YAP, Inc.The Neighborhood Advocate

Yavapai County, Ariz. — Three Yavapai County, Arizona youths mustered the courage to stand before board members and leaders of Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc. to share stories of change – from incarceration and probation to putting their lives on a positive course, educationally, economically, and/or emotionally.

A national nonprofit in 34 states and Washington, D.C., YAP is celebrating its 50^th anniversary – five decades of giving communities safe and effective alternatives to placing young people in detention, group homes, psychiatric hospitals, and other out-of-home residential rehabilitative and treatment facilities. YAP hires and trains neighborhood-based Advocates and behavioral health professionals to empower youth with skills to see, embrace and nurture their strengths. At the same time, YAP staff connect parents, guardians, and other family members to economic, educational, and emotional tools to help program participants thrive and give back to their communities. In recent years, YAP has also worked with cities to use core principles of its YAPWRAP® individual and family wraparound services model to help curb neighborhood violence.

“I was doing stupid stuff,” one program participant told the YAP leaders. He said he went from making what he called stupid choices that landed him in trouble, mostly at school, to being on track to graduate high school in a couple of years. “I’m more able to make decisions for myself other than following someone else,” he said, adding that he’s looking forward to trade school or college.

Yavapai County Juvenile Probation Department began referring youths to YAP in 2020 after receiving a program startup grant awarded through the Safely Home Fund, a YAP partnership with Georgetown University’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform. YAP sustained Yavapai-County justice involved youth services with funding from the Arizona Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Title II Formula Grant. The Yavapai County YAP office serves additional youth and families through an OJJDP Yavapai-Apache Nation reservation grant.

“I wasn’t myself or who I was, or what I was doing,” 18-year-old Matreya told the crowd.

A new mom who brought her infant daughter with her to the luncheon, Matreya has recently returned from a youth facility to the Yavapai-Apache Nation reservation where she lives with her father and stepmother. She said communication issues at home were at the root of how she ended up in trouble and that her YAP Advocate Cami Pollard was a tremendous help in connecting her and her parents with tools to ease the strain.

 “We talk more; we know how to communicate,” Matreya said.

Matreya used her communication skills to get a job in the hotel industry and is looking forward to either growing in the hospitality business or pursuing a career in cosmetology. She’s also a budding artist and had an opportunity through YAP to explore art therapy.

“Art helps me a lot,” she said. “I like drawing flowers and butterflies.”

Like Matreya, Amilli was also in a youth facility before a judge and her probation officer sent her to YAP.

The connection strengthened her relationship with her father, who has grown closer to since returning home. She learned that like her, he struggled as a youth and had been placed in many group homes before he was an adult.

“Hearing his stories I know I get my strength from my dad; I look up to him where he started and where he’s at now,” she said.

Amilli said that through YAP, she is connecting with positive people and places and working to strengthen her relationship with her father, which is helping her see herself differently.

“No one should be ashamed of having self-compassion,” Amilli said. “Before I was like I was kind of just shutting out all my feelings and kind of pretending I care. I’m just thankful that I have all this support in my life, I have my dad but it’s good to build bonds with other people too and I’m just glad I got to do it.”

YAP Board Chair Teddy Reese was touched by the bond between Amilli and her father.

“It’s clear to see he’s the beat in your heart and that he came out and joined us today,” he said.

YAP Yavapai County Program Director Patty Delp works with local partner organizations and funders to keep the program going. She said the young people she introduced to YAP Board members and leaders are a testament to how YAP is changing the trajectory of the lives of youth, their families, and their communities.

“They’re the real deal,” she said.

Learn more about YAP at www.YAPInc.org.

Cook County, Ill. – Nineteen year-old Jaqueza remembers being presented with a holiday turkey in elementary school but did not understand the reason behind the donation.

“I was trying to figure out why me; I felt ashamed to receive that turkey; that experience stayed with me and became a turning point in my life,” Jaqueza said.  “Rather than let the feeling of shame linger, I transformed it into motivation to give back. I want to ensure other families could feel the support I once received.”

Receiving that turkey later spearheaded Jaqueza into collaborating with others to help donate to families who might otherwise go without a holiday meal. In 2024, Jaqueza collaborated with community activists/groups to distribute 160 Thanksgiving turkeys outside of Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Jr. Library. 

“The event was a tremendous success, with families lining up two hours early to receive a Butterball turkey,” he said. “In less than 20 minutes, all the turkeys were gone. I didn’t expect it to have such an impact, but it was incredible to see the families get what they needed. I want to make this an annual event and keep growing it every year.”

Jaqueza is a former participant with Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP®), a national nonprofit in 34 states and the District of Columbia that provides community-based services that serve as an alternative to youth incarceration and other out of home placements and serves young people identified as high risk to help cities reduce neighborhood violence. The nonprofit’s YAPWRAP™ services model relies on mostly neighborhood-based staff who connect program participants and their parents, guardians, and other family members to individualized economic, educational and emotional tools to help them put their lives on a positive track.

Among YAP’s local tools is its Chicago’s Workforce Development Year-Round Employment Program, a partnership with Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS). Jaqueza is among youths and emerging adults ages 16-24 who are placed in employment opportunities that help them develop workforce skills in preparation for economic success and self-sufficiency. The program falls under One Summer Chicago, which brings together community-based organizations, government institutions, and other employers to match young people who might otherwise face employment barriers with jobs and internships that nurture their unique strengths. YAP Chicago was allotted 50 slots for the program and placed Jaqueza to serve as a youth engagement and safety intern with the Chicago Mayor’s Office. In this role, he was with the Mayor’s Office from September 2024 through January 2025 and was paid weekly through YAP. 

Separately, he served on the City of Chicago’s Mayor’s Youth Commission where he chaired the Community Safety Working Group. Currently in his second term, he continues to advocate for youth having voices.  

“I am working at YAP to inspire young people,” he said. “YAP’s target audience is at-risk youth, and I was an at-risk youth. It’s easy for any young person to be in the same position. Being a youth commissioner is truly inspiring. The current mayor really values youth input, and I love being part of that process. It’s rewarding to know that our voices matter.”

Jaqueza is one of six siblings and says he had no aspirations of going to high school or college until he was mentored.

“I feel like every male needs that positive role model,” said Jaqueza, now a political science major at the University of Illinois Chicago. “I didn’t want to go to high school or college, but I graduated early with all A’s and a 4.6 (grade point average).”

YAP Chicago Program Coordinator Melody Williams said Jaqueza is a genuine young man.

“He says he is about the community, and he has had several events to help uplift the community,” she said. “He walks the walk, and he talks the talk.”

Jaqueza said Amy Witherite of the Witherite Law Group donated 100 turkeys to this year’s turkey drive. Out of his own pocket, he purchased some of the other 60 birds and said he plans to be a part of leading the Thanksgiving turkey giveaway yearly.

“It was amazing to see the community come together,” Jaqueza said, adding that one day he wants to start his own nonprofit. “I hope the turkey giveaway gets bigger and better every year. One year I want to donate 5,000 turkeys. I am speaking it into existence. I want to create something that lasts; something that can really make a difference in the lives of others.”

To learn more about Jaqueza and his journey, follow him on Instagram @Jaqueza_ or connect with him on LinkedIn. To learn more about YAP, visit yapinc.org.

Tarrant County, Texas – Maja is closer to her goal of supporting young people with the kind of support that put her on a positive path, thanks to the Youth Advocate Programs’ (YAP®), Inc., Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund Scholarship for Continuing Education. Maja’s ultimate goal is to earn a doctoral degree in psychology and become a psychologist.

“Through my exposure to YAP and the resources it has provided me, I have noticed a significant increase in my quality of life and my tools for success,”  she wrote in her scholarship essay.  “The experience has furthered my understanding of the field of psychology and reinforced my desire to help others through my future career.”

YAP is a national nonprofit in 34 states and Washington, D.C., providing trauma-informed services reducing the nation’s overreliance on youth incarceration, residential care, group homes, psychiatric hospitalizations, and other out-of-home placements. Celebrating its 50th year in 2025, YAP partners with public systems to provide community-based wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to detention and residential care.

Maja’s essay was part of her second application for the scholarship, which YAP program youth and parents/guardians are able to apply for consecutively for four years. Named after YAP’s founder, the Tom Jeffers scholarship is mostly funded by donations from the nonprofit’s employees and is awarded as a $1,200 educational cost payment or a laptop computer.

“Receiving the scholarship last year has been a tremendous assistance to me and has allowed me to devote more time toward my education, community involvement and furthering my passion,” she wrote, adding, “The scholarship has also allowed me to seek mentorship from professionals in the field, which has caused me to gain valuable insights and guidance for my academic and career path.”

A former YAP Tarrant County, Texas program participant, Maja is a senior in college at the University of Texas at Austin who used her scholarship for tuition and fees.

“The scholarship has positively impacted me by providing financial relief and allowed for me to concentrate on my studies and actively participate in my academic and volunteer commitments,” Maja wrote.

With a 3.8 grade point average, Maja has taken on leadership roles in a psychology honor society as a volunteer coordinator, mentor, and president.

“Throughout my engagement with YAP, I encountered many compassionate individuals who consistently provided kindness and thoughtfulness,” she said. “Witnessing firsthand the amazing and impactful work that can be accomplished with a psychology degree has opened my eyes to the endless possibilities.”

A YAP Licensed Therapist who worked with Maja and recommended her for the scholarship said she embodies determination, drive and ambition.

“Maja uniquely stands out due to her commitment to YAP and the services offered to her,” the Licensed Therapist wrote.  “From the very beginning of services, Maja has been consistent in her ability to show up and show up well. It is obvious that Maja strongly benefited from YAP services due to her consistency and commitment to better herself and address the hard things in life.”

For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.

The Cincinnati, Ohio community where Diamond Rice lives and works is a daily reminder of her childhood in Baltimore, Md.

“A lot of the kids here go through some of the same things I experienced when I was their age,” she said.

Rice is an Advocate with Hamilton County, Ohio Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP™). YAP is a national nonprofit that delivers community-based individual and family wraparound services that give youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, education, and other government systems an alternative to youth incarceration and other out-of-home placements. In its pre-50^th anniversary year with programs in 34 states and Washington, D.C, the nonprofit’s evidence-based YAPWRAP™ service model, capacity building, and policy work make YAP an innovator in transforming systems to become more effective.

Rice first learned about YAP when she was 13, living in Baltimore and assigned to the nonprofit service provider by her probation officer.

“I was arrested a bunch of times for stealing cars, and I even had a gun charge. I ran the streets 24-7,” she said. “My older sisters and I were living with my grandmother, and she was overwhelmed, especially after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.”

In November, Rice represented YAP at the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) 50th Anniversary National Conference on Youth Justice. As a panelist in the Breaking Barriers: Successful Community Programs for Youth at Risk of Violence session, she talked about her experiences both as a former YAP program participant and a current YAP Advocate. The panel was moderated by National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR) Director of Justice Reform Dana Kaplan.

“My Advocate gave me someone I could call. When she came into my life, I saw myself able to exist in other spaces,” she said.

As Rice spoke to the OJJDP audience about the YAP model – how she uses it with youth in her work in Ohio and how she benefitted from it in Baltimore — she was caught off guard by someone who entered the room and took a seat in the front row.

“I’m trippin’; my P.O. who I haven’t seen in 16 years just walked in,” she said.

Rice said her parole officer was special, even took her to have tattoos removed from her face. She spoke of how working with her probation officer, her YAP Advocate filled in much-needed gaps. She said the Advocate worked with her and her grandmother and empowered her to see her strengths, like writing, and connected her to experiences that enabled her to nurture her intelligence, creativity, and kindness.

Rice’s probation officer, whose name for confidentiality reasons TheNeighborhoodAdvocate.org is withholding, said she was pleasantly surprised to see how far her former client had come. 

“I just so happened to go into that session,” she said. “I didn’t even know YAP was going to be presenting. When I saw her, I was like, ‘What?’ Just to see her actually speaking and being an Advocate, It almost brought me to tears,” she added, recalling how she fought hard for Rice and was grateful to have YAP’s support.

“They help you do your job. I can’t remember how I found out about it, but Craig [Jernigan, former Baltimore Program Director, now a YAP Regional Director] was at our office all the time, advocating for getting referrals.”

Rice said when she was working with her Advocate, she rediscovered her love for learning and writing. She started taking school seriously and accelerated, even moved into advanced placement (AP) English classes. After graduating high school, she began taking classes at a local community college, earned her Commercial Driver’s License certification, and worked for a few years as a professional truck driver.

Today, at age 30, after moving to Cincinnati, Rice is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in social work with many professional goals, including becoming an author. 

“She’s great,” said YAP Hamilton County, Ohio Program Director Nathaniel Lett, who believes Rice’s shared experience is one of her superpowers. “She’s handling the toughest kids and is really good at it.”

Guided by its “no reject, no eject” policy, YAP’s decades of service include working with many young people whose histories include serious offenses, multiple arrests, and lengthy out-of-home placements. John Jay College of Criminal Justice research found 86% of YAP’s youth justice participants remain arrest free, and six – 12 months after completing the program, nearly 90 percent of the youth still lived in their communities with less than five percent of participants in secure placement.

Rice said helping kids like herself makes sense, that it comes naturally.

“I love my job,” she said.

Learn more about YAP at yapinc.org.

Carbon/Monroe County, Pa. – Since June 2024, Caleb has been keeping staff and families informed through Youth Advocate Programs’ (YAP) Inc. Carbon/Monroe County social media page.

“I make the posts for the Facebook page and do some other things around the office like weekly newsletters,” said 20 year-old Caleb. “I think my social skills have improved a lot.”

Caleb is a participant in YAP Carbon/Monroe County’s partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Office of Vocational Rehabilitation’s MY Work program. MY Work matches young people with disabilities to job opportunities to gain work experience in their local municipalities.

YAP is a national nonprofit in 34 states and Washington, D.C. that provides community-based alternatives to youth incarceration, residential care, and group home foster placements. The agency partners with public systems to provide individual and family wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to out-of-home placement.

While YAP places most participants with business and nonprofit employers in Pennsylvania counties, the nonprofit found the perfect job for Caleb at the YAP Carbon/Monroe County office. Employment Specialist Tammy Keahey has known Caleb since October 2023 when she met him and his family during the program’s intake process.

“Caleb was quite shy when I first met him,” said Keahey who also described him as funny and genuine. “He would answer with yes or no answers and quick replies, but he was always curious and kind. After a few months of talking with Caleb and finding out his interests and capabilities, that is how he ended up working at YAP.”

Caleb, who enjoys doing graphic design, peer programming and making music, creates “Monday Morning Mindful Messages,” on the local YAP Monroe County Facebook page accompanied by an inspirational message or quote. He spends approximately three or four hours a week in the office doing administrative tasks and also works virtually.

“The Monday Morning Mindful Messages are to help people get through Mondays,” he said of the weekly posts. “They are quotes that anyone can take inspiration from.”

Additionally, Caleb creates certificates to celebrate employee work anniversaries, helps answer the office phone, sets up staff meetings on Microsoft Teams and has learned how to write a professional email.

“To attest to Caleb’s character, he drove an hour each way one day to the office for the first time by himself because he did not want to miss work,” Keahey said, adding that he usually gets dropped off. “That really shows his dedication to his job.”

YAP Carbon/Monroe, County Program Director Rachelle Antoine said Keahey and Caleb make a good team and she has helped him come out of his shell.

“He is an excellent worker,” Antoine said. “I have only positive things to say about Caleb. It’s been an honor watching him complete tasks. He’s taught me things on the printer that I didn’t even know we had the capability to do. Caleb is a sponge, so I know he is willing to learn more.”

Caleb also set up an office space that includes a candy bowl for staff to grab a sweet treat. His family has seen his work space and they took a tour of the YAP Monroe County office, which includes eight behavioral health technicians and three behavior consultants. Caleb is thankful to Keahey and Antoine whom he referred to as “good friends.”

 “YAP does a good job of helping people,” Caleb added. “It’s made a positive impact on my life.”

For more information on YAP visit yapinc.org or follow the YAP Monroe County, Pa. Facebook page.

Youth Advocate Programs’, Inc., (YAP™) Alternatives to Violence (ATV) West Boulevard and Beatties Ford Road teams spread holiday cheer during their Christmas Tree Lighting event on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 12.  Both YAP ATV teams decorated a Christmas tree, played Christmas music, and connected with the neighborhoods they serve and strive to help protect.

YAP became the city’s first ATV partner with the Beatties Ford Road site in 2021 as part of a partnership with the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, using Cure Violence Global methods. YAP was chosen as part of ATV’s expansion in 2023 to manage one of two additional sites at West Boulevard/Remount Road.  YAP is a national nonprofit in 34 states and Washington, D.C., that provides community-based alternatives to youth incarceration, residential care, and neighborhood violence.

YAP ATV members are frontline violence interrupters and outreach workers in the Beatties Ford Road corridor and West Boulevard/Remount Road areas who provide intensive services for young people ages 14 to 25 who they’ve encountered through canvassing or have been identified by schools, community groups, the youth justice system and other referring partners as being at the highest risk of being engaged in violence.

From July 2023 through June 2024 the YAP ATV – West Boulevard team provided 23 program participants with wraparound support services which includes connecting them to employment, economic or educational resources; in addition to healthcare, legal, mental health or social services, had 62 violence interruptions, engaged with 1,255 key individuals, hosted 11 community events and 6 community meetings. The YAP ATV – Beatties Ford Road team provided 25 program participants with wraparound support services, had 20 violence interruptions, engaged with 1,462 key individuals, hosted 10 community events and 26 community meetings.

For more information on YAP visit yapinc.org.

Cook County, Ill. – Six hundred turkeys and 350 coats were provided to families on the first weekend of December thanks to Youth Advocate Programs’ (YAP™) Washington Heights Violence Interruption Team and the Service Coordination and Navigation (SCaN) program.

“This year we decided to host the Winter Coat and Turkey Giveaway after Thanksgiving to be a blessing to people in our community who may need help in between holidays,” said Washington Heights Violence Interruption Program Director Ken Lewis. “We also want to express our gratitude to our partners who helped YAP Chicago make this annual event happen.”

The YAP Washington Heights Violence Interruption and SCaN programs co-hosted the event at Simeon Alumni Village on Dec. 7 in conjunction with Project Simeon 2000, Illinois State Rep. Justin Slaughter, Cook County Commissioner Stanley Moore and Chicago 21^st Ward Alderman Ronnie Mosley.

YAP is a national nonprofit in 34 states and Washington, D.C. that provides community-based alternatives to youth incarceration, residential care, and group home foster placements. The agency partners with public systems to provide individual and family wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to out-of-home placement. YAP also uses its unique wraparound services approach known as YAPWrap™ to help cities curb community violence.

The YAP Chicago Washington Heights Violence Interruption program, funded through a grant from the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), provides violence interruption services, street and hospital outreach, crisis intervention, peace building activities, family engagement, individual wraparound services, and conflict resolution. The SCaN program, a partnership through Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), includes supporting youth ages 14-24 who have been systems involved or impacted by violence. The YAP SCaN program serves program participants living in the Auburn Gresham area.

In addition to attendees receiving coats and birds, residents were also connected to valuable resources, including economic, educational, and emotional tools, to support their success and help reduce violence in local neighborhoods.

Follow YAP Chicago on Facebook or visit yapinc.org.

Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc was a finalist at the 2024 European Social Services (ESS) Awards in Lisbon, Portugal in November, receiving recognition for its Community-Based Safety Initiatives services. YAP’s submission, “Addressing Violence in Cities to Restore, Heal, and Strengthen Communities” was shortlisted in the European Social Network (ESN) competition’s Excellence in Communities category.

Celebrating its 50^th anniversary in 2025, YAP is a national nonprofit in 34 states and Washington, D.C. that partners with government systems to deliver community-based individual and family services as an alternative to incarceration, group homes and other out-of-home care. YAP partner organizations apply the nonprofit’s YAPWRAP™ individual and family wraparound services model in Ireland, Guatemala, Sierra Leone, and Australia. In the U.S., YAP has combined principles of the model with public health violence intervention and prevention approaches to help cities curb neighborhood violence.

The winning entry in the Excellence in Communities category was Confederation of Rural Development Centres in Spain for its “BIO-CARES: Community-Delivered, Person-Centred Care in Rural Areas” program. The program is transforming care in rural Spain by supporting older people with disabilities and those at risk for isolation and other vulnerable communities.

“It was an amazing experience to be among so many transformative organizations being recognized for their work,” said YAP Vice President of Community-Based Safety Initiatives,” who along with YAP Chief of Marketing and Communications Kelly Williams, took part in the awards event and program.  “We were finalists among over 100 organizations and programs in Europe. Having our community-based safety initiatives recognized internationally is a win for the field of work and YAP,” he added.

YAP’s community-based safety initiatives address public safety, specifically community gun violence in cities across the U.S. YAP Advocates-Credible Messengers, who are trusted community members, mediate conflicts, prevent retaliation, and offer individualized services like housing, health, and employment support.

The ESS Awards opportunity was coordinated by YAP Director of International Development Diana Matteson as part of her effort to raise awareness of the nonprofit’s work and to scale its model globally.

Serving as a panelist with other awards finalists, Fogg described how YAP’s community safety initiatives work adheres to principles of the national nonprofit’s 49-year-old YAPWRAP™ community-based alternative-to-youth-incarceration and residential care model. Williams was among the event exhibitors, sharing how through public partnerships with philanthropic support, YAP’s services reduce the risk of neighborhood violence in cities across the U.S. by connecting individuals at the highest risk and their families with economic, educational, and emotional tools to help them put their lives on a positive course.

“A big thank you to Diana for securing the opportunity for us to present in Belgium, resulting in the nomination for the Excellence in Communities Award in Portugal,” Fogg said. “Thank you to Kelly for hosting our table at the awards and for her networking. We had no left-over YAP marketing materials, and the annual report was a big hit.”

As ESS Awards program delegates, Fogg and Williams participated in study visits to social projects in Lisbon. The two attended Universo D – Os Direitos na Criança e no Jovem, an Education Programme for Human Rights and Values, which, through a participatory methodology and non-formal education, invites experiential and voluntary learning about the rights of children and young people on the way to global citizenship. Additionally, Williams visited Gabinete de Finanças Saudáveis, a support service for families, especially the most disadvantaged and unprotected, in their day-to-day financial management.

“Fred was amazing as a panelist, and. I enjoyed representing YAP at the event, learning about other social services first-hand,” Williams said.

Mayor Brandon M. Scott joined Youth Advocate Programs (YAP) Inc.’s Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS) staff for a brunch this month celebrating the success of their participants. (Photos by Keston DeCoteau, Keystone Productions)

YAP is one of two nonprofits serving individuals at the highest risk of being engaged in violence, including people involved in social groups connected to criminal activity, those recently losing a loved one to gun violence, and formerly incarcerated individuals.

The gathering included program participants and their families along with YAP outreach workers and life coaches, many of whom live in the neighborhoods and share life experiences of those they serve.

Successes include participants securing employment, moving from homelessness to stable housing, rekindling family relationships, and achieving other personal milestones linked to reducing community violence.

Joining Mayor Scott was Stefanie Mavronis, Director, Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety & Engagement whose GVRS team – Terence Nash, Dr. Raymond Green-Joyner, Reginald Williams, Bernice Walker, and Joshua Lubin – who also received recognition from the YAP GVRS staff.

YAP GVRS Life Coaches and Outreach Workers honored program participants, highlighting the hard work they have been doing and milestones they have achieved as they make progress to turn their lives around.

Shawn

Despite attending several job fairs and enrolling in a GED program, Shawn almost gave up on his future. He was working in the streets to make ends meet while caring for his children when the YAP GVRS team came into his life. It wasn’t easy, but the encouragement and inspiration kept him hopeful — even in the face of his setbacks, like losing the job that the program helped him get when transportation challenges became too much. Refusing to give up, he secured a position with Clean Corps, and in just four months, earned a well-deserved promotion to Job Lead.

Javontez

Javontez was not at his best when the YAP GVRS team came into his life. Initially, he resisted help. For four months, the outreach team looked high and low for him without success. Ultimately, Javontez found his way back to us and began to take steps to turn his life around. He got a job with the Department of Public Works, where he has now worked for almost a year. Javontez has been on a straight path for a year and is a consistent, devoted father to his daughter.

Malik

When we met Malik, he was living in an abandoned house, struggling with unemployment and had an understandably difficult attitude.  Malik faced significant challenges. But what we saw was his amazing determination. With support from the YAP GVRS team, Malik has tapped into his determination and is turning his life around. For nearly a year, Malik has been employed full-time with the Department of Public Works. He recently took another major step toward his future, obtaining an LLC for his own cleaning business, Cody Solutions.

Tyzhaun 

Working with the YAP GVRS team, Tyzhaun successfully completed the NCIA Trade School, earning his CDL-B. And with that, he has since achieved significant personal milestones—securing his own home, his own car, and excelling as a dedicated father. And rather than using his commercial license simply to drive for a job, Tyzhaun took it a step further by launching his own commercial driving school.

Bakari

At age 15, Bakari has demonstrated exceptional personal growth and persistence. After having last attended public school in elementary school, Bakari’s journey back to education has been nothing short of inspiring. Working closely with our team, Bakari enrolled in a Baltimore City Public School and is receiving our wraparound services designed to gradually push him beyond his comfort zone. Despite being out of school for years, Bakari has adapted and is thriving. He holds himself accountable for his actions, which speaks volumes about his character and development. He has attended school every single day since his return, showing his commitment to a brighter future.

Dewayne

Dewayne lost many loved ones to gun violence and spent years cycling in and out of prison. Upon his last release, he was unemployed, and nearly homeless, with a history of working in the streets to survive. I’m proud to say he accepted our services and is thriving.

Teonta

Before connecting with the YAP GVRS team, Teonta struggled with inconsistent income due to a job with irregular hours. He also faced challenges with focus and emotional regulation. Through the support of YAP GVRS, Teonta has secured full-time employment and is focused on his strengths and his potential. Teonta is now working toward earning his GED and reinstating his driver’s license and he has developed effective strategies for managing his emotions. When anger or frustration arises, instead of reacting impulsively, he reaches out to his YAP Life Coach to talk through his feelings and make thoughtful decisions. Teonta maintained perfect attendance during his first month on his job and in addition to preparing for his GED, he aims to obtain his CDL and pursue his creative passions in art and mechanics.

Ayanna

At age 20, after experiencing much trauma, including being a gun violence victim, Ayanna worked hard throughout summer school to earn her diploma. She knew it would be the key to pursuing her dream of becoming a CNA/GNA and preparing her for adulthood. With the help of her YAP GVRS Life Coach, Ayanna applied for a CNA/GNA certification program and registered for a driver’s ed class. While she wasn’t accepted into the certification program on her first try, she is preparing to re-apply in January 2025. In the meantime, she passed her driver education class and is set to take her driving test next month.

Her future is bright as she looks forward to completing her CNA/GNA certification and working in the medical field, where she hopes to better care for her mother and family.

Isaiah

Since getting with the YAP GVRS team, Isaiah has shown great commitment to building a successful career and future. With a high school diploma, a CDL-A, and two years of specialized training from ABC Trade Academy, Isaiah has embraced every opportunity for growth. With the support of the YAP GVRS team, he secured a position in an Apprenticeship program through ABC Trade Academy and is now working at Fort Meade military base, gaining valuable experience in electrical work. Isaiah’s next goal is to find independent housing as he builds a strong foundation for his future.

Antiwan

Antinwan was 21 a couple of years ago when the YAP GVRS team first reached out to him. By then, he’d been involved with so many programs that did not work out for him, that he had little faith in this new one. He avoided us for a year, and it took a minute for him to set, let alone, achieve goals.

While Antiwan had a temper, I always saw his heart and his determination; and I was persistent; and he finally gave in. In the past four months, this young man has made great progress, successfully passing his driver’s permit exam, completing driving school, securing employment with DPW, and passing the MVA road test to obtain his provisional driver’s license. With determination as his superpower, Antiwan is making strides towards the positivity that he’s creating for his life. Congratulations, Antiwan.

Jaylen

Jaylen has endured a lot of trauma, including being a victim of gun violence. He was extremely discouraged and almost gave up after a dirty urine test resulted in him being released from Job Corps. His YAP GVRS life coach helped him see that the strengths that got him into Job Corps still existed; and that he could reach all his individualized service plan goals on his own. With support from his life coach, Teshombae, Jaylen enrolled in high school and he’s on track to graduate in June 2025. He also recently got his learner’s permit and will enroll in driving school in December. Jaylen is happy, feels safe and says he’s not sure where he’d be without the YAP GVRS team and his life coach.

Learn more about YAP at www.yapinc.org.

Philadelphia County, Pa. – In the early 1990s, Germantown High School senior Phaedra Anderson faced attempted murder for jumping a girl with a shoe.

“I was in the street, getting into fights a lot and shoplifting,” Anderson said. I didn’t really have a strong support system at home. My home environment was horrible.”

A judge lowered her charges, put her on house arrest for a year and sent her to Youth Advocate Programs (YAP™), Inc., in Philadelphia where she was connected with a neighborhood-based Advocate who supported and believed in her.

“My Advocate came by at least a few times a week and would help me with my homework and encourage me,” Anderson said. “I did not have any discipline or self-control, but she saw the good in me. I wasn’t a bad child, I just needed to be redirected.”

YAP is a national nonprofit in 34 states and Washington, D.C. that provides community-based alternatives to youth incarceration, residential care, and group home foster placements. The agency partners with public systems to provide individual and family wraparound and behavioral health services as an alternative to out-of-home placement. YAP also uses its unique wraparound services approach known as YAPWrap™ to help cities curb community violence.

“I thank God for the judge’s mercy and for advocating for me when I couldn’t advocate for myself,” Anderson said. “I was facing attempted murder charges without a lawyer. I had a public defender who didn’t care about throwing a little Black girl under the bus. I could have just now been getting out of prison at my age. I could have spent my life in prison for a mistake.”

YAP neighborhood based-Advocates support program participants by connecting them and their parents or guardians and other family members with individualized economic, emotional and educational tools. Anderson said her Advocate attended her prom, cheered her on, showed up for her, and made an overall investment in her in well-being.

With the help of her Advocate, Anderson finished high school on time by going to summer school, night school and attending school during the day. Anderson said after completing the YAP program, she went to college, but struggled in early adulthood, before finally settling down and leaving her past behind her.

“I did go to college but then I found myself right back in the street life and I was in the same environment,” she added. “I was selling drugs. I was involved in shootouts. I was throwing my life a way. The last shootout I was involved in, I decided would be my last.”

Anderson said during that time, some of her friends ended up stripping, prostituting, selling drugs or have been in-and-out of prison. Anderson, now 47, is a minister, advocate for homeless women and children, and writer; is thankful for another chance.

“I get to speak to young girls about making the right decisions. I am what I didn’t have as a young woman and little girl,” Anderson said. “I wouldn’t have had the ability to change my life around had I been punished differently. I am not the person that I was then. I am not that person now.”

Anderson said it takes a village to support youth and she owes a lot to her YAP Advocate as well as the judge who reduced her charges.

“I am grateful and thankful that this program is still going strong,” she said about YAP. “YAP truly blessed my heart. If I could tell young girls anything, it’s that if you make a mistake try to make it in pencil and not pen. Be mindful of the influences around you and find God early.”

For more information on YAP, visit yapinc.org.