YAP, Inc.The Neighborhood Advocate

Kankakee, Illinois — A successful Kankakee, Ill. business owner and family man, LaVail’s life is far from what he experienced as a child.

Growing up on Chicago’s South Side, neglect, abuse, and physical and emotional pain were the norm for him and his two sisters and eight brothers, one of them his twin brother.

“My mom was 16 when she had my twin and me. She was abused by her auntie and grandma, and she was abusive to us.”

LaVail said he was frequently exposed to violence at home and sexual abuse when he was staying nights with a relative. He said chaos was the norm.

“We were whipped with cords, irons, you name it,” he said. “We went to school like that and that’s how we got taken away.”

LaVail said when he was 11, his mother went to jail and after a short stay with a family member, he went into the foster care system. Initially, he and his twin brother were together with a Chicago family, but eventually, all of his brothers and sisters were were in different foster or group homes throughout the state. He said through Lutheran Family Services, he stayed in contact with his siblings.

“We had family visits once or twice a month,” he said.

LaVail said by age 15, he was with nine or ten foster families before ending up in a group home in Kankakee, 60 miles south of the city.

A few months later, he and some of his friends found themselves in trouble.

“We saw a running car and no driver,” he said. “We took stuff out and ended up going to jail.”

Charged with burglary, Lavail spent the next 18 months in a youth detention facility in St. Charles. When it was time for him to leave the facility, he had nowhere to call home.

“One of my aunts let me stay on her couch, but said it could only be for a short time,” he recalled.

That’s when Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. came into his life. Supported by philanthropy, the 50-year-old national nonprofit partners with youth justice, child welfare, and other systems to deliver community-based services as an alternative to incarcerating or placing youth in trouble or crisis in corrections and residential care/treatment facilities. Celebrating 20 years in Chicago, YAP®’s individual and family wraparound services adhere to principles of its unique evidence-based, unconditional caring approach. Central to the model is the nonprofit’s “no-reject, no-eject” policy.

When LaVail was in St. Charles, YAP® opened a Chicago office and partnered with Lutheran Family Services to deliver individual and family wraparound services to child welfare and youth justice-involved youth. Services included connecting kids like LaVail with kinship guardians.

YAP®’s evidence-based family-and accountability-centered services adhere to unique unconditional caring guiding principles that include a “no reject, no eject” policy. The nonprofit’s community-based employee Advocates and mental health professionals connect program participants and their parents or guardians with individualized economic, educational, and emotional needs services to help them thrive and firm their family foundation.

“When I came home, a man from the YAP® office told me about the program,” LaVail said, adding that he was skeptical at first. “Then one day, ‘Big Homie’ came. This big dude gets out of this little SUV. I ran out back, took off,” he added.

Big Homie is what LaVail affectionately called Antoine McNutt, one of YAP®’s first Chicago Advocates who delivered services to hundreds of young people before his death in 2022. LaVail said McNutt was relentless.

“He came by every day. And when I saw him roll up, I ran out back, took off, every time,” LaVail said. “Then one day when I ran out the back, he was standing right there.”

LaVail said he was terrified.

“I told him, ‘I ain’t going back to jail.,’ He said ‘I ain’t taking you to jail. I’m from YAP,’” LaVail recalled. “He told me, ‘I’m here to help,’ and then said, ‘You look hungry.’”

Not long after that they were at a nearby sandwich shop where they ate and LaVail spoke to the manager about getting him a job.

“He immediately showed me that I could trust him,” LaVail said.

Over the next few days, McNutt took him clothes shopping and eventually worked with his case worker to provide the support his aunt needed to become his guardian. In the coming months, McNutt helped LaVail and his twin brother, who was also in Kankakee, find jobs in Chicago closer to their other siblings. Through YAP’s Economic Mobility program, he also provided them with bus passes to get back and forth.

“Big Homie was thorough. He didn’t let up on you,” Lavail said. “When he saw I was hanging out with someone he didn’t feel good about, he’d tell me and would let that person know that when they were ready, he’d be there for them, too.”

LaVail remembers McNutt taking him and his twin brother to Bible study and church and encouraging them to take GED prep classes at Kennedy King College. He said along the way, McNutt found a way for them to complete classes and test to earn their high school diploma.

A pivotal moment for LaVail was when McNutt got him a part-time job sweeping and cleaning up at a Chicago barbershop.

“It was at 83^rd and Colfax. That’s when I decided I wanted to cut hair,” he said. “After some time, I talked to the barber and told him and Big Homie I want to cut hair. That same week, McNutt signed me up at Larry’s Barber College.”

Lavail said getting his life on the straight and narrow involved some obstacles and backsliding. Still McNutt never wavered.

“I had one foot in and one foot out, still smoking weed and drinking,” LaVail said. “Big Homie would send a lawyer, but he didn’t play. He was like a father, really.”

Eventually, the days in church led to LaVail committing to making positive change in his life – with no turning back.

“I got saved, turned my life over to God,” he said.

In 2017, LaVail started his own barber business, leasing a space in a Kankekee shop from an established barber who knew that people were standing in line outside Lavail’s apartment in the projects to get haircuts.

After two years, he opened three shops of his own and started a family. He is determined to give his two boys and two girls the childhood he didn’t have. He often shares stories and lessons with them from his past.

“To this day, I tell my kids stories about Big Homie,” he said.

As part of centering family values, LaVail reconnected and has reconstructed his relationship with his mother. He moved her to Kankakee not far from his home, providing an opportunity for her to be near him and her grandchildren.

Learn more about YAP and how you can support the organization’s work at www.yapinc.org.

Northern Maryland – When J’Von became a program participant with Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. in Northern Maryland he was looking for structure, accountability, and positive support to help get his future back on the right path.

“Through my involvement with YAP, I have been given the opportunity to develop better habits, take responsibility for my actions, and stay focused on my goals,” J’Von wrote. “The guidance, resources, and consistent support I have received have played a major role in helping me move in a positive direction.”

J’Von is a recipient of the Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education that supports his plans to study Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) at Lincoln Tech, a trade school. Thanks to donors – most of whom are YAP® employees – beneficiaries are eligible to apply for and receive the nonprofit’s scholarship annually. The award is $1,500 for college or trade school tuition, fees or supplies, or a laptop computer. The unique Endowment Fund also received generous donations from the YAP® Board of Directors and other contributors.

A national nonprofit, 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. YAP® Advocates are trained to provide intensive mentoring that helps youth realize their strengths while connecting them and their parents with economic, emotional and educational resources to firm their foundation and help them succeed.

Since November 2025, 18-year-old J’Von has been involved with YAP® Northern Maryland’s Youth Justice Program, where he was connected with a community-based Advocate and other staff who helped guide him into making better decisions after he got into some trouble. J’Von’s former Advocate said he also started attending church, going to the gym regularly, and is actively seeking employment as he understands the benefits of becoming independent, making an effort and taking accountability.

“[YAP staff] have supported me emotionally, physically, and financially on a daily and weekly basis,” J’Von wrote in his Endowment essay. “The program has helped me grow into a more disciplined and motivated young man.”

J’Von also earned valuable skills through YAPWORX® the organization’s workforce development program, which is designed for young people who face employment barriers helping them to earn a paycheck as they acquire job training skills.

“As part of his involvement in YAPWORX, J’Von successfully fulfilled court-ordered requirements, including paying off his restitution,” YAP® Northern Maryland Administrative Manager Jasmine Sawyers wrote in her recommendation letter for J’Von. “He approached this responsibility with consistency, accountability, and a willingness to grow. Throughout the process, he remained receptive to guidance, met expectations, and demonstrated a strong commitment to making positive choices and moving forward.”

Sawyers described J’Von as a consistent and focused person with “strong character, accountability, and a clear commitment to his future.”

“J’Von is a respectful, patient, and cooperative young man who engages well with both staff and peers,” Sawyers wrote. “He contributes to a positive environment and carries himself with maturity. His work ethic is evident not only in how he shows up, but in how he follows through. He is intentional about building a better future for himself.”

J’Von said he is fully committed to excelling at Lincoln Tech.

“I intend to remain focused, dedicated, and disciplined in my coursework, and I am confident that I will succeed in my HVAC program,” he added. “I am highly motivated to pursue this field because it offers a stable, in-demand career that will allow me to build a better future for myself and family.”

For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org. To make a contribution to the Endowment Fund, click here.

Monroe County, NY – Former Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. participant Sean says his Advocate had such an impact on his life that he still remembers her fondly five years later.  

“I saw her at least three times a week,” Sean said, recalling his time with YAP®. “She took me to a lot of places like the lake, beach and parks. Before YAP, I was really closed off, but my Advocate helped me a lot with that.”

In 2021, Sean was a program participant in YAP® Monroe County’s Child Welfare program when he was in the foster care system. YAP® Monroe County works with youth ages 12-18 who are either involved or at-risk of being in the youth justice or are in the child welfare system and provides them with an Advocate who supports them with development at home, in school, and their communities.

YAP® is a national nonprofit that collaborates with community and public systems backed by philanthropic funders to deliver four signature programs: Youth and Family Empowerment, Bringing Systems Change, Global Capacity Building, and Investing in Economic Mobility. YAP®’s decades of service include working with many young people whose histories include serious offenses, multiple arrests, and lengthy out-of-home placements.

Sean, who was 16 while enrolled with YAP® and will be 22 years-old in October, now has his own apartment, along with being sober for almost two years. His story includes sexual assault, domestic violence and being sex trafficked. He suffers from severe Post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

“I’ve been through it all,” he said. “I think it’s very important especially for kids who have the same background as mine, to learn what it’s like to turn their lives around, to enjoy life and learn life skills.”

Sean’s Advocate no longer works for YAP® and has relocated. To support YAP®’s policy and fund development efforts, Sean has joined the YAP® Alumni Ambassadors program. YAP Alumni Ambassadors is dedicated to former program participants and their parents/guardians or other family members who give back by speaking about how their YAP® experience empowered them to put their lives on a positive path.

“My Advocate definitely motivated me to look at bigger life goals outside of foster care,” Sean added. “I learned a lot from her in addition to what community resources are available to me and about communication skills.”

Through it all, Sean says that YAP® allowed him to be somewhat of a youth again through activities he was able to experience while in the program.

“I just want to advocate for others who may be going through something similar,” he said. “I want others to know they are not alone.”

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

*YAP is using a different name of the former program participant to protect his identity.

Lackawanna County, PA — For the first time in a long time, Katelyn sees a bright future for her son, Ben.

“He’s 13-years old and has autism. He’s a big strong farm boy, but emotionally he’s a child. I was worried he was going to stay home on my sofa forever,” she said. “Now he’s more willing to meet people. He’s way more confident now. He has so much potential.”

Katelyn said the change began about a year ago when Ben began to receive behavioral health services at home from Bonnie Bower.

“We’ve gone through many therapists and workers over the years and it’s usually just, ‘Yes’ or ‘Uh huh.’ Or he’ll sit at the table and cry and carry on,” she said. “But Bonnie just gets right in there. She’s into his space and heart. She’s kind to him and doesn’t make him feel pressured. She’s understanding and can also be stern,” Katelyn added.

Bower is a Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®) Inc. mobile mental health professional delivering services to youth throughout Lackawanna County, often in rural communities. YAP is a donor-supported national nonprofit that partners with justice, child welfare, mental health, education, and public safety systems to deliver community-based services an alternative to youth incarceration and residential treatment. YAP’s mental health services are driven by principles of the nonprofit’s 50-year-old evidence-based youth justice model, which includes unconditional caring, and a no reject, no-eject policy.

YAP’s family-centered, accountability-focused model is what drew Bonnie to the donor-supported nonprofit 13 years ago. At the time, she was 70 years old.

“I didn’t go to college till I was 41. By then, I had been married, had worked in the food business, and had ended up single,” she said. “I went on to get my master’s and graduated in ‘94.”

With Bower’s education comes with a wealth of life experiences, including a divorce and raising two adult children, much of the time on her own. Now 83, she says she’s “a straight shooter” when it comes to working with kids and their parents and guardians.

“When I get a family, I sit them down and say straight out, I’m here to help you and we have a whole treatment team, and you need help or we wouldn’t be here,” Bower said. “I tell them there are going to be times when you’re not going to like me, I’m going to hit raw nerves, treatment is painful. There are going to be times when it’s not going to be easy,” she added.

True to the YAP service delivery model, Bower’s youth and family treatment plans focus on the strengths of program participants and their parents and guardians. She connects them to tools to nurture their gifts and talents and to firm their family foundation.

“The treatment plan might include a bubble bath for mom,” she said.

Bower also believes in balance for herself. She spends her free time traveling, with friends enjoying an occasional martini “stirred, not shaken and served in the right stemmed glass,” she said. Or she’s relaxing at home with Telsa, a large and clingy cat named after one of her favorite rock bands.

Bower’s background includes stints as a substitute teacher and a variety of social services positions including a Scranton, PA nonprofit serving children, adolescents, and adults with behavioral, emotional, or developmental challenges. One of her co-workers there was Denise Shandra, who now works for YAP as Bower’s Program Director.

“I have always respected Bonnie as a true social worker; with her program participants’ and their families’ total wellbeing as her utmost concern,” Shandra said. “She is fantastic at assuring all possible community resources are connected with the family. Bonnie is the definition of above and beyond.”

Bower also worked at an organization specializing in substance use disorders and for 11 years, she provided services at a locked facility for youth offenders.

“I loved that job. The kids I worked with there were from D.C., Baltimore, Philly. I worked with their families too.,” Bower said adding that she cared deeply for the individuals she served. “I didn’t take any nonsense from these kids, but I have a different style, and it works. Ninety-seven percent of those kids were trafficked. The girls I worked with were either snatched off the street or coerced. Some of their stories were horrendous.”

When Bower learned about YAP, especially its outcomes with young people who might have otherwise been in a corrections or residential care or treatment facility, she knew the national nonprofit was where she would do her best work. Her experiences taught her that the best way to serve young people is to empower them with tools to see and nurture their best qualities while also connecting their families with individualized support tools. The principles of the YAP model align with who Bower is and she is still as excited about the job as she was when she first started.

Eleven-year-old Joslyn said before working with Bower, she would throw desks when she was frustrated and would talk back when a teacher instructed her to do assignments she didn’t like.

“I feel like I tell her what I feel like is important. She actually listens and helps me do better things,” Joslyn said in describing her experience with Bower. “I feel like there’s a big difference; I’m following my parents’ rules, and I don’t get attitude that much. I feel like I’m going to do good in the future. I see myself playing soccer,” she added.

Joslyn said she had just brought home a permission slip to join her school’s 7^th grade soccer club next year.

“We talked about it,” her mother said. “And the answer is yes.”

Bower said she begins by building a relationship with the young person. She also listens to the young person’s parents and guardians and works hard to build a bond with them as well.

“If I hook onto something that I can relate to, that’s a good thing,” she said. “For example, with one kid I remember struggling to get the dad on board. Then one day, he told me about his wedding and said they played something from Ozzy Osbourne. That’s when I told him that I’m also into heavy metal and that I really like Alice In Chains. That was our connection.”

Katelyn said Bower connects with her son in a similar fashion.

“She asks me about him, what he’s interested in. Bonnie’s good at asking me what works for him and putting it into play,” she said, adding that she has success getting him to open up while doing the things he loves.

“They go out to the farm together and she watches him and talks to him while he shovels and cleans up,” she said. “He also loves to bake and cook with her. Lots of times she has a project she’ll bring over.”

Katelyn said Ben attends a special school but that he joined a competitive swim league with kids his age from the general population and she’s seeing glimmers of hope in his attempts for social interaction.

“He’s more willing to try. All day long he’s down there without Mom and Dad. Now he’s in the 13-18 group,” she said. “Your race is only three minutes, but he’s sitting with those big guys on the bleachers for six hours. He’s learning how to be more comfortable with being friendly with the older kids.”

Katelyn is encouraged by Ben’s willingness to work with Bower and is impressed watching him cooperate with her, even taking time to answer questions to assess his anxieties and other challenges.

“I’m trying to make his world as big as possible,” she said. “I’m hoping he’ll be able to connect with supported employment,” she said. “He wants to work he can do the work, and now I’m hopeful he’ll be able to connect with someone who can help him be successful out there.”

Bower stays in contact with the young people and families sometimes years after they complete services. She encouraged one grandmother to enroll in and complete college and continues to encourage when she doubts herself in her first weeks in a new job.

She was also there for a program participant whose mother left town to live with a new boyfriend only to return weeks later when things didn’t work out. The youth stopped going to school until Bower restarted services and found a therapist for the mom as well. He’s back in school and is focused on entering a trade school.

Bower believes encouragement is one of the keys to her success.

“Celebrating accomplishments is important. I’ll take cake and ice cream and do things like that. When you celebrate, children feel it’s a rite of passage,” she said.

As for Bower’s future, she is working to complete requirements to become a licensed behavioral consultant.

No doubt, there will be standing room only at her celebration party followed by time with friends and a martini, served in a stemmed glass, and of course, stirred, not shaken.

Learn more about YAP and how you can support the donor-funded nonprofit at www.yapinc.org.

By Patrick Young

YAP®’s Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development

One of the most important ways to reduce violence is to increase access to real, meaningful employment opportunities. When people can see a pathway forward, they move differently. They think differently. They choose differently.

“That was the heart of my message as a selected Peace Fellow with Wisdom Projects (formally, Wisdom Projects, Inc., an over 15-year-old 501(c)(3) community-led nonprofit organization in East Baltimore devoted to violence prevention) during the 2026 Peace Fellow Gathering on April 30 during National Reentry/National Second Chance Month. 

“Based in Baltimore, Md., Wisdom Projects has six programs for youth and families aged 5-85 including: 1. A STEM and Healing Arts Peacemaking afterschool program; 2. A Youth Peacemakers Workforce Development Program; 3. A Parent Peacemakers Workforce Development Program; 4. A Summer Peace Day Camp with the McKim Center; 5. Planet Protectors Laboratories for Environment Justice; and 6. Weekly Conflict Resolution Education and Services. These programs integrate community organizing, peace education, STEM, environmental justice, visual arts, and healing.

I had the opportunity to sit with youth and parent peacemakers and walk through what those pathways actually look like today. Not theory, not motivation alone, but real strategies for growth in a changing workforce.

We talked about new approaches to opportunity, how workforce development is evolving, and how preparation now has to include not just skills, but mindset, exposure, and access.

I shared how, through my work with Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®) – a national nonprofit located that partners with child welfare, justice, mental health, and education systems to provide services that are a safer, more effective, and less costly alternative to youth incarceration and other out-of-home placement – we are building those pathways in real time.

Programs like YAPWORX® and YAP® Supported Work are made possible through partnerships with community employers and volunteers.

YAPWORX®
A modern workforce readiness model designed to prepare individuals for today’s economy, blending real-world skills, mindset development, and future-focused learning. The program provides job skills and a positive work habit curriculum designed for individuals who face barriers to employment.

YAP® Supported Work
Creating immediate, paid work experiences that allow participants to build confidence, gain exposure, and develop habits that lead to long-term 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.

These are not just programs. They are bridges.

Bridges from uncertainty to stability.

From survival to growth.

From potential to purpose.

What made the discussion so powerful was the timing. During National Second Chance Month, the conversation carried even more weight. We were not just talking about opportunity; we were talking about access to a second chance, and what it truly takes to make that chance count.

The young people leaned in. The parents asked real questions. The room felt honest, engaged, and ready.

That is what I appreciate most about Wisdom Projects. They are intentional. They are creating space for truth, for growth, and for transformation rooted in peace, healing, and justice.

I left encouraged and grateful.

Because if we are serious about reducing violence, we have to be just as serious about increasing opportunity.

And in rooms like this, you can see that the future is being built in real time.

I love Wisdom Projects.

Patrick Young serves as YAP®’s Vice President of Workforce and Economic Development. For more information on YAP®, visit yapinc.org.

Harrisburg, Pa. – Thanks to the generosity of a national nonprofit’s employees and others, J received money to purchase books for college, Ashley got a new laptop, and Breanna and Jose received tuition assistance.

All four are recipients of the Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education, open to current and former program participants or their parents and guardians who have benefitted from services provided by Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc. Thanks to donors – most of whom are YAP® employees – beneficiaries are eligible to apply for and receive the nonprofit’s scholarship annually. The award is $1,500 for college or trade school tuition, fees or supplies, or a laptop computer. 

“YAP is proud to provide support to program participants and their family members who need help paying for college, technical education, books, or other supplies and a new laptop,” said Patty Rosati, YAP® Endowment Board President and Chief Impact Officer. “This work is extremely meaningful to me, and it is fulfilling to take some of the burden away for young people and adults who are chasing their dreams.”

A national nonprofit, 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. YAP® Advocates are trained to provide intensive mentoring that helps youth realize their strengths while connecting them and their parents with economic, emotional and educational resources to firm their foundation and help them succeed.

Recent Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund Awardees Include:

Ashley – Parent of a former YAP® Harris County, Texas Behavioral Health program participant

Ashley’s son was enrolled in YAP®’s Harris County, Texas program. Ashley is now enrolled at Houston Christian University.

“Through our involvement with YAP, we have received incredible support, especially from [Advocate] Benjamin Burum, who has been a tremendous help in addressing both school and behavioral challenges,” Ashley wrote in her Endowment essay. “Since beginning the program, I have truly seen a positive change in my son, and I pray that his growth continues. YAP has not only supported my son but has also strengthened our family as a whole.”

With the help of Burum, a YAP® Advocate and Qualified Mental Health Professional, Ashley said her son has made improvements in his behavior. With the help of YAP®’s Endowment Fund, Ashley plans to graduate from college and become a minister.

“Ms. Ashley shared that having a new laptop would significantly support her ability to complete her current online coursework and continue working toward her degree,” Burum wrote in his recommendation letter for Ashley. “Given her commitment to personal growth, her dedication to supporting her son, and her ongoing efforts to improve her family’s future, I believe she would be an excellent candidate to receive assistance through the Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund.”

J – Parent of a former YAP® North Arkansas Behavioral Health Program Participant

J is the parent of a program participant who was enrolled in YAP® Arkansas’ Behavioral Health program and is a second time recipient of the Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund. She received her first scholarship from the Endowment Fund in May of 2025.

“One year ago, I was working three jobs, starting school, and in the process of a divorce,” J wrote in her Endowment essay. “Today, I am proud to say that since my last essay, the divorce was called off, I have been able to go from working three jobs to only needing to work one, I was saved and baptized, and despite all the negative aspects that have been thrown my way, I have been able to overcome all obstacles and still maintain a 3.9 GPA.”

J is currently enrolled in DeVry University and is on track to graduate in August. Since last year, she has found a better job with an increased salary and her children have been able to take part in extracurricular activities such as cheer and archery.

“I have drive, ambition, and am resilient to anything life throws at me,” J wrote. “Having the Endowment Fund awarded helped take some of the stress off me financially during this time. I am eternally grateful for all of the funding that has been previously provided.”

Breanna – Former YAP® Morris/Sussex County, NJ Behavioral Health Program Participant

Breanna is a former program participant of YAP Sussex County, NJ Behavioral Health program and is in her third semester at Sussex County Community College where she is majoring in Human Services in the hope of becoming a social worker. She was awarded a laptop from the Endowment Fund in 2025 and received tuition in the 2026 funding cycle.

“Youth Advocate Programs has helped me become the person I am today and push for my goals that I did not believe were achievable,” Breanna wrote her Endowment essay. “I am interested in the scholarship money toward my education to help me pay for my education.”

Jose – Former YAP® Clark County, Nev. Youth Justice Program Participant

Once homeless and living in a park, Jose credits YAP® and his Advocate for helping him change his life and mindset.

“My [YAP Advocate] encouraged me to think beyond my immediate circumstances and helped me build the confidence I needed to pursue a career,” Jose wrote in his Endowment essay. “With her support, I transitioned into a shelter and began focusing on my education.”

Today, Jose is a student at Northwest Vista College finishing his prerequisite coursework.

His goal is to enter a nursing program at San Antonio College to earn his associate degree in nursing.

“This scholarship would allow me to continue my education without interruption,” Jose wrote. “I am determined to finish my degree, and this support would be the bridge I need to stay in school and reach my goal of becoming a nurse.”

For more information about the Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund, click here or about YAP, visit yapinc.org. To contribute to the Endowment Fund, click here.

Shelby County, Tenn. – At 11 years old, “J,” a program participant of Youth Advocate Programs (YAP®), Inc., Shelby County, Tenn., had already been exposed to violence in his South Memphis community and hadn’t been attending school regularly.

“Before entering the juvenile justice system, ‘J’ found himself drawn to the fast money and survival-driven mindset of the streets,” said Shelby County Juvenile Court Youth Development Specialist Tracy Steele who was the first person to work with ‘J.’ “Over time, school became less important, and he was truant for two years. For ‘J,’ it wasn’t just about skipping school, it was about surviving in an environment that shaped his choices.”

Through a partnership with Shelby County Juvenile Court, YAP® Shelby County’s Youth Justice Program started in 2025 serving young people involved in the justice system between the ages of 12-18. Aligned with its unique evidence-based wraparound services model, YAP® hires Advocates who engage with program participants for 9 hours weekly providing them with individual and family wraparound support. As part of the program, youth can attend weekly group Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS) sessions designed to address violence-related trauma.

“’J’ was also the first youth enrolled in YAP in Memphis,” Steele added. “Through this program, he has gained more than guidance, he has developed life skills, structure, and, most importantly, meaningful connections with positive male role models who have shown up for him in ways he had never experienced before.”

In addition to Steele, who helped register ‘J’ for school, he was paired with YAP® Advocate Lance Lester, who said he built a rapport with him and his family.

“It’s nice to see him be a kid again,” Lester said. “He has a charisma about him that pulls people in. He is funny, kind and lighthearted.”

Lester said he checks on ‘J’ daily to make sure he is attending school, making good choices, and chats with his grandmother and mother.

“We go places and he helps me with school,” ‘J’ said of Lester. “It’s nice having someone to talk to and share things with. It’s a good program.”

The pair have been to the library, on walks and other activities. Today, ‘J’ is finishing up the seventh grade. ‘J’ is described as a leader and survivor among his peers.  

“Despite still living in the same environment that once taught him how to survive, ‘J’ is now choosing a different path,” Steele added. “He is learning from his past, making better decisions, and actively working toward a brighter future as a successful young African American man.”

YAP® is a national nonprofit in 32 states and the District of Columbia that partners with youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and public safety systems to provide community-based services as an alternative to youth incarceration, congregate residential placements, and neighborhood violence. YAP Shelby County can provide services annually to 30 participants.

“’J’ is that number one participant who has a spot in my heart and pushes me to do the work that we do,” Lester said. “He motivates me to understand our ‘why’ and I am so grateful to be part of YAP and to the be a part of his village.”

For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

*YAP is protecting the privacy of the program participant due to his age.

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.