View as Webpage

About YESS | Volunteer | Needed Items | Our Impact

Rolling Out the Red Carpet

Our gym was once again transformed into a stage so the kids in shelter could show off their amazing talents and enjoy the glitz and glamour of the red carpet. Dress donations from Stacey's and help from Wells Fargo volunteers made it a formal affair that was fit for a red carpet. Each child even received a "golden ducky award" to celebrate their unique skills and talents. The audience of staff, volunteers, and agency friends cheered the kids on as they performed skits, held a dance-off, played instruments, and sang songs. Click here to listen to a short clip of two group performances during the show!

Summer Art Programming "Normally I can keep the kids' attention for about half an hour. But they were so excited about this art project - we were working on it for two and a half hours. I could barely get them to stop so we could eat dinner!" Creative expression is a great way for kids in shelter to connect with staff, express themselves, and just have fun. And our new Artist in Residence, Lindi, has lots of plans for integrating art into the daily lives of our kiddos this summer. Painting rocks, turning magazines into vision boards, making fairy gardens, photography projects, and taking art-themed trips around the city are all in the works. First, however, Lindi has been trying to stock up on some necessary supplies, such as therapeutic art books, acrylic paint, and markers. If you’d like to make sure kids in shelter have the chance to be creative, check out our Amazon Wish List ! Items can be added to your next Amazon order and they're shipped directly to YESS.

Let's Make it a Great Summer It's time for sun, fun, and spending time with loved ones. But here at YESS we have even more work cut out for us to give shelter youth the summer they deserve. Team YESS is busy planning activities for kids in shelter, and we need your help! Here are a few ways you can make the summer better for kids under our roof.

Donate Summer Items Indoor bases Badminton Set Water Balloons Flag Football Set Soccer Goals Kickballs Soccer Balls Basketballs

Provide Fun Experiences Science Center tickets Tickets to the Blank Park Zoo Movie Passes Tickets to a Kid-Friendly Show Adventureland Tickets Mini-golf passes Bowling giftcards

Volunteer Your time can make a difference in a child's life - even if it's just for an afternoon. Send us an email or visit our website to see what volunteer opportunities are available.  Reminder: Do you have Volunteer Time Off through your employer? Don't wait until the end of the year to use it! We need volunteers throughout the year.

Break the Cycle One Day // 200 miles // One Goal End Human Trafficking Tomorrow morning, thirty seven cyclists will test their endurance as they complete a 200-mile ride in just one day. Eleven runners will also put themselves to the test, running through the night in relay fashion and completing more miles than a marathon. Why would these individuals push themselves to the brink of exhaustion? To break the cycle and stop human trafficking. BTC200 is dedicated to supporting survivors of human trafficking, and YESS is proud to be a grant recipient this year. The event is taking place this weekend, but there's still time to support these athletes! Click here to learn more, donate, and help break the cycle.

Support for Families at YESS Hope Hall Schedule changes, less structure, and high expectations can make summertime difficult for some families, but the caring staff at YESS Hope Hall can help. Through our counseling  and  Behavioral Health Intervention Services (BHIS), families in the community can receive the support they need to overcome life's challenges. Whether families need help with mental health concerns, conflict resolution, improving communication, or other bumps in the road, we can help. Contact us today to learn more!

918 SE 11th Street, Des Moines, IA 50309 | 515.282.9377 | YESSIowa.org

‌ ‌ ‌