|
December 2015 - In This Issue:
|
|
|
|
This year, YAP celebrates 40 years of strengthening communities, one biography at a time. Each Friday, we plan to share photos on our website and social media that highlight the lives changed, communities impacted and those that help make change happen. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to catch all of our Friday posts. READ MORE    |
| 
"Safely Home" showcases the power of the YAP model across diverse geographies and demographics by sharing the stories of youth and staff in three different YAP locations: urban Chicago, Orange County, NY, and rural Louisiana.
|
| 
YAP serves over 13,000 families a year in more than 100 programs across 19 states in rural, suburban and urban areas.
LEARN MORE
|
|
|
|
ANNIE E CASEY FOUNDATION HONORS YAP IN 40th ANNIVERSARY YEAR
Our 40th anniversary year became even more memorable when YAP received the Annie E. Casey Foundation's
Gloria J. Jenkins Award for outstanding contributions to juvenile detention reform by a community-based organization.
Bart Lubow, senior consultant with the Foundation, presented the award. YAP has operated alternatives to detention and other forms of out-of-home placement in numerous states, including many Juvenile Dentention Alternative Initiative (JDAI) sites. "Literally tens of thousands of young people are better off because they were in a YAP program and numerous communities are stronger and safer because of its work with youth," Lubow said.
|
During our two-day anniversary event In November, government leaders, YAP staff and YAP youth gathered in Harrisburg, PA to share experiences and learn from each other. Pennsylvania Secretary of Corrections John Wetzel provided the keynote speech. Introduced by Steve Bishop, Senior Associate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Secretary Wetzel focused on why the need remains strong for YAP's mission. Senator Michael Folmer honored YAP with a citation from the PA Senate and Donna Bullock, PA State Representative and former YAP Director presented YAP with a PA House Citation. Malcolm Bullock, now CEO of Perspectives Premier Contractors (PPC), inspired his audience at the Symposium and Safely Home Campaign Launch on Day 2 of the event.
The anniversary event brought new perspectives on YAP Then, YAP Now, YAP How and YAP Tomorrow-the phrases that inspired this newsletter.
|
|
YAP THEN: SYSTEM REFORM IN PA
|
|
YAP opened in November 1975 to provide re-entry and aftercare support to youth transitioning home from Camp Hill Prison as a result of a change in the law that made it illegal to house juvenile offenders in adult prisons. The legislative change was spurred by the suicide of Bobby Nestor, a young person incarcerated in the prison who was frequently in isolation for his protection after being raped by other inmates. The change was led by Dr. Jerry Miller and his team, which included YAP's founder Tom Jeffers. Tom worked with Dr. Miller in other states prior to Pennsylvania, including Massachusetts, where they closed the state's training schools, and in Illinois.
|
|
Last One Over the Wall Award
|
 With them during those efforts was Paul DeMuro. For his tireless efforts and significant impact in helping to transform systems to better meet the needs of its most vulnerable, YAP presented Paul DeMuro with the "Last One Over the Wall Award."
Learn more about Paul and read his full speech. |
YAP NOW: A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEADER IN COMMUNITY-BASED CARE
|
|
Marion County, IN Alternatives to Incarceration
|
YAP is opening our first program in the state of Indiana in 2016. This Pay for Success pilot program will be located in Marion County, an Annie E. Casey Foundation "deep-end site."
We will provide support to justice-involved youth who have been identified in predisposition as moderate to high-risk and are at risk of placement or an ATI program. Community-based services will be provided to 15 youth a time for approximately 10 hours a week. A supported work component of an average of 8 hours a week is also built into the service plan.
Marion County Commission on Youth is serving as the intermediary. Marion County Juvenile Court and Probation, the Department of Child Services, and the Annie E. Case Foundation are other stakeholders. |
|
International Organizations and Programming Abroad
|
YAP's model is being put into action in many nations, including Australia and Sweden. Click below to view videos created by these programs.
 
|
|
Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education
|
 As an agency, YAP has raised over $1M for the Tom Jeffers Endowment Fund for Continuing Education. In 2015 alone, 23 scholarships have been awarded.
Lakesha Cameron is a 4-time recipient of the award and a senior at Kean University majoring in English education. Lakesha attended YAP's 40th celebration with her mother Marva and spoke about the difference YAP's support has made in her life.
Read Lakesha's full speech here. |
|
The Need Remains Strong for YAP's Mission
|
  Pennsylvania Secretary of Corrections, John Wetzel provided the keynote speech at the 40th Anniversary celebration dinner. He is widely recognized as one of the thought leaders in corrections today.
Steve Bishop, Senior Associate for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, introduced Secretary Wetzel.
|
|
Giving Back to Our Community
|
Giving Back is a powerful component of our agency culture for both staff and our families. YAP staff frequently go over and beyond their roles and responsibilities to help YAP families and their broader community. From ensuring families have meals on Thanksgiving, gifts on holidays, and coats for the winter, to sponsoring community gardens, staff are creative and tireless in their willingness to help.
Check out our
Give Back page to learn more about the creative projects our programs have recently organized.
|
|
YAP HOW: STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES, ONE BIOGRAPHY AT A TIME
|
YAP's success is not coincidental. It is rooted in a mission that explicitly and unabashedly commits to providing community-based support to even those considered high risk and complex need. It has core principles that shape attitudes and philosophical approach by empowering, respecting, partnering and valuing our families and the broader community. And it takes a model that fundamentally recognizes and builds upon the inherent need and desire for caring relationships in our lives to help us grow, develop and participate in meaningful ways in our communities and to our potential.
|
Forty years ago, Tom Jeffers gifted YAP with these essential components of our identity, and they remain at the heart of what we do and how we do it. Tom founded YAP with the belief that kids and adults belong and do best from within their communities instead of institutions. Tom has been a mentor, an inspiration, an advocate, a motivator and a guide to this agency, as well as to many of us individually. He is missed, though his presence and legacy remain strong through our ongoing efforts to strengthen communities, one biography at a time.
|
As part of YAP's 40th Anniversary celebration, a number of youth from around the country brought life to our approach through highlighting how their biographies were changed.
Read more about the youth and the core elements of our work that help youth and families achieve success. |
|
Santos: A Biography Changed that is now Changing Other Biographies
|
Ten years ago, Santos was a 16 year old receiving YAP services upon returning home to his community after a stint at a secure placement for his offenses. Today, Santos is a veteran, a father, and a YAP Advocate. Though he admits he received some help while in his placement, he strives to help his youth get their needs met from within the community without severing the relationships to family, school, and friends that have negatively impacted him even until today.
|
|
YAP TOMORROW: BRINGING AND KEEPING MORE INDIVIDUALS SAFELY HOME
|
Safely Home Campaign Launch
|
YAP officially launched the Safely Home Campaign during our 40th Anniversary event. The Safely Home Campaign is a nationwide movement to safely care for all youth and young adults in their home communities and with their families by reducing and preventing unnecessary out-of-home placements and creating safer, more supportive communities for at-risk young people. National Policy Director Shaena Fazal introduced the campaign goals to kick off the Symposium, which was emceed by Board Member Randolph Stone.
|
| Throughout the day, breakout sessions focused on Safely Home Campaign goals applied across all systems - Juvenile Justice, Child Welfare, Developmental Disabilities, and Behavioral Health. Participants were challenged to find ways to further expand the campaign's reach and enact systems change. |
Marcus Bullock - Keynote Speaker
|
At the age of 16, Marcus was sentenced to 23 years in an adult prison. Since the judge suspended 15 of those years, Marcus was left to serve eight years of his life behind bars. After his release in 2004, he became a businessman and entrepreneur. In 2006, he launched a residential and commercial painting company called Perspectives Painting Contractors and he is now the CEO of Perspectives Premier Contractors (PPC). As the CEO of PPC he continues to employ other returning citizens.
With the desire to reach back into the cells from which he came, in 2012 Marcus launched the mobile application and website
Flikshop. The free mobile app gives incarcerated people the ability to receive personalized mail and postcards from their loved ones. Flikshop ships postcards to over 2,000 correctional facilities around the country.
|
 The day ended with a game of Street Soccer that included YAP youth, board members, support center leaders, international youth, professional soccer players and guests as players.
Guided by the principles of solidarity, collaboration and respect, the street soccer movement is active in 50 countries and uses street soccer to teach mediation and peace-building skills to young people living in vulnerable situations, particularly gang-affiliated youth. |
|
|
