and Behavioral Health youth and family services model to support public safety efforts.

The Harris County Opportunity Center, which offers vocational rehabilitation classes and learning labs for justice-involved youth, hosted the special ceremony in December to honor program graduates and to highlight their resilience and determination. 

“We are incredibly proud of these students and all they’ve accomplished,” said YAP® Assistant Director Nateyah McLeod, who attended the celebration. “Their success is a testament to the power of perseverance, education, and community support. I am committed to helping each student achieve anything they set their minds to because these students are our future, and they need the support of their community.”

In addition to earning a GED, John, Elisha, and another program participant worked with McLeod and her YAP® team to complete a 10-week, evidence-based Peaceful Alternatives to Tough Situations (PATTS) curriculum, developed to help youth deal with conflict resolution in a nonviolent way. The graduates also plan to apply for scholarships through YAP®’s Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education, which provides $1,200 for college or trade school tuition and fees or a laptop computer to eligible program participants and their parents or guardians.

John and Elisha have committed to furthering their education by enrolling in welding school, where they will gain specialized skills for a promising career in the high-demand field. McLeod said John was honored with the prestigious High Achievement Award for his outstanding commitment and exceptional progress, setting a remarkable example for his peers. Meanwhile, Elisha successfully completed his internship with the Opportunity Center.

“YAP® remains dedicated to providing youth and their families with the tools and opportunities they need to build sustainable futures,” said YAP® Regional Vice President Kimberly Brandon. “Through education, career training, and neighborhood-based program participant and family Advocate support, YAP® is making a lasting impact on young people across the region.”

Under the innovative leadership of Executive Director and Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, Henry Gonzales, the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department continues to invest in programs like the Opportunity Center and its over two-decade partnership with YAP.

For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org.

Hillsborough County, Fla. – Sir credits his Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Advocate with helping him understand the importance of leveling sports and schoolwork.

“He’s taught me about staying focused, never giving up, and balancing school with football,” Sir wrote in an essay he wrote as part of an application for the Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund Scholarship for Continuing Education. “The scholarship will help me reach that dream and keep inspiring others just like my Advocate has inspired me.”

YAP® is a national nonprofit in 33 states and Washington, D.C., providing trauma-informed services reducing the nation’s overreliance on youth incarceration, residential care, and group home foster placements. Celebrating its 50th year in 2025, YAP® partners with public systems to provide community-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to out-of-home placement.

A former Hillsborough County, Fla. program participant, Sir was paired with neighborhood-based YAP®Advocate Jalem Robinson when he was in high school. Now a student at Webber International University, Sir is one of dozens of YAP’s 2024 scholarship recipients.

“I’ve managed to keep my grades up while still playing my best on the field,” Sir wrote. “[Jalem] showed me that hard works pays off in every part of life, not just sports.”

Named after YAP®’s founder, the Tom Jeffers Fund scholarship is funded nearly 100% by employee donations. Recipients can receive the $1,200 award as tuition, job training/supplies fees, or in the form of a laptop computer. YAP® encourages current and former YAP participants and their parents or guardians, to reapply every year while pursuing their education or career training.

Scholarship in tow, Sir is pursuing sports management and wants to become a football coach someday, inspiring others just like his Advocate Jalem and his younger brother inspired him.

“[Jalem] has been a major influence on me since I have been in the program,” Sir wrote. “He helped shape who I am, not just as a player but as a person.”

Robinson said Sir is dedicated to his family, in addition to being a “compassionate individual” and “true leader,” whose selflessness and compassion contributed to his success on and off the field.

“His passion for football is matched only by his work ethic and team spirit,” Robinson wrote in Sir’s recommendation letter. “On the field, he is not only a skilled athlete but a natural leader who consistently encourages and motivates his teammates. His coaches and peers alike respect him for his discipline, perseverance, and sportsmanship.”

Sir said being awarded the scholarship is a step closer to him achieving his and his mother’s dreams.

For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

Tarrant County, TX — When Alfred Anderson retired from the NFL in 1992 after an impressive eight-year career as a Minnesota Vikings running back, he purchased a GNC franchise. He also became a substitute teacher and a Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteer mentor. A few years later, Anderson saw an ad for a job that looked like an opportunity for him to fulfill his calling to work with young people facing some of society’s toughest challenges — an Advocate with Tarrant County, Tx. Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc.

Now in its 50^th year, YAP® is a national nonprofit is in 33 states and Washington, D.C. that works with youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and other local governments to provide community-based services as an alternative to placing young people outside of their homes in residential care or corrections facilities.

Anderson learned during his job interview the difference between a YAP® Advocate and a mentor.

“That’s when I realized the YAP® Advocate job meant I would be working with justice-involved kids,” he said. “But I knew I could handle it.”

YAP® Advocates are trained to deliver the YAPWRAP® model, helping program participants see and nurture their strengths, and connecting them and their parents, guardians, and other family members with tools, including basic needs resources, to help them put their lives on a positive course.

“I told all the kids assigned to me that I had simple rules. No drinking, smoking, or cursing; and they all complied,” he said.

Anderson stayed at YAP for 7 years, almost as long as he played for the NFL.

Anderson grew up in Waco, Tx, the youngest child of five, in a Christian home. Playing quarterback, strong safety, and running back for Richfield High School, he learned the importance of discipline. He said that while he did not grow up with a father in the home, throughout high school, college, and the NFL, he had many mentors, including coaches, who helped guide him to avoid making negative life-changing decisions.

“As a kid, I dreamed of playing for the University of Houston,” he recalled. “But when I went for my recruiting trip, a couple of the players who picked me up at 8 am were drinking and smoking. I knew then that the University of Houston was not for me.”

Anderson decided instead to accept a scholarship to Baylor University, where he would play running back. He was later drafted by the Minnesota Vikings where he quickly became a fullback. He stayed with the Vikings his entire NFL career, which included two playoff stints, one of which included a National NFL Division championship game. When his time in the NFL ended, Anderson returned to Texas, settling down in Arlington where he had purchased a new home for his family. Today, Anderson is a father of three sons, two adults and one teenager at home, and a grandfather of four.

He said while some people expected him to go into coaching, he knew football was all consuming and no life for a family man.

YAP Regional Vice President, Kimberly Brandon remembers hiring Anderson for the YAP Advocate position more than two decades ago.

“Nothing ruffled his feathers; he had a very even-keeled personality,” Brandon said. “We had a high percentage of gang-involved and aspiring gang-involved youth in our program, and he had a great success rate with them.”

Brandon said Anderson used his church connections to connect families to basic needs and resources. She said contacts he met through his wife, a retired principal, helped him provide necessary support to help program participants reconnect with school.

“We did whatever it took, even made sure they had food in the house and other basic needs,” he said.

Anderson will be a part of YAP’s 2025 50^th anniversary celebration, which will include a Nov. 6 day-long 50^th Anniversary YAP Making Change Happen Summit and Awards Gala in Philadelphia. The following Saturday at the YAP national headquarters in Harrisburg, PA, the national nonprofit is hosting its 50^th Anniversary YAP Making Change Happen 5k Run/Walk and Food Truck Brunch.

Learn more about YAP® and how you can be a part of the nonprofit’s 50^th anniversary events at www.yapinc.org/50th.