YAP Washington Heights Violence Interruption Team Distributed Thanksgiving Turkeys to Families in their Service Area

Chicago, Ill. — Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc’s Chicago Washington Heights Violence Interruption team members added Thanksgiving turkeys to the many services they provide to make the neighborhood they serve safer. The Washington Heights YAP team partnered with Project Simeon 2000, Illinois State Rep. Justin Slaughter, and Chicago 21^st Ward Alderman Ronnie Mosley for a Nov. 18 Holiday Turkey Giveaway, distributing 560 Thanksgiving turkeys to families in need.

“With the holidays fast approaching, we understand that some families may not have the necessary means to purchase a turkey, so we wanted to help take away the burden of having to worry about that,” said YAP Washington Heights Violence Interruption Program Director Ken Lewis. “We want to thank our partners for their willingness to come together with YAP to make a positive impact in our community this holiday season.”

YAP, a national nonprofit in 35 states and the District of Columbia, partners with youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, and other systems to provide community-based wraparound services as an alternative to youth incarceration, residential care, and neighborhood violence. The YAP Chicago Washington Heights Violence Interruption program, funded through a grant from the Chicago Department of Public Health, provides violence interruption services, street and hospital outreach, crisis intervention, peace building activities, family engagement, individual wraparound services, and conflict resolution.

YAP program participants served by the neighborhood street outreach and violence reduction program distributed the turkeys to their neighbors as program staff connected with residents to offer economic, educational, and emotional tools they may need, consistent with their approach to reducing community violence.

The YAP Washington Heights Violence Interruption team members and their partners distributed the remaining 40 turkeys from their Holiday Giveaway to local first responders, police, the fire department, and the elderly. Chicago YAP’s Washington Heights Violence Interruption Program had additional help for their Holiday Giveaway project from members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and The P.O.E.T. Organization.

For more information about YAP, visit: www.YAPInc.org or follow the organization on X at @YAPInc.