September 2025 | eNewsletter

Dear Friends,

This season is an exciting, and very busy, time to be with YES. 

In addition to the usual hustle of adult cohorts in full swing and gearing up to welcome roughly 90 youth to the start of their year-round programs, we’re entering a new phase of our Base Camp capital campaign.

In partnership with our community, we’ve made incredible progress toward a goal that once felt huge and far-off: an all new, nature-inspired hub for our work right in the heart of Richmond. The City approved our design plans last year, and with our permit application submitted and under review, we’re just months away from breaking ground on our new home.

Thanks to the overwhelmingly generous support of both individual and institutional donors, we’ve raised over $5.1M of our $7M campaign goal and now we’re excited to share this unique opportunity to invest in YES and Richmond with our entire community.

I hope you’ll join us to kick-off this exciting new chapter at YES Fest: Grounded and Growing on September 27th. Enjoy camp activities and festival-style games–including a full-size climbing wall--right here in Nicholl Park! Guests can also grab lunch from Richmond-based food trucks, enjoy performances from local groups, and support our new Base Camp on a tour through the space. And the best part? The whole event is free! Register in advance and tell all your friends and family!

If you’re not able to attend but still want to support our capital campaign with a gift of any size, you can do so by clicking the “Donate to Base Camp” button at the top of our registration page.

Lastly, I want to extend our deep thanks to everyone who supported our 2025 Summer Camp season. Keep reading to see this year’s impact and a testimony that shows why, even after 26 years, it continues to make a tremendous difference in the lives of young people.

In community,

Eric Aaholm, Executive Director

Join us at YES Fest on September 27th for a festival-style celebration 🎉🌟

Climb a rock wall, make arts & crafts, shoot archery, dance to live performances, explore a brand new electric bus, grab lunch from a local food truck, and so much more! In between activities, take a tour of YES's office building across the street for a sneak peak of the major rebuild that will transform Macdonald Ave in the years ahead. 

With 75% of our fundraising goal met, YES Fest is kicking off the public funding phase of our Base Camp Campaign. We can't wait for you to see what's in store and have the opportunity to invest in YES and Richmond's future.

And it's all FREE! There is no charge for entry, activities, or food. Let us know you're coming by registering at the link below and bring all your friends and family!

Summer Recap

Summer camp season is officially in the rearview and despite this being our 26th year of connecting youth with camps, we never take for granted how special the season is. From supporting teens’ educational and leadership development, to introducing elementary-age youth to independence and the outdoors, families and caregivers tell us what a relief it is to find summer opportunities they can afford and trust. 

And each year, our community–that’s you!--help make all of this possible. This summer, we raised over $50,000 to eliminate barriers between West County families and quality, outdoor summer programming. Here’s what you helped achieve:

🌱 194 youth reached

⛺️ 33 sessions and experiences attended

🌲 16 teen counselors-in-training

⭐️ 34 new-to-YES campers



“This summer was my last year as a camper and it was very bittersweet. Looking back I've never been in an environment where I was so comfortable being open and vulnerable to others. [Camp] has given me a place where I could always go back to and enjoy my peace while trying things I thought I would have never done... I hope to come back as a counselor myself and give people the same hope and motivation that my counselors have given me for the past years.”

Youth Leadership Cohorts

The start of our Youth Leadership Pathway cohorts is just around the corner! With five unique age-based programs that run from October through May, we have an afterschool program for youth ages 8-18. To learn more and register a young person in your life for a year of confidence-building, nature-based leadership development tap the button below.

Rich City Kickback

Mark your calendars! Rich City Kickback is returning to the Richmond Recreation Complex on Saturday, November 8th for a day of community wellness and connection. Experience free offerings from local businesses and organizations, learn about the TREES program from alumni and current cohort members, and add a few new tools to your self-care toolkit.