YAP, Inc.The Neighborhood Advocate

Now a nineteen-year-old college student studying graphic design, Nikolas appreciates the magnitude of a choice he made when he was in high school.

“I was in my sophomore year, and a friend told me about a program where he thought I could get a job,” Nikolas said.

The program was Choose to Change®, a philanthropy-supported Chicago Public Schools partnership with Brightpoint and Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc., a national nonprofit celebrating 20 years in Chicago. Brightpoint provides in-school weekly cognitive behavioral therapy sessions. YAP delivers intensive individual and family wraparound services based on its 50-year-old evidence-based alternative-to-youth incarceration model. University of Chicago Crime and Education Labs evaluators find Choose to Change is resulting in a 48% reduction in violent crime arrests among some of Chicago’s highest risk youth. 

Nikolas grew up on Chicago’s West Side and after learning about Choose to Change, worked immediately with his guidance counselor to enroll.

“I always had a pretty good sense of right and wrong,” Nikolas said, acknowledging, however, that “I could have been at the wrong place at the right time.”

He also faced some complex challenges at home.

“I never lashed out. That’s not who I am,” he said. “But I felt strong emotions at that time.”

As part of Choose to Change, Nikolas participated in one of the paid workforce development services YAP offers for young people facing barriers to employment.

“We met in the library and learned a lot about job readiness and how to manage money,” he said. Nikolas received a weekly attendance stipend. “A lot of times, they also gave us a meal,” he recalled.

YAP Advocate Theresa Wright said she was impressed by Nikolas’ intelligence and interest in the sessions. She observed some other things, too.

“I noticed that Nikolas didn’t have much when it came to clothing. And when we had meals, he would take a lot of food,” she said. “It was clear that he was very hungry.”

She would soon learn that his meals at school were often all he ate in a day.

 “I was also taking food home for my brother,” Nikolas said.

 As a YAP Advocate, Wright was charged with connecting youth to opportunities to nurture their strengths, talents, and interests while also getting to know their parents or guardians. Wright learned that Nikolas’ single mother worked full-time for a big box retail chain. But meeting her seemed impossible.

“Every time I took Nikolas home, I’d ask if I could meet her, but she was never there,” Wright said.

Concerned, she swung by the house one evening on her way home from work.

“I was walking up to the door as a woman was approaching from a neighbor’s house,” Wright said. “She asked me if she could help me.”

 Wright said she noticed that the woman was not well.

“I introduced myself and she said, ‘I’m Nicole, Nikolas’ mom. He told me a lot about you,’ and she invited me to come in.”

Wright said it was apparent during that visit and others that followed that Nicole cared a great deal for her children, but that the family was struggling.

 “There was a lot going on,” she said. “There was hardly any furniture in the house and no food in the refrigerator. And one time, it looked like someone had tried to kick down the front door.”

Nicole said after a few weeks, she began to trust Wright and told her what was going on.

“I told her I was using. I told her everything,” Nicole said. “And she didn’t judge me at all.”

Wright said Nicole was still going to work and she was leaning on a trusted neighbor to help her with the boys. But the addiction consumed household resources. Through YAP’s Investing in Economic Mobility program, Wright began buying groceries for the family. At the same time, she shared information with Nicole about treatment.

 “I didn’t want her to feel less than. I loved her and knew she was doing the best she could,” Wright said. “But I didn’t want to ignore that she and the boys needed her to be healthy.”

 Nikolas said Wright’s presence made an enormous difference.

“She took my brother and me to activities. She made sure we ate and got to school, and she also took us to get clothes,” Nikolas said. “She helped me not worry.”

When Nikolas completed Choose to Change at the end of his sophomore year, Wright arranged for him to be a part of a summer YAP Supported Work program where he would continue receiving paychecks from the nonprofit. In the months that followed during Nikolas’ junior year, Wright periodically checked on him and his mother.

Nicole said during that time, she was arrested and on a judge’s order, completed a drug treatment program.

 “I’ll never forget that towards the end of Nikolas’ junior year, Nicole texted me some of his prom pictures and asked if she could come and meet me at the school,” Wright said. “When she showed up, I couldn’t believe it. She looked so pretty, and so happy and healthy. I was happy for her.”

Nicole said she recently celebrated three and a half years of being clean.

 “I hate that my boys saw me that way,” she said, thinking back to when they were little. “When you’re in treatment, you understand what you need and that you’re on a journey that will never end. I’m always going to need a sponsor,” she added.

Nicole said both Nikolas and his brother are now thriving and she is grateful to Theresa, Choose to Change, and YAP for being there to provide support to the entire family when they needed it most.

Learn more about YAP at YAPInc.org.

Alameda County, Calif.  – Dorian Glover said one of Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Alameda County’s biggest success stories is of a participant who has housing challenges but still goes to school and work every day.  

“This youth, despite being homeless and everything he is dealing with, is still engaged in school and wants to do the right thing,” Glover said. “His resiliency has been amazing. He stays at home and does not get into trouble. We have to remember that at the end of the day these are still kids.”

YAP®’s Alameda County program participants are young people ages 14-21 who are on probation and referred to the nonprofit by Alameda County Probation Department as an alternative to incarceration and residential facilities. YAP® assigns the youth to a staff Advocate who delivers family-centered, accountability-focused, strength-based services. Working with probation officers, YAP® staff create an individualized service plan for participants, connecting them and their parents/guardians or other family members with individualized economic, emotional and educational support tools.

“I can say the one thing that [YAP] does differently than other organizations is supporting youth and their families,” Glover said. “I think the family piece is a big thing.”

Through the nonprofit’s donor supported Investing in Economic Mobility program, participants and their family receive assistance with housing, workforce development, utilities, tuition and other basic needs resources.

“When youth leave us, they have somewhere to go within the community or they know where to find someone who can connect them to what they need,” Glover added.

Glover has led YAP® Alameda County since November 2025 and has a passion for working with youth. Prior to YAP®, he worked with young people across the bridge in San Francisco County, and previously worked with adults who had been systems involved.

“I was looking to be challenged in a different way, so I took the leap of faith to work with YAP,” Glover said. 

Located near the Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, YAP® Alameda County has a spacious office where program participants feel welcome to attend group sessions, meet with their Advocate or other participants, play video games, relax, or play basketball.  

“As I spend more time with YAP, there are so many different reasons why this program works,” Glover added.

With four employee Advocates, YAP® Alameda County has 15 program participants, but can service up to 25 at any time. YAP®’s Alameda County Program Coordinator Christopher Neal, who started as a part-time Advocate, said the team isn’t large, but is close-knit and supportive of the youth and families they serve.

“Providing wraparound support, in addition to having Advocates from the area, helps us to be able to relate to youths,” Neal said. “Youth have an opportunity to engage with one another and we collaborate with other organizations that helps us to provide even more support to our youth.”

YAP® is a national nonprofit in 32 states and Washington, D.C., that partners with youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and other systems to provide community-based alternatives to youth incarceration and other congregate residential placements. 

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

New Brunswick, N.J. – Through collaborations, Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Middlesex County, New Jersey’s Community Anti-Violence (CAVP) program participants have a better understanding of math thanks to the help of a mathematician.

Luis Vazquez, also known as “The Professor,” tutored 15 YAP® NJ CAVP participants for 90 minutes recently.

“Anytime my brother [YAP NJ CAVP Program Director Emanuel Shumate] calls me, I’m there,” Vazquez said. “I believe in the work of YAP. We are all in this together.”

YAP® NJ’s CAVP is a five-county New Jersey Community-Based Violence Prevention Program aimed at reaching youth who at the highest risk of engagement in violence. The program serves young people ages 12-18 in Atlantic, Camden, Essex, Middlesex, and Ocean counties who may have behavior/mental health related issues, or need extra help navigating their teenage years.

A national nonprofit in 32 states and Washington, D.C., YAP® delivers community-based services as an alternative to placing young people in corrections or residential care facilities. YAP® Advocates or Credible Messengers are trained to deliver the nonprofit’s evidence-based YAPWrap® services model, which empowers program participants to see and nurture their strengths and connects them and their parents/ guardians, and other family members with tools to help them put their lives on a positive course. 

Providing program participants with economic, emotional and educational tools is part of the YAPWrap® model. As part of the program, young people can attend weekly group Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS) sessions designed to address violence-related trauma. Shumate, who is also a former educator, says he and staff stress the importance of academics to the youth they serve.

“I am so appreciative,” Shumate said of Vazquez. “He asks no questions when asked to help. We used to work together as teachers. He will drop what he is doing to make sure he is there for the kids.”

YAP® NJ CAVP Program Participant Testimonials:

“I enjoyed having Mr. V as a tutor. He helped a lot with my project and he was funny too. It was so much fun having his help. He showed good examples and explained how to solve them.”

– Aleshka

“I really appreciate Mr. Vaz for coming and tutoring us. He made it really easy to understand how to do the work and apply the steps to get answers.”  

– Emily

“It was really easy to understand what Mr. Vaz was saying to us. He didn’t yell at us for not understanding. He is a very good math tutor.”

– Ester

“Mr. Vaz had amazing energy which grabbed my attention. He made me want to learn Algebra. Mr. Vaz was able to break the math down which made me understand it even more.”

 – Jasmine

“I think Mr. Vaz was extremely knowledgeable and helpful when it came to my Algebra 2. He was understanding and showed me a faster way to do my math. I think he’s one of those rare teaches who really knows how teenagers brains work.” 

– Mia

“I think the professor is funny and he teaches well. It was easy for me to understand.”

– Romeo 

This is the third YAP® CAVP cohort Vazquez has tutored.

“This is a special thing we can use to our advantage to make sure [program participants] getting the results they need,” Shumate added. “This is a special thing that works for the youths advantage to make sure they’re getting the math results they need.”

For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

Travis County, Texas – When Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Travis County, Texas Advocate Jonathan Flagg began working with a program participant he asked him the question he asks all of the young people upon first meeting them.

“What do you want your story to look like? Do you want to be defined by what you’re going through or do you want to be defined by your progress? I sit down with youth and their families and then with youth alone to gain a better understanding of everyone’s needs,” Flagg said.

YAP® Travis County, Texas’ Child Welfare program partners with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to provide youth and families with wraparound support, connecting them to economic, emotional and educational needs tools. A national nonprofit in 32 states and Washington, D.C., YAP® delivers community-based services as an alternative to placing young people in corrections or residential care facilities.

Then 15, the youth was classified by the Texas child welfare system as a “child without placement.” Having some trouble at home, the young person was not attending school regularly and had anger issues. Today, Flagg said the program participant has taken ownership of his choices, attends school regularly and is involved in extracurricular activities.

YAP® Travis County, Texas Program Director Marisa Ignacio said Flagg played an important role in the young person’s life.

“When [the young person] came into the program, it was clear he was carrying more than most kids his age should have to experience,” Ignacio said.“What made the difference was the relationship he built with [Flagg] who didn’t try to force change. [Flagg] just kept showing up, listening, and meeting [the youth] where he was at. Knowing that [Flagg] played such an important role in helping [the youth] reach stable placement is something we’re all proud of.”

The program participant’s caseworker, Kellee Captain, said over time she witnessed a “remarkable shift,” in the youth who initially was placed in a residential facility before being placed in kinship care. Flagg worked alongside the young person and his family for six months supporting him and gaining a better understanding of his needs.

“Mr. Flagg created a safe, nonjudgmental space where [the youth] felt heard and accepted,” Captain said. “Slowly, [the youth] began opening up about his anger, his trauma, and the challenges he was facing. For the first time, [the program participant] had a consistent adult who showed up for him, advocated for him, and met him where he was emotionally.”

YAP® Advocates are trained to deliver the signature individual and family YAPWRAP® service model. They provide youth individualized services outside of the home including support with school, help finding a job, connecting them to therapy, and supporting families financially. Flagg consistently met his program participant, transported him to family visitations, participated with him in activities like walks, and even assisted with long-distance transportation to see extended family during the holidays.

“YAP was the single most stabilizing factor in this youth’s success,” Captain said. “Without the consistent, trusted support of his Advocate, [the youth] would have been at high risk for placement disruption and continued trauma. The YAP model provided more than mentoring—it provided continuity, advocacy, and emotional safety during one of the most difficult periods of [the young person’s] life.”

Captain, Ignacio, and Flagg are extremely proud of the strides the program participant has made during his time with YAP® and are excited to see his story shaping up to be one of triumph.

“He has done amazing,” Flagg added. “He is not blaming anyone anymore. He is a straight A student now and his attitude has completely changed. He is a new person.”

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

*In order to protect the program participant’s privacy, YAP® is not disclosing his name or using his image.

Mecklenburg County, N.C. – Supported by generous donors and partners, members of Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Baltimore and Charlotte Community-Based Violence Intervention teams met up to exchange best practices on reducing neighborhood violence. 

YAP® Alternatives to Violence (ATV) is a partnership with the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. YAP® is one of two nonprofits working with city and county partners to mediate conflicts, prevent escalation and connect high-risk individuals and their families with housing, mental health, education and employment resources. YAP® Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) program is an initiative of the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE). YAP® is one of two nonprofits connecting Baltimoreans at the greatest risk of violence engagement to life-changing resources.

“We’re doing incredible work,” said Southeast Executive Vice President LaVeisha Cummings who oversees both YAP® ATV and YAP® GVRS programs. “We are interrupting violence and we are saving lives with both teams in the four locations that we’re serving; two in Baltimore and two at the Charlotte sites.”

Meeting in Charlotte, the violence reduction practitioners shared success stories and discussed their boots on the ground approaches. The nonprofit’s Baltimore GVRS team accompanied its ATV teams to West Charlotte High School, canvassed neighborhoods together. They also visited both Charlotte offices and shared how wraparound support with literacy initiatives, a community closet, mentorship, gaming, and sports and other activities reduce the risk of violence among youth and adults who are at the greatest risk of engagement. Activities hosted by GVRS and ATV teams are used to facilitate increased buy-in from participants.

A national nonprofit in 32 states and Washington, D.C., YAP® partners with juvenile justice, child welfare, and behavioral health entities. In recent years, the organization has also partnered with local public safety systems using its community-based model as part of cities to reduce violence.

YAP® ATV Outreach Worker Tomicia Gray shared how she uses social engagement as an avenue to support young women to help them feel seen and heard. She said many of the program participants have experienced violence or sexual assault.

“What we provide is needed,” Gray said. “We’re stronger in numbers.”

“A lot of times when we go into the schools that’s where the outreach starts, but it’s not where it finishes,” said YAP® ATV Beatties Ford Road Outreach Worker Larry Mims regarding playing video games. It just makes our outreach work a little easier, and it also helps with consistency. A lot of young people and people in general don’t have consistency in their life. So, the more consistent we can be, the more they can see us and earn our trust, it helps. We open that door with gaming.”

YAP® GVRS staff said they also use gaming to connect with youth and adults by hosting tournaments every other Friday. Being intentional about having a presence in school, recreational center and at the team office provides structure, said YAP® Maryland Regional Director Sean Robinson.

“A lot of what is being said is organic, but it’s also organized,” Robinson added. “You have school, you have the rec center and this center (ATV team office) that is structured. The game is the relational aspect. You have to have those foundations in the community, too. Baltimore is set up a little different than Charlotte, although the proximity is similar.”

GVRS Service Partnership Manager Dr. Raymond Greene-Joyner shared that, much like YAP® ATV, GVRS offers monthly engagement activities including retreats, outdoor events, recreational experiences, and other outings intentionally designed to expose participants to new opportunities and positive environments.

“I am very proud of the work YAP-GVRS has accomplished,” Greene-Joyner said. “This is a collaborative effort that involves not only service providers like YAP, but also law enforcement, community-based organizations, and key community stakeholders. It truly takes a unified approach to ensure the success of this initiative.”

YAP® ATV started in 2019 on Beatties Ford Road and expanded to the West Boulevard location in 2021. GVRS began in 2022.

For more information on YAP® and to support these and other programs, visit yapinc.org.

Harris County, Texas – Lakendra now has an updated and reliable laptop. It’s a life game changer made possible by donors to Youth Advocate Programs’ (YAP®), Inc. Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education.

“Receiving a new laptop will be a tremendous help as my current device is outdated and operates very slowly,” Lakendra wrote in her scholarship application essay. “Having reliable technology would allow me to complete assignments more efficiently as I work toward obtaining my [certified medical assistant] certification.” 

A national nonprofit in 32 states and Washington, D.C., YAP® partners with public systems to provide individual and family wraparound and mental health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis in residential care/treatment and corrections facilities.

Thanks to donors, most of whom are YAP® employees, current and former program participants and their parents /guardians are eligible to apply for and receive the nonprofit’s special scholarship annually. The award is $1,500 for college or trade school tuition, fees or supplies or can come in the form of a laptop computer. 

Lakendra’s son is a program participant with YAP® Harris County, Texas’ Behavioral Health program where a mental health professional meets him where he is to deliver individualized tools to help him live a healthy, safe, and productive life.

YAP Behavioral Health Professional Benjamin Burum says he has seen growth in Lakendra and her son.

“Throughout this process, [Lakendra] has remained cooperative, supportive, and actively involved in implementing structure and expectations within the home,” Burum said. “I have observed meaningful progress in [the program participant’s] behavior, compliance, and overall attitude; much of which can be attributed to his mother’s consistency and willingness to partner with our program.”

Before her son was connected with YAP®, Lakendra said he was struggling with peer influences, made poor decisions, and was not doing well in school.

“Despite these challenges, [my son] is a good young man who lost his way for a period of time,” she said. “Since working with his [behavioral health specialist], he has shown significant improvement. He has been a positive influence and mentor to him. [My son] is compliant, following the rules in our home, and making better choices. I truly believe this program has so much to offer my son, and I am grateful to be a part of it.”

With her new laptop in tow, Lakendra attends Northwest Educational Center. Burum said Lakendra has a strong desire to build a stable and sustainable future for her family.

“Access to a reliable laptop would significantly support her ability to complete coursework, submit assignments, and successfully progress through her program,” Burum said. “[Lakendra] is demonstrating the very type of initiative and forward momentum that the Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund is designed to support. Investing in her educational advancement will not only benefit her directly but will also positively impact her household and reinforce the stability we are working to establish.”

In addition to support from employees, the unique scholarship fund also receives generous donations from YAP® Board of Directors and other contributors. 

“Thank you for supporting me as I take these important steps toward achieving my educational and career goals,” Lakendra added. “I sincerely appreciate all that YAP has done for my family, and I look forward to continuing to grow with your support.”

Donors can support the scholarship fund here.

Preparing people who face employment barriers with job skills that will be sustainable in the future is important to Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. National Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development Patrick Young.

“You can get a job right now but why put yourself in a situation where your position will be eliminated in the next few months,” Young said. 

YAP® is a national nonprofit that partners with public systems to provide community-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to youth incarceration and residential care. With government partnerships in communities in 32 states and Washington, DC. the national nonprofit applies principles of its evidence-based youth and family services model to also help cities reduce violence. 

“I like the idea that we’re able to prepare people who face employment barriers for jobs that are not going to be non-existent in the next year,” said Young, who joined YAP® last year and has been working to expand the organization’s workforce development programs by working with employers to match the training and experience opportunities to the businesses’ future needs. 

Through partnerships with community employers and volunteers, YAPWORX® provides a job skills and positive work habit curriculum designed for individuals who face barriers to employment. YAP® Supported Work matches program participants with employers, many of them small businesses in their neighborhoods, who give young people on-the-job work experiences. Through government and philanthropic partnerships, young people receive compensation from YAP for both YAPWORX® and YAP® Supported Work. 

Young is working with the Tools of Thought team at the University of Chicago’s Education Lab to develop a Work Readiness Credential that program participants and families will receive once they complete specific YAP® workforce training.

“Our next-generation YAP® Supported Work and YAPWORX will have a credential option from the University of Chicago that acknowledges the completion of the work readiness model,” Young said. 

The YAPWORX® curriculum will offer experiences for system involved youth, those with intellectual disabilities or autism, participants’ parents, and individuals returning from correctional facilities and others at the greatest risk for violence engagement.

• YAP® youth (ages 14-24) focused on career discovery, soft skills and identify formation
• YAP® (individuals with disabilities or barriers) Offices of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) focusing on accessibility, adaptive technology and self-advocacy
• YAP® (parents and adults) focusing on economic stability, digital literacy and balance
• YAP® Reentry and Community Violence Intervention (returning citizens and credible messengers) focuses on capital rebuilding and trauma-informed employment.

“I’ve done a lot of this work in local spaces in parts and pieces and I think what I like about YAP the most so far is that there’s not a lot of pushback on my ideas, I get an opportunity to explore some of my ideas,” Young said. “It’s the ability to innovate and be inclusive, that’s what I really like.”

Prior to joining YAP®, Young served as Director of Economic Empowerment at The First 72+ and also held leadership roles with the New Orleans Business Alliance and City of New Orleans’ Mayor’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention. He is Leaders of Color Fellow and has served as a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Global Fellow.  He is a graduate of the University of Chicago’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy and Georgetown University’s New Strategies Rising Program.

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

Cook County, Ill. – Navigating her teen years, GeeGee struggled as she searched for purpose, guidance and support. Today, she’s a business administration major at Chicago’s Roosevelt University with plans to be a leader in her community.

Through a partnership with the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, GeeGee received intensive wraparound services from Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Today, she is thriving in college with financial help from the nonprofit’s Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education scholarship, funded primarily by donations from the nonprofit’s employees.

“As a young person navigating complex challenges…I often felt overwhelmed and misunderstood,” GeeGee wrote in her scholarship application. “YAP came into my life through a community referral, and from the start, it became more than just a program, it became a safe space where I was seen, heard, and supported.”

YAP® trains Advocates to help program participants and their families see and nurture their strengths and connect them with economic, educational and emotional tools that help set them up for success. GeeGee said her Advocate who provided her with guidance, and gave her a sense of community.

“…I began building real-life skills from goal setting to leadership,” GeeGee wrote. “The program helped me recognize that my story has power and that I could use my experiences to fuel positive change. YAP didn’t just help me survive; it helped me imagine a future where I could thrive and lead.”

A national nonprofit in 32 states and Washington, D.C., YAP® partners with public systems to provide evidence-based  YAPWrap® individual and family wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis in residential care and corrections facilities.

The unique Endowment Scholarship Fund helps with college tuition, job training, continuing education and fees. Recipients may also opt to receive a laptop computer or curriculum required supplies. Eligible current and former program participants and their parents/guardians may apply for and receive the scholarship annually.

“My long-term goal is to become a leader in my community, possibly even mayor, so I can advocate for justice, youth empowerment, and access to mental health support,” GeeGee wrote. “One of my biggest dreams is to open a business or a community center that supports underserved youth, giving them a place to feel safe, grow, and succeed.”

In GeeGee’s scholarship recommendation letter, her YAP® Advocate said that despite her personal challenges, she persevered, graduated high school on time, and stayed committed to her academic goals.

“Throughout the time I’ve worked with her, she has consistently demonstrated determination, maturity, and a deepening sense of purpose that make her a strong candidate for this opportunity,” GeeGee’s YAP® Advocate wrote. “This growth mindset has allowed her to build a solid foundation for success in higher education and beyond.”

GeeGee is thankful to supporters, YAP® and her Advocate.

“I’m grateful for the impact YAP has had on my life, and I’m committed to paying it forward every step of the way,” GeeGee added.

To donate to the Endowment Fund, click here or more information about YAP® can be found at yapinc.org.

Hundreds of youths and families facing basic needs and other complex challenges enjoyed a happy Thanksgiving, made possible by YAP^® staff donations and community partners, delivered by neighborhood-based Youth Advocate Programs (YAP^®), Inc. staff. Youth justice, behavioral health, child welfare, public safety and other local systems partner with YAP® to provide family/community-based services, often as an alternative to placing young people in corrections and residential care facilities.

Through philanthropic and partnerships and internal and external donations – many local YAP® program participants nationwide received Thanksgiving drives, deliveries, dinners, and giveaways.

Founded in 1975, YAP^® is the leading nonprofit provider of services that reduce the nation’s over reliance on youth incarceration, residential care, and group home foster placements. YAP^® partners with public systems to provide neighborhood-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis is residential care and corrections facilities. YAP^® also incorporates its time-tested model in its approach to deliver community violence intervention services.

YAP® Advocates are trained to deliver the nonprofit’s evidence-based YAPWrap® services model, which empowers program participants to see and nurture their strengths and connects them and their parents/ guardians, and other family members with tools to help them put their lives on a positive course. 

YAP® November Thanksgiving Review 2025

Essex/Union County, NJ

Because of the kindness of the community, 175 YAP® families received turkeys this Thanksgiving. YAP® New Jersey Lead Director Curtis Moore helped distribute the turkeys to families of YAP® program participants in Essex/Union County, New Jersey.

Dauphin County, PA

YAP’s® Dauphin County Outpatient Clinic hosted its annual Holiday Dinner Giveaway. Each year, program participants are able to sign up to receive a holiday dinner equipped with everything that they need to prepare a full course meal for themselves and their families, including a turkey, side dishes, vegetables, and dessert. YAP® staff traveled all over Harrisburg, PA (where the national nonprofit is headquartered) and surrounding areas to deliver meals to program participants and their families at home. Donations came from employees at YAP® – The Support Center (headquarters), and food distribution was coordinated by Chief Administration Officer Cliff Kubiak.

“Providing these meals allows us to build a better connection with our program participants, relieve some of their holiday stress, and give back to our community,” said YAP® Dauphin County, PA Director of Operations Keona Carter. “A very special thank you to Cliff Kubiak and his team for collecting and coordinating all of the donation boxes and many thanks to all of those that donated.”

Somerset County, PA

YAP® Somerset County, Pa. programs came together to raise funds to provide Thanksgiving meals for program participants and families. Thanks to their efforts, more than 30 families were able to enjoy a full holiday meal. Additionally, YAP® staff personally delivered the meals – that included turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuff, corn, green beans, rolls pie and cranberry sauce – to each family.

“This act of kindness truly reflects the dedication and compassion of our staff, and we couldn’t be prouder of the impact they’ve made in the community,” said YAP® Somerset County, PA Program Coordinator Jennifer Holder.

Mecklenburg County, NC

The YAP® Alternatives to Violence (ATV) – Beatties Ford Road team in Charlotte, NC, in partnership with other nonprofits, helped make sure neighbors in the Beatties Ford Road corridor received a Thanksgiving meal.

Clinton County, NY

YAP® Clinton County, NY collaborated with the MHAB Life Skills Campus, Champlain Valley Family Center, Behavioral Health Services North, NAMI Champlain Valley, and United Way of the Adirondack Region, Inc to host Annual Recovery Community Thanksgiving Day dinner that fed approximately 1,500 people.

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

Washington, D.C. – Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. hosted YAP® Global Youth Voices Storytelling Salon on Nov. 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. in celebration of the organization’s golden anniversary. The event brought together International and national leaders and community members; in addition to highlighting YAP®’s Global Art Exchange that included artwork and images by youth who have been serviced by the nonprofit.

This first ever Storytelling Salon was a joint effort between YAP® International, YAP®’s Philanthropy Department, and Sierra Leone Youth Advocate Program Executive Director Ajara Marie Bomah, said YAP® Vice President of International Development Diana Matteson.

“It was a wonderful opportunity to tell the YAP story spanning 50 years of making change happen,” Matteson said. “The global YAP story was shared with old and new YAP friends in the D.C. community with international delegates representing seven countries giving first hand accounts of impact and global collaboration.”

YAP® partners with organizations using the YAPWRAP® model in Australia – Life Without Barriers, Guatemala – Siembra Bien, YAP Programmes Ireland and Sierra Leone Youth Advocate Program SLYAP, helping to lay the groundwork for expanding the global reach of the organization.

“On behalf of the philanthropy team, I would like to recognize the collaboration of our partners, colleagues, and donors alike, for making this pilot event so successful,” said YAP® Major Gifts Officer Alexis Stone. “When passionate partners and generous donors unite, remarkable things happen.”

In addition to Bomah, YAP Programmes Ireland CEO Siobhán O’Dwyer, Siembra Bien Executive Director Gabriela Altman, along with YAP® International 2025 fellows Abdul Rahman Bangura and Ganda Bassie from Sierra Leone, Thomas Tamba Bundoo from Liberia, and Lillian Selmartin from Papua New Guinea were also in attendance. The 2025 fellows spent three months working with local YAP® youth justice programs in Texas and Illinois.

Founded in 1975, Youth Advocate Programs (YAP^®), Inc. is the leading nonprofit provider of services that reduce the nation’s over reliance on youth incarceration, residential care, and group home foster placements. YAP^® partners with public systems to provide neighborhood-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis is residential care and corrections facilities. YAP^® also incorporates its time-tested model in its approach to deliver community violence intervention services.

YAP® also hosted its Making Change Happen Summit and Gala on Nov. 6 in Philadelphia and YAP® Making Change Happen 5K and Food Truck Brunch in Harrisburg, Pa. on Nov. 8. For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

Philadelphia, Pa. – Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc., celebrated five decades of serving as the nation’s premier nonprofit provider of community-based alternatives to youth incarceration and residential care with its YAP® Making Change Happen Awards Gala on Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown. 

The event featured Judge Glenda Hatchett, star of two-time Emmy-nominated “Judge Hatchett” and “The Verdict with Judge Hatchett,” and a former Chief Judge of the Fulton County Juvenile Court in Georgia. The evening brought together youth justice, child welfare, mental health, and public safety practitioners, researchers, and former YAP® program participants. It also honored YAP® pioneers and other American changemakers, including Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott, whose work has led to stronger outcomes with safer and less costly justice, family, and public safety services. 

YAP® partners with youth justice, child welfare, education, developmental disabilities, behavioral health, and other youth and family services systems in communities in 32 states and Washington D.C. YAP®’s decades of service include working with many young people whose histories include serious offenses, multiple arrests, and lengthy out-of-home placements. For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org.

Photos and video by Keystone Productions.

Philadelphia, Pa. – Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc., hosted its YAP® Making Change Happen Summit on Thursday, Nov. 8 in downtown Philadelphia to honor its golden anniversary. The half day Summit allowed for attendees to learn from young people, families, and best practices, from leading experts, practitioners, researchers, and policy makers in child welfare, behavioral health, community safety, education, and youth justice.

Additionally, guests were able to network with individuals who are a part of the continuum of care that is the foundation of how YAP® delivers community-based services as a safer, more effective and less costly alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis in correctional or residential care facilities. Emmy-nominated actor Richard Cabral served as the Lunch Plenary Featured Speaker.

Founded in 1975, Youth Advocate Programs (YAP^®), Inc. is the leading nonprofit provider of services that reduce the nation’s overreliance on youth incarceration, residential care, and group home foster placements. YAP^® partners with public systems to provide neighborhood-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to placing young people in trouble or crisis is residential care and corrections facilities. YAP^® also incorporates its time-tested model in its approach to deliver community violence intervention services. The agency’s unique YAPWrap^® service model, capacity building, and policy work make us an innovator in transforming systems. For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

Photos and video by Keystone Productions.

Harrisburg, Pa. – On Saturday, Nov. 8, Youth Advocate Programs (YAP^®), Inc. hosted its inaugural YAP^® Making Change Happen 5k, Walk and Food Truck Brunch in Harrisburg, Pa., where the nonprofit is headquartered. The anniversary event raised awareness of YAP^® as a national change leader and raised general operating funds to support the nonprofit’s work.

After the early morning 5K at City Island, Pa., the event concluded with a conversation at YAP® headquarters with YAP® Board Member William Wachob who shared his memories of the organization’s early years. A YAP® board member since 2017, Wachob was one of the agency’s first employees. Former YAP® Philadelphia program participant and Board Member Ellana Watson also shared her story about receiving services from the nonprofit after she was arrested on assault charges as a youth. Attendees enjoyed food and family fun along with tasty breakfast and lunch choices from truck vendors including Blue Bear BBQ and Mumma’s Eats & Treats. 

YAP® partners with public systems to provide community-based rehabilitative, restorative, behavioral health, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and other services that give communities alternatives to placing young people in group care and correctional facilities. Neighborhood-based YAP® Advocates and behavioral health professionals are trained to deliver individual and family support guided by principles of the nonprofit’s unique wraparound services model. The evidence-based YAPWRAP®  model helps young people see and nurture their strengths and connects them and their families with individualized resources and support. For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

All photos by Keystone Productions.

Ben Struhl, Executive Director of the University of Pennsylvania Crime and Justice Policy Lab, will serve as a panelist at Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc.’s Nov. 6 50th Anniversary YAP® Making Change Happen Summit in Philadelphia. The Crime and Justice Policy Lab is a national and international organization working across the US and Latin America and the Caribbean. Struhl’s work involves promoting research and research-backed policies that can make communities safer and healthier.

Struhl led the team that designed and helped deliver the City of Baltimore’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy, which reduced violence in the city’s Western District by 30%, while not increasing arrests. Several years into UPenn’s partnership with the City of Baltimore, the city achieved its lowest violence periods on record over the last 50 years.

Founded in Harrisburg, PA in 1975 by Tom Jeffers, YAP® is a national nonprofit that delivers a unique unconditional caring “no reject; no eject” evidence-based service model as an alternative to incarcerating or placing young people in trouble, in crisis, or otherwise facing complex challenges in residential facilities. Neighborhood-based Advocates, outreach workers, life coaches, mental health, and other staff deliver individual and family rehabilitative and restorative services that help program participants see and nurture their strengths and connect them to individualized economic, educational, and emotional needs tools. YAP® partners with youth justice, child welfare, education, and in the past decade, public safety systems to help improve outcomes and safety and save taxpayer dollars. YAP® is one of the two City of Baltimore Group Violence Reduction Strategy nonprofit service delivery partners.

In addition to his City of Baltimore work, Struhl collaborates with a range of public safety partners in the City of Philadelphia, in an effort to use research, data, and management practices to build the capacities necessary for Philadelphia to sustain and extend the city’s violence reduction progress. Aside from Baltimore and Philadelphia, Struhl has provided advice to government leaders or conducted research studies in over twenty cities and states and in ten other countries.

Learn more about YAP® and its 50th anniversary events at YAPInc.org.