“You saved my life 37 years ago. I just wanted to thank you.”
These powerful words arrived in my inbox not long ago. They were from an individual who found safety under YESS’ roof as a teenager when he had nowhere else to turn.
Those two sentences reminded me how powerful YESS' mission is.
A safe place to sleep. A warm meal. The support of a caring adult. These are the most basic things we provide children at YESS,
but these everyday acts make a world of difference to the children in our care.
As I learned more of this individual's story, he shared how YESS saved his life all those years ago.
“I remember feeling like the woman [at YESS] who talked to me that night really cared about me
. It was something I didn’t believe about any adult. That, more than anything, was what gave me hope and helped me to stay alive. I suspect we all have a much bigger impact on the kids who cross our paths than we imagine.”
Thanks to support from friends like you, we are changing kids lives - in big and small ways - every day. Sometimes that means a warm bed for a child in crisis and other times it means working with a family to support them in their own home. No matter the circumstances, we try to be there for kids when they need it most and point them toward safe and healthy futures.
Today, I challenge you to think about how your actions (even something as simple as listening to a child’s story) can create lasting impact in a child's life.
It takes all of us to provide a safe, supportive, and encouraging environment for children in our community!
