In 1978, a group of people noticed a huge gap in services for young people in Alberta. Until the age of sixteen, youth in crisis could access Child and Family Services. After they turned eighteen, the adult support systems opened up to them. See a problem here?
You got it. After their sixteenth birthday and until their eighteenth birthday, there were no resources available to them. For two years—two very important years in anyone’s life—these young people had no one to turn to. No assistance for housing. No one to help them get through high school. No one to help them eat, sleep, or live safely.
It’s not surprising that a lot of these youth ended up on the streets, became involved with drugs or prostitution, and just gave up on trying to graduate from high school. As anyone who has been through this can tell you, two years on your own at the age of sixteen can set the tone for the rest of your life.
In 1981, YESS opened its doors at 9310-82 Avenue, providing shelter, safety, and hope to youth facing difficult realities. Over the years, thousands of kids have come through our doors. We’ve given them options, support, and a future.
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Catch Up with YESS Champion Boston Pizza
Boston Pizza has been a long-time champion of YESS and youth in Edmonton! For the past few years, they have focused their donations to the YESS overnight shelter, which has…
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Major TLC for the YESS Kitchen
In December our Whyte Ave kitchen underwent a major renovation. This kitchen is instrumental in providing nutritious meals for the hundreds of youth who access YESS every year across our…
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Meet the Youth Education and Employment Team
In 2019, YESS launched the Youth Education and Employment Program, a 12-week program that focuses on job readiness skills like cover letter writing and interview skills, workshops for job-specific trainings,…