June Updates
A Note from our Executive Director
Happy June! I can't believe that we are already six months into the new year! At YES we are gearing up for a busy summer of community events, our golf tournament and, of course, Dance for a Chance. YES offers several programs, but with Mother's Day in May, we've been talking a lot about our Maternity Group Home last month. MGH is one of the many programs we have in our continuum of care to help youth break the cycle of homelessness. We provide housing and help with skill development during an 18-month time frame. Below you'll find one mom's story with being homeless and pregnant and how she worked through our MGH program successfully. May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, you don't have to go through anything alone. If you or someone you know needs help text or call 988 or chat on line at 988lifeline.org for free. We appreciate all of our supporters and donors and can't wait to see what will be coming the last six months of 2023!
With Gratitude,
Kalisha Reed
Kianna’s Story: What it’s Like Growing Up Homeless and Pregnant
From the start of her early years Kianna was alone. She had no family to speak of. She was put in foster care around the age of eight and that is where she stayed until she aged out at 18. Being in foster care presented its own challenges, but Kianna, who suffers from mental health issues, left her foster care home and had no idea how to take care of herself. Basic tasks like grocery shopping and cooking were a complete mystery to her.
Kianna found being on her own was more challenging then she expected it to be. She adapted the best she could by couch surfing, staying in hotels, and accepting help and kindness from strangers. While trying to figure out how to survive on her own, she met up with some people who she thought would help her and keep her safe. During her time with the group they took her down a path where she found herself worse off then when she met them. Not only was she alone, but she was pregnant.
To read more on Kianna and her story click here.
Young Moms and Moms-to-Be Find Support at YES
Maternity Group Home
YES Maternity Group Home provides services to runaway and homeless youth, ages 16 to 21 who are pregnant or parenting and may not otherwise be able to access services. Residents live in a family-style residence for a maximum of 18 months and work closely with case managers to set and accomplish several goals. The Maternity Group Home is designed to provide an environment in which youth are able to develop the ability to function independently in the community.
Accessing the MGH program is easy to do:
Fill out the application.
Attend two interviews.
A committee reviews documents and moves to accept.
Welcome to the program!
Together, staff sit down with the youth and go over what goals they want to accomplish while in our program. "We really want to set goals that will help the individual further out than just that moment in time. Goals like getting your GED or finding a job." said Nettie, MGH Lead.
At 90 days and again at nine months there is an evaluation to make sure everyone is on the same page and goals are being worked on, but there is much more to the program than just meeting goals. The youth are paired up with a parenting coach, therapist and our job readiness coordinator, Kris to get their goals moving. It is important to be able to show they can keep a job and manage the day to day adventures of parenting. The overall goal is to have the youth be able to live independently with the skills YES has helped them learn.
At the end of the 18 month cycle mom is ready to graduate on to a self sufficient life. We are always sad to see them go, however we so love watching them thrive. If you or someone you know could benefit from our program please contact us at 402-342-5187 for more details. If you are interested in donating to the program please click our linktree. Together we can break the cycle of youth and young adult homelessness.