Dear Friends:

This Sunday, December 7th, YPM hits a true milestone as we celebrate our 7th Anniversary.

YPM is celebrating all of the young people who make our jobs worthwhile. I continue to learn the true meaning of compassion.

Without equivocation, after helping 2,065 young souls in the last three years with emergency shelter services, America's most important commodity is our children.

We all face hard times. The kids who come to YPM face unimaginable harder times. Stolen childhoods. Dreams deferred. Survival mode on alert. Far too many of our nation's youth are estranged from their parents. Some are discarded simply because of their LGBTQ status, communication breakdowns, or rampant abuse. Others are orphaned. Yet, we know most of them fight tenaciously to rise above the adversity. They simply want the chance to become productive and successful adults. With ourassistance they can do it.

Altering Our Services To Serve Even More Youth

This holiday season is a turning point for our organization. We need your help and invite you to continue to support homeless youth through YPM. In the new year due to lost funding, YPM will no longer provide 24-hour overnight accommodations to homeless youth.  However, YPM services are being expanded and redeployed to the hub of the city where most homeless youth congregate. Seven days a week, the Open Hearts Drop-In and Resource Center will allow youth in-need to obtain hot meals, educational and employment assistance, mental health counseling, clothing and personal hygiene items. The Center will serve as a safe haven to assist in their survival. Our budget estimate for these services to reach over 1,000 homeless and distressed youth is approximately $200,000 per year. The Center will serve as a central location and services referral agent for all homeless youth around the city.  We will continue our active street outreach program and 24 hour call/text for help hotline.

Please consider partnering with us. Law enforcement officers know that there is a connection between crimes committed against innocent citizens and young adults living on the streets alone, hungry and desperate. As taxpayers, we can pay now to help or pay later. The problem is not going to disappear.

Celebrating Our Successes

YPM celebrates we have a 98% success rate in getting the youth we serve off of the streets for good. We are proud that 80% of the youth we served this year are back in school and continuing their education. We applaud our many young men and women who are now gainfully employed and supporting themselves. Our work also contributes to the reduction of juvenile crime and sex trafficking.

All About Michelle

As I write this, I am reminded of Michelle who warmly calls me "MommyJoye."
We met Michelle the summer before her senior year. Michelle explained she was taught to shoplift at the age of eight by her mother and other family members. "Whenever the family needed anything, we would just take it." At 14, she was traded to a 35-year old man for drugs and money. This was a "normal" lifestyle until she was arrested and detained in a county jail. She was terrified. "I swore never to break the law ever again," she relayed. Her mother disagreed and threw her out. She called YPM. As part of her case management, we learn of a young person's dream and we link them with professionals who serve as mentors. Michelle's dream: To become a broadcast journalist. Atlanta's WSB-TV Anchor Jovita Moore heeded the call and allowed Michelle to shadow her during a live newscast and tour WSB. The gratitude in Michelle's eyes told me she was healing. Ms. Moore encouraging her and telling her about the business: Priceless. YPM is very thankful to Ms. Moore.

Today, Michelle is a senior, lives with relatives out-of-state and made the honor roll. She has applied to college and has received a $1,000 scholarship from YPM (thank you Mr. Tyler Perry). She is happy, content and safe. This morning, I received an invitation to her graduation. I smiled. My heart is warmed. Another life saved.

Challenging Days

Our days are challenging.  Last month, YPM had to turn away two young men because we did not have beds for them. The best we could do was the waiting list. They went and made a horrible decision to hold up a restaurant at gunpoint. I will forever wonder if our inability to help them gave rise to their tragic decision. You see when you save a youth, you save an entire community, you save our city.

Please Help

With your help, YPM continues to give hopeless kids a real chance at safety and success. If everyone who receives this e-newsletter just gave $10 right now, we would not only meet but also exceed our goal for the new Center. 

YPM remains steadfast in our mission. One former resident left us all with a great message on our phenomenal Wall of Fame, when she wrote, "When life gives you lemons, make orange juice and keep the world wondering how you did it." From all of us here at YPM, we wish you and your family a glorious holiday season and all the best in the New Year! Thank you!

With Warm Regards,

Simone Joye