Youth Empowerment Success Services

Youth Empowerment Success Services, Inc. (YESS) is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization that was established in January 2016 to provide a solution for youth homelessness of youth aging out of the foster care system and young adults experiencing homelessness. YESS was founded to assist older foster and homeless youth transition stably into adulthood Every year, nearly 85,000 young adults 18-24 are added to the already growing 2 million homeless young adults living on our streets, in our shelters, and in dangerous situations because they, don’t have stable housing when they leave care, they are not equipped with the necessary life skills, education and education to provide for themselves and they aren’t connected to a stable, caring family or support system.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, yearly, as many as 550,000 young people are homeless for more than a week. On the street, young people are exposed to all kinds of dangers:

• More than 27% say they have traded sex for shelter, food, or other basic needs.
• As many as 72% have witnessed violence, and more than half have been victims themselves.
• As many as two-thirds have mental health problems, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, according to a study that combined a self-reported survey and clinical assessments.