After seven years as our intrepid President and CEO, Margo Long will be stepping away from YESS. Her last day will be September 15, and until then we will be relishing our time with her as Outgoing CEO and also happily welcoming our Incoming CEO: Corey Mowles.
Corey and Margo will work together over the coming months to ensure a smooth transition. Corey has already settled in as the Chief Operating Officer of YESS over the past year, and we look forward to his vision and leadership as CEO.
And now, in their own words, we would like to share more from Margo and Corey.
Letter from Margo
Almost seven years ago, on September 15, 2017, I accepted the role of CEO at YESS. My goal was to stay five years—to build a financially stable YESS that can stand on its own with many great leaders, and then to get out of the way. As a team, we have created a much more stable and sustainable organization financially, and I believe today we also have an organization full of many great leaders at all different levels and roles. Things didn’t go exactly according to plan—we could not have predicted a global pandemic in the middle of things, nor did we know the big choices we would make and vision we would build. But we did. We have built such a powerful vision and road map for the future that now it is about consistent execution, continuing to build our leadership culture and getting the work done.
And I am not the one to do that. As hard as it is to say so, my work here is done. YESS doesn’t need a visionary change maker for the next five years; YESS needs a leader and a collaborative leadership team that can ensure you build the path forward together.
And so, on September 15, 2024, exactly 7 years later, I will be leaving YESS.
And the new CEO will be our very own Chief Operating Officer, Corey Mowles.
Over the last six months, the board and I have been working diligently on a recruitment and succession plan, and the board went through a recruitment process throughout March, April, and May and chose Corey to be the next CEO of YESS.
I believe with all my heart that Corey is the leader to host all YESS leaders over the next five-year journey to achieve our goals.
The road ahead will not be easy, but it is clear and completely achievable if you do it together. I cannot ever begin to thank you for trusting me to be a new leader and to help you find your vision.
I do not know what I am doing next but know that I will always be a member of YESS.
With so much love,
Letter from Corey
I am incredibly excited and honoured to step into the role of Chief Executive Officer at YESS, and I approach this opportunity with enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility. Taking over from Margo, whose leadership has been a guiding light for the organization, I am highly aware of the significant shoes I must fill. Her contributions have been foundational, and I am committed to building on her legacy with dedication and innovation.
Working alongside such a talented and passionate team to implement YESS’ bold new strategic plan is not just an exciting challenge, but a privilege. This plan captures our collective vision for the future, encompassing ambitious goals and initiatives that will propel YESS to new heights. It will be thrilling to draw on the diverse experiences and insights of each team member, ensuring that our strategies are informed by the best thinking from across our organization.
I am looking forward to learning and leveraging our combined strengths to navigate the path ahead. The collaborative spirit and commitment to excellence that define our team are qualities I deeply value. I am grateful to Margo for her exceptional guidance, to the Board for their confidence in my ability to lead, and to the entire YESS team for their support and congratulatory messages. Together, I am confident that we will achieve remarkable things and make meaningful strides in our mission. Thank you for this opportunity to contribute to and grow with such an outstanding organization.
Sincerely,
Corey Mowles is an accomplished, forward-thinking executive with a 20-year portfolio of leadership experience across diverse industries. Intellectually agile with a track record of quickly building trust-based relationships, he possesses a unique blend of skills in strategic planning and execution, talent development, coaching, and non-profit leadership. Recognizing it is people who drive results, he is a self-professed Culture Champion who encourages teammates to grow by “failing up.”
Corey has been fortunate enough to have held leadership roles in not-for-profit and philanthropic organizations in Edmonton, including the Alberta Construction Safety Association and the Edmonton Humane Society. Most recently, Corey has been an integral part of YESS in the role of Chief Operating Officer, devising and executing both strategic and operational plans, building new organizational infrastructure, cultivating a positive work culture, establishing and sharing best practices, and optimizing process efficiency.
An advocate for youth in crisis, Corey is passionate about YESS and is grateful for the opportunity to lead the organization’s bold new strategic plan to establish 24/7 Youth Support Centres across the Edmonton region. Corey is committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment where young people can thrive and reach their full potential.
Originally from Edmonton, Corey is married to his wife Talli, and they have three teenage daughters. A lover of live music and a lifelong fan of the Edmonton Oilers, Corey is a graduate of MacEwan University and earned his MBA from Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
YESS is committed to continuing our new direction to create better outcomes for youth in crisis. Learn more about our 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.
If you have any questions, concerns, or other messages about this upcoming change in leadership, please reach out to us at reception@yess.org
Happy Pride! Around the world, June is celebrated as Pride Month. This is a time for celebration and reflection for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and their allies, to be loud and proud about how far we have come and how far we still have to go for equal rights and safety.
To talk about the critical importance of providing safe spaces for youth and their gender expressions and sexual identites, YESS Manager of Quality Assurance, Nicole McMillan, shares the research, experiences, and insights that guide the practices in our programs.
What makes YESS safe space for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth?
YESS strives to create a space where youth can feel confident to explore and embody their gender expression and identity without fear of harm, shame, or judgement. YESS demonstrates a safe space by intentionally asking youth about pronouns used, if they need gender affirming supplies, and creating a culture where all facets of the gender spectrum are accepted and supported. Staff training is nuanced and specific and includes training on the different facets of gender (often referred to as the gender “unicorn”). Youth deadnames (the name that a transgender person was given at birth and no longer uses upon transitioning) are referenced only when legally required. YESS has several processes in place to prevent outing a youth to other services providers.
Why is it important to provide safe spaces and specific supports for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth? What are the outcomes of providing these supports?
Providing safe spaces and specific supports for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth SAVES LIVES.
From The Trevor Project:
LGBTQ+ young people are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers (Johns et al., 2019; Johns et al., 2020).
The Trevor Project estimates that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ+ young people (ages 13-24) seriously consider suicide each year in the U.S. — and at least one attempts suicide every 45 seconds.
The Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People found that 41% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including roughly half of transgender and nonbinary youth.
This award is a testament to Eddie’s dedication, expertise, and outstanding contributions to our organization and many others along the way. His relentless pursuit of excellence, innovative strategies and commitment to financial stewardship have significantly contributed to what YESS is today. Since joining YESS, Eddie has transformed its internal financial practices, implementing controls and an accounting structure that helped us become more financially stable and sustainable. He has also helped create a culture of trust and confidence at YESS and improve the quality of life for the YESS community.
CPA Alberta Early Achievement Nomination Video for Eddie Gots, YESS CFO
Eddie’s dedication to financial education and empowerment has resulted in increased financial safety and sustainability for the team at YESS. His mentorship has provided personal growth opportunities for staff and board members, enhancing their financial literacy and confidence. Additionally, Eddie’s departmental empowerment initiatives have allowed staff members to take more ownership of financial matters, fostering a sense of responsibility and pride in their roles.
Today, YESS has been able to reestablish our contingency reserves and maintain our budgets, and this financial stability has ultimately allowed us to get back to doing what we do best: Provide opportunities for youth in need and prepare them for life ahead.
Eddie has made significant strides in transforming both his organization and community. His leadership exemplifies a commitment to sustainable growth and philanthropy, leaving a lasting legacy of positive change.
Our new focus is on addressing the holistic wellbeing of young people and a collaborative process amongst agencies to ensure young people get the help they need, when they need it, and where they need it.
The structure of our Youth Support Centre is programming that provides 24/7 help and a safe place to sleep for youth ages 15–21, as well as a daytime resource and health hub for youth 15–24.
We recognize that our expertise is in providing 24/7 help (intake, triage, stabilization, connections, and safe spaces to sleep) as well as holistic wellbeing assessments and outcomes evaluations frameworks.
Since 1981, YESS has been evolving in how we understand and improve our support of youth.
In 2017, we identified that untreated trauma is a major causal barrier in youth success and wellbeing. In previous youth support strategies, the focus has been on providing solutions to address symptoms and not enough on addressing the root cause of their difficulties: family and community breakdown and the untreated trauma in young people as a result. Over the last seven years, we re-positioned our organization to focus on understanding trauma and supporting youth on their healing journeys, resulting in better outcomes for youth. These changes include:
Building an in-house Wellness Integration Team of psychologists and support practitioners to provide trauma-informed youth crisis stabilization and mental health education, to support front-line youth workers in crisis support and post-crisis healing, as well as programming and connections to cultural, identity, and spiritual supports for youth.
Co-founding the Youth Agency Collaboration and helping to bring together more than 30 youth serving agencies (and growing) to create a connected and collaborative strategy for youth wellbeing and prevention of further chronic symptoms such as homelessness, addiction, and criminal involvement.
Transitioning to a 24/7 intake centre for youth because crisis can happen anytime, and youth need a place to stabilize and sleep during the day.
Consolidating our resource hub, medical clinic, and shelter within a single location to make it easier for youth to have access to programs, services, and supports.
In March 2023, we completed our 2018–2023 5-Year Strategic Plan and have spent this past year understanding our expertise and value in the sector, as well as what is needed most in our community.
The work we have done in listening to youth and youth workers has led us to make some very big changes in our philosophy, programming, and strategic direction for the future.
VISION AND MISSION
Vision
A more connected, holistic, and lower-barrier system for youth in crisis.
Mission
Ensure 27/4 access, safe sleeping, and compassionate holistic support within a network of care to ensure youth get the expert help they need, when they need it, and where they need it.
What are barriers?
Barriers are realities such as time and distance, expectations, and even policies that put resources out of reach of those who need them. These restrictions often prevent people from seeking help.
What is trauma?
Trauma means any form of abuse, neglect, abandonment, violent, or unexpected experience that has a lasting negative impact on the physical, emotional, or development wellbeing of an individual. Among many serious effects, untreated trauma can have long term impact on the ability to form healthy relationships.
What is holistic wellbeing?
Holistic supports look at the whole experience of being: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual/cultural needs. Physical wellbeing includes stability of living condition, basic needs such as food and clothing, substance use and impact, mental health and self-care, and access to healthcare. Emotional wellbeing includes emotional and behavioural health and social skills. Mental wellbeing includes self-worth, setting goals, and embodying healthy resilience. Spiritual/cultural wellbeing includes participation in creation activities, connection to community, family, identity, language, and peers, and connection to culture, faith, and history.
Holistic assessments are shared across Youth Agency Collaboration organizations so we can offer a consistent continuum of care for youth.
What is collaboration?
Collaboration means working together with other organizations and in line with local, provincial, and national plans to create a holistic approach to addressing homelessness. Experience with youth who are in crisis means bringing their unique needs and specialized solutions to conversations and strategies about this population.
THE YOUTH AGENCY COLLABORATION
The Youth Agency Collaboration sees a future where young people in Edmonton can have a future of their choosing by having a solid, holistic foundation to build upon. Our collaboration prides itself on having strong diversity in terms of being intercultural, inclusive of 2SLGBTQIA+ young people, including youth serving organizations which work in preventative and crisis services, and working with Indigenous partners to include ceremony as a foundational component of our ongoing process.
The Youth Agency Collaboration was formed in 2018 for youth-serving agencies to collaborate and share experiences, information, and ideas to improve outcomes for youth.
Today, YESS and more than 30 youth-serving agencies across Edmonton are part of the Youth Agency Collaboration, working together to address the barriers that youth face with regards to safer spaces, trained help, holistic wellbeing support, and transitional housing that are all accessible 24/7, and in the communities where they live.
The new structure of YESS’ Youth Support Centre is a key component of the Youth Agency Collaboration, offering 24/7 intake, crisis stabilization, and safe sleeping for youth ages 15-21, as well as daytime access to drop-in medical and mental health services, housing connections, and other resources for youth up to age 24. YESS’ Youth Support Centre programs also support entry into the Youth Agency Collaboration continuum of complex care, should it be required.
We are entering an era of change at YESS as we come out of winter, out of some of the most intense realities of the pandemic, and after integrating the learnings of our 2018-2023 Strategic Plan and our work within the Youth Agency Collaboration.
Throughout our 43 years, YESS has embraced the spirit of evolution and continuous improvement to be able to provide youth with the help they need when they need it and where they need it. We have transformed from an overnight emergency shelter to being a collaborative partner in a community of youth care leveraging more than 30 youth agencies.
In 2018, we created an in-house trauma and mental health support program with our Wellness Integration team of psychologists and support practitioners. In 2021, YESS restructured our overnight shelter program to 24/7 access. In 2023, we moved our daytime primary medical care clinic, navigation staff, and resources from the Armoury Resource Centre to our Whyte Ave building to share space with our 24/7 crisis intervention and stabilization program and reduce barriers to access for youth.
And now, as of spring 2024, we will be focusing entirely on our new 24/7 intake and assessment programming to use our expertise in what we see in the urgent need for crisis support. Because of this focus on what we do best and our consolidation of 24/7 help and safe sleeping with our resource and health supports, we are closing our Shanoa’s Place supportive housing location as of April 1, 2024, and will return the Connaught Armoury location to the City of Edmonton later this year.
None of these changes are a result of organizational emergencies, but rather a direct move towards a more strategic and intentional component of the larger Youth Agency Collaboration strategy for youth in crisis in our city and province. We have had these changes in mind for a long time and now, with a developed strategy and validating evidence, we are now in a place to make them a reality.
One thing that has stayed constant over these 43 years is the impact of our community of support. Thank you so much for continuing to advocate for youth!
YESS has been diligently working towards a new mission and vision for young people, aiming to create an environment where all young people have barrier-free access to the help they need when they need it and where they need it. Over the past seven years, we have engaged in extensive research and discussions with both youth and youth workers to better understand the needs and gaps in our system.
As part of the Youth Agency Collaboration—a group of more —we have co-developed a comprehensive strategy that not only addresses the needs of youth but also fills the gaps in our current system, paving the way for holistic wellness and measurable outcomes around life skills and wellbeing skills, rather than simply providing a list of services. A key component of this strategy is the establishment of community-based Youth Support Centres, which will offer 24/7 intake, crisis stabilization, and safe sleeping for youth 15-21, as well as daytime access to drop-in medical and mental health services, housing connections, and other resources for youth up to the age of 24. Our programs also support entry into the Youth Agency Collaboration continuum of complex care, should it be required. We will have more information about these centres and how they will support both young people and families in their communities in our May newsletter.
In alignment with our new strategic focus and commitment to excellence, we have made the decision to concentrate our efforts on what we do best. Consequently, we will be closing our supportive home program, Shanoa’s Place, shifting away from housing, and entrusting our expert partners in the Youth Agency Collaboration to continue their outstanding work in this area. We will also be moving out of the Connaught Armoury permanently, so all YESS programming will be located at our Whyte Ave building as the first YESS Youth Support Centre.
To facilitate this transition, we ceased accepting new youth for housing at Shanoa’s Place as of mid-February, with the goal of transitioning all current residents to one of our housing partners by March 31, 2024. All full-time and part-time Programs employees currently stationed at Shanoa’s Place were offered roles at our Whyte Ave location, where all YESS Programs and Facilities team members will be based starting April 1, 2024.
Additionally, after careful consideration and analysis, we have decided to return the Connaught Armoury Building (ARC) to the City of Edmonton. The ARC location, the historic space for our drop-in resource services, is not ideal for our evolving needs and is extremely costly to maintain. We believe that co-locating the Resource and Health Hub and 24/7 Help Centre into the Youth Support Centre is paramount for better efficiency and service delivery. This decision will allow us to refocus our efforts on rebuilding Whyte Ave or finding a new location for our center.
Both the closure of Shanoa’s Place and the decision regarding the ARC have always been part of our medium-term plan. We have collaborated extensively with agencies in the Youth Agency Collaboration, particularly those specializing in housing, and we firmly believe that this direction will ultimately result in improved care for the youth we serve.
We understand that change can be challenging, but we also know that the dedication of our teams across all our departments will continue to support youth with the help they need when they need it and where they need it.
Did you know that up to 75% of the YESS annual operating budget is provided for through donations like yours? This month, we talked to Eddie Gots, Chief Financial Officer at YESS, about the impact of community support and opportunities like monthly giving, and how that provides not only funding but also a sense of stability and consistency for youth and staff.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your position at YESS!
I’m the Chief Financial Officer here at YESS. I wear a lot of hats, working with Finance, Fund Development, and Marketing and Communications teams. But the way I would describe my role is I lead teams that do the behind-the-scenes work—or the work that you would see not related with working with youth in crisis—in order to provide stability and the ability and assurances for the teams doing that really difficult frontline work. That means that our Programs and Facilities teams have the confidence that they will have access to the tools and the funding that they need to do their work, and they will get the support and the awareness needed as well.
What makes monthly giving such an impactful way to support YESS?
Monthly giving gives us a sense of security and predictability. Funding from donors and community-based partners are amazing in how they support what we do and how we do it and what we can do. But what it doesn’t come with is a guarantee that someone is going to give money every time at the same time every year. And it makes it hard for us to then forecast and predict the way that we need to spend money, against how or when the money is going to come in.
Becoming a monthly donor gives us a sense of security so that we know we’re going to get that $20 every month. And then we know that this $20 cost that’s going to happen every month is going to be sustained by this $20 donation. It really takes the guesswork out of running the operations and having an idea or predicting what we will have to be able to spend so that we can be fiscally responsible, and not overspend or underspend at any given point in time. It gives us a security blanket of something that we can rely on.
How important is community support when it comes to YESS programs and 24/7 access?
To me, this takes me back to the topic of my role, doing the background work at YESS and providing that sense of sustainability and stability for the staff. The work that our teams do 24/7 in the community with youth has a lot of instability. And it’s not predictable. You can’t predict that crisis going to happen every day at 3PM or 5PM or 2AM, or on Saturday or Monday or Wednesday. It’s very unpredictable, and so what support like monthly giving does is create a security blanket that gives us an element of control, so that we can manage when the unpredictable happens.
By building in that sense of ownership and giving that type of empowerment to the staff to know that they’re going to have funds and resources available to be able to tackle things that are ever-changing gives them the ability to pivot as needed, without needing to wait for the bureaucracy, or needing to send something up the chain, or not being able to make the decision because they’re unsure of when something’s going to happen. They know what they have. They can use what they have to be able to make decisions rapidly and quickly in the best interests for youth.
What is one thing you wish the community knew about youth who access YESS?
That’s always a hard one to answer. There are lots of things that I want people to know. And it also changes depending on sometimes the day, sometimes the year, sometimes the person I’m talking to.
One thing I think I want people to know about youth who access YESS is that they are our future. When we move forward in life, and we get to positions where we might not be able to take care of ourselves, this generation is who we’re going to expect to be able to rely upon. It’s important to recognize that they’re the generation that is going to succeed us, they’re going to carry on our legacies or help us in those times of need when we can’t help ourselves any further. They deserve to have caring in that kindness now, if we’re going to expect it from them when we need it.
We are starting to prepare for the holidays, and we know you are too! We have the extreme good fortune of having a community that is excited to provide during this time of year, so we thought it would be helpful to both our generous donors and our staff who handle the donations to share some more information. Let’s call it Winter Donations 101.
The structure of our programs has changed significantly, so the times and places that we accept donations have also changed. Please follow these instructions so that youth in crisis and the staff who support them are not disrupted.
WHEN AND WHERE
Donations will be accepted at our Armoury location, at 10310 85 Avenue.
There is a parking lot at this location. Please use the back/north door.
Dates:
December 4-22, Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM
Thursday, December 14, open until 7PM
Saturday, December 16, 12PM-4PM
Thursday, December 21, open until 7PM
DONATING GENERAL WINTER ITEMS
Things we always need throughout winter are: winter jackets, waterproof winter boots, gloves, balaclavas, thermal underwear, warmer clothing, warm socks, self-activating heating pads (like HotHands), lip balm, thermal bottles, headlamps/flashlights, and thermal emergency blankets.
When donating used clothing or goods please ensure that these items are still functional and presentable. For example, a winter jacket that has a broken zipper is not effective at helping keep warm and our youth do not have the funds to have clothing patched or repaired.
Gently used items will generally go directly into our donation rooms for the youth to access right away. It is very helpful if clothing is donated washed and folded, in a recycling bag or box that is clearly marked “washed”.
New items, like clothing with tags still on, will generally be put away for use as Christmas gifts. If you are donating both, you could separate them for us and mark the new items as “Christmas gifts.” We do not give used items as Christmas gifts, with the exception of electronics.
DONATING CHRISTMAS GIFTS
If you are considering purchasing Christmas gifts for our youth and would like some guidance on how to ensure your gifts are most effective, we have compiled a list of items that are most frequently asked for. You can rest assured that if you donate something on this list it will go to a youth who has specifically requested that item and will be incredibly grateful!
Quality ear buds or headphones
Good to know: Items from dollar stores break after a couple of uses, so one $20 pair is more beneficial than 5 $4 pairs.
Brand name sweatpants and hoodies
Good to know: Men’s and women’s, especially sizes M and L. Please avoid red or grey colours due to implied gang affiliation.
Stylish sneakers and high tops (Converse, Nike, Adidas, Vans, etc.)
Good to know: For men’s, especially sizes 10-13; and for women’s, especially sizes 7-10.
Waterproof gloves
Good to know: A lot of youth are outside for long hours in freezing conditions. A high quality pair of waterproof gloves/mitts goes a long way to avoiding frostbite.
General winter gear
Good to know: Like all youth, those who access YESS want to look trendy, even in winter, so they are always grateful for stylish jackets, toques, and boots (especially sizes 10-14). Lean towards snowboarder style if you’re not sure what to choose.
Reusable water bottles and travel mugs
Good to know: Again, quality is important here as cheap bottles can leak into backpacks and soak belongings.
Smart phones, new or gently used
Good to know: Ideally compatible with a pay-as-you-go plan.
Laptops, new or gently used
Good to know: We have a lot of youth working on finishing high school or starting post-secondary. Laptops are very helpful in creating consistency for schoolwork. Laptops must be less than a year old, with a receipt, to help us avoid refurbishing/disposal costs.
Charging cables and battery packs, new or gently used
Good to know: Any variety welcome, especially portable chargers.
Backpacks
Good to know: Smaller backpacks are good to have for lighter loads, but for youth who may be experiencing homelessness, heavy duty, camper-style backpacks are invaluable.
Gift cards
Good to know: Popular options are Walmart, 7-Eleven, Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs, Sephora, Tim Hortons, McDonalds, etc.
Portable gaming systems, new or gently used
Good to know: Age appropriate for 15-24 year olds. With games, if possible.
Quality art supplies
Quality chocolates and candy
Please do not wrap Christmas gifts, as we will have to unwrap them to sort through all the donations and match items to each youth’s wishlist. You can help us by making your donation clearly organized, removing price tags, and not tucking smaller items like gift cards into larger items.
DONATING FOOD
If you are interested in donating food this season, it is most important to our kitchen team that they know what to expect and when. Please contact them ahead of time at kitchens@yess.org or calling 780.468.7070 ext. 238.
We receive a lot of turkeys during this time of year, so if you could help us diversify food donations, that would be amazing! For example, chicken, fish, pork, beef, other proteins, snacks, ready meals, or pantry items/dry goods are all good choices.
We can accept:
Donations that have been schedule with the kitchen team ahead of time. Donations arranged with the kitchen team includes perishables, extra items from catering functions that haven’t been served, etc.
Non-perishables that are unopened.
For example:
any non-perishable pantry foods, like canned foods, dried goods, granola bars, juice, etc. that haven’t been opened.
groceries with a receipt for a charitable tax donation.
perishable foods from gardens, catering companies, leftovers from events, etc. that have been pre-approved by the kitchen team.
We cannot accept:
Perishable foods that haven’t been pre-arranged with the kitchen team.
Food that has not been prepared in a commercial kitchen.
Food that is in black garbage bags, not wrapped, or have been tampered with.
Food that has been at room temperature for longer than 2 hours.
For example:
home-baked sweets and meals
opened products (pantry goods, perishables, etc.)
bread in black garbage bags
You have now graduated Winter Donations 101! Thank you for reading this and taking these ideas into consideration when donating goods this season. We are constantly blown away by the outpouring of love for our youth over winter and we can tell you firsthand from being with the youth over winter and Christmas that they truly appreciate your generosity and thoughtfulness.
If you have any questions or would like to get in touch with our team, please call 780.468.7070 or email giving@yess.org.
The EMCN RISE Awards celebrate the accomplishments of newcomers and immigrants in the Edmonton area who demonstrate outstanding commitments to creating a more welcoming and inclusive community for all and commendable service to building strong communities through social, cultural, and economic development.
The Community Champion Award recognizes an individual’s or group’s exceptional contributions to their community and their commitment to positively impacting the lives of those around them. They demonstrate exceptional leadership, collaboration, advocacy, and innovations in their efforts to strengthen community awareness for newcomer equity. This can include volunteering time, energy, and resources towards a particular cause or organization, advocating for social justice and newcomer equality, or leading community-wide initiatives to improve the newcomer community’s wellbeing.
Nneka Otogbolu, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Edmonton Community Foundation (left), presents the Community Champion Award to Delalie Mortotsi, Director of Programs at YESS (right), at the EMCN RISE Awards in October 2023
Dela’s nomination was supported by Jessica Day, Chief Programs Officer, YESS; Eman Mohamed, Compass Supervisor, YESS; Karley Spelrem, Transition Team Lead, YESS previous YESS youth; Karis Nsofor, Ethno-Cultural Capacity Building Project Manager, Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations; Tina Pye, Contracts Specialist, Alberta Children and Family Services, Government of Alberta; Belen Samuel, Edmonton change-maker.
Here are some excerpts from the nomination forms celebrating Dela’s incredible work!
From Jessica Day, Chief Programs Officer, YESS
Delalie Mortotsi (Dela) joined Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS) in 2013. During her time, she has worked in a number of roles, including Executive Assistant, Supervisor of Supportive Homes and Services, Manager of Supportive Homes and Services, and her current role, Director of Programs.
In 2017, while serving as Supervisor, Dela initiated open lines of communication with Alberta Childrens’ Services (CS), the largest funder for our supportive homes. She diligently set about building trusted relationships with various personnel, including CS contract managers, placement workers, case managers, and those working within Northern Alberta Child Intervention Services and the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate. Dela’s focused efforts played a transformative role in the system, establishing consistency, fostering communication, enhancing collaboration, and ensuring transparency about organizational and service-level obstacles. This unified approach empowered CS to gain a clearer insight into the work conducted on the front lines, enabling them to provide better support, create standardized procedures, and respond to challenges and issues with heightened efficiency and effectiveness.
Dela’s ability to tackle problems has been noted by CS as beyond impressive and has earned her a respected position where she has been consistently relied upon to guide CS’s agency-wide approach to working with agencies across Alberta.
… As a pivotal leader within YESS, Dela champions growth and development by embracing transparent communications, maintaining consistent leadership, and being open to various perspectives, ideas, and methods to tackle challenges faced by youth or staff. Her influence at YESS is multifaceted and marked by her historical understanding, extensive knowledge, flexibility, agility, and unwavering consistency. She places strong emphasis on accommodation and collaboration, aspects that permeate every layer of the organization. From personal growth and leadership to youth processes, program development, training, community engagement, and interactions with executive teams and various departments, Dela’s guidance shapes and enriches all these areas. Her leadership paints a picture of an adept and compassionate leader, steadfastly committed to the holistic well-being and success of the organization and the individuals it serves.
Dela has contributed unique expertise in supporting newcomer staff and youth within YESS. Her experience in navigating the immigration process and pathways to citizenship have been invaluable. Dela has established herself as a process expert and builds relationships with youth based on encouragement, trust, accountability, and predictability. She extends beyond merely empowering young individuals; she has skillfully created a nurturing environment where they feel at ease approaching her with any concerns or grievances. The youth know that they can count on Dela’s fairness and transparency, solidifying her role as a supportive and reliable figure in their lives. Her nuanced understanding of their needs and her authentic approach to relationship-building highlight her exceptional dedication to those she serves.
From Eman Mohamed, Compass Supervisor, YESS
Delalie (Dela) Mortotsi is an incredible Community Member, Leader, Director, and Friend to anyone who has interacted with her. Dela has been my direct supervisor for almost seven years now. In that time, I went from being a summer student to leading my own department at YESS, and realistically that is only possible because of Dela.
YESS was my first step into Youth Work. While I had worked at other agencies with vulnerable populations, YESS opened the door for me to my love of youth work. If you had asked my young self when I walked into those doors if I would still be working at this organization and be more dedicated as time passed, I probably would not have believed you. However, an incredible mentor showed me how to advocate for clients, be professional and collaborate efficiently to do meaningful work.
There are probably 100 examples I can give about Dela’s work, 100 times where she has gone above and beyond for our clients, 100 times she stayed late to solve a problem, 100 times she worked a weekend to meet clients (and staff) who needed her assistance, 100 times she learned immigration issues to provide support and knowledge to our clients, 100 times she worked programs because no one else was there, 100 times she met with new agencies to provide her expertise to foster better community relations.
From Karley Spelrem, Transition Team Lead, YESS
Beyond her role as a manager, Dela actively engages with the community, seeking opportunities to give back and make a positive impact. Whether through collaboration, organizing fundraising events, or supporting community-led projects, Dela consistently showcases her commitment to improving the lives of others.
What sets Dela apart, is her genuine belief in the power of community and her relentless effort to ensure equality, safety and the prosperity of others. She understands the importance of inclusivity, diversity, and the strength that comes from each individual’s voice. Dela actively promotes and supports initiatives that foster a sense of belonging and unity for everyone in our community, regardless of background or circumstance.
From YESS Youth
I have known Dela since I started accessing YESS as a youth. She has greatly supported me in getting housing, healthcare, and my immigration process. I first accessed YESS after my refugee claimant process was denied in 2014, and I needed emergency housing. I had just moved to Edmonton, knew no one, had insufficient funds to rent a room and had just received a letter of deportation. I first met Dela at the Armory Resource Centre. I desperately needed immigration services, and Dela and the team at YESS helped me get the ball rolling. She has been fighting in my corner ever since we sat down, and I confided in her my fears of being deported with no family to go back to, being alone in Edmonton, and starting to navigate my path. After a few months in the emergency shelter, she advocated for me to get into Shanoa’s place. I stayed until my immigration process succeeded in a permanent residency in Canada. Over my time living at Shanoa’s place, Dela connected me with numerous immigration resources and supports in the community and even education services to help me get my schooling on track. Not only was she diligent with my immigration she also encouraged me to make good decisions. At the same time, in the community, she encouraged me to keep my school on track and attend the various services YESS offers, such as cooking classes and art workshops, where I sold two paintings. One thing that stood out was that Dela encouraged me to focus on all aspects of my life even though all I wanted to do was spend all m time dealing with immigration. Dela is more than qualified for the EMCN Community Champion Award because she has made a lasting positive impact on my life. I am proud to say that I am here with the help of the team at YESS and especially Dela for being a fight in my corner even when I gave up a few times due to immigration delays or setbacks. As an adult, I genuinely treasure her honesty and authenticity with me because she was intent on the best for me and my situation, such as working with me on the letter to request funds for an immigration lawyer, applying for scholarships, getting my first apartment, and being an ear to listen. As a Black youth, navigating certain services or even feeling inadequate to apply for specific resources was challenging. Still, Dela had my back and was a great motivator when I doubted myself. And look, I successfully earned a $2000 scholarship for my first year in college and received $5000 from an immigration lawyer who helped me get my PR. I am genuinely grateful to Dela for all the work and support she has given me over the years, and even when I call and check in with her, I always share my appreciation for having her in my corner since day one. Looking back to when I was 17 years old and entering YESS for the first time, I felt ashamed for being homeless, on deportation, and with no support whatsoever. Yet after meeting Dela, I gained someone who would advocate for me in what I needed, call me out when I needed it and show care, compassion, and respect as I navigated my situation. Indeed, that is the kind of supportive human being she is, and it is deeply reflected in her work at YESS, primarily through the youth she continues to fight for, such as myself.
From YESS Youth
I have known Dela since I was 16 years old, when I moved into Graham’s Place. There were a lot of ups and downs between Dela and I at the very beginning, because she was very protective of me and I disliked having a stranger care for me in the capacity that she showed. At the end of the day she and I now have a great relationship, and that’s because now as a 22 year old I understand where she was coming from and I understand that it’s okay to allow people into your life.
Dela really showed compassion towards me and my situation right from the beginning. I was a minor in a relationship with a much older person who was not a safe person for me to be around, but I didn’t want to leave him. She was determined to break my rose-coloured glasses, and with her persistence and the leadership of her team at Graham’s Place, she succeeded in this. She never gave up on me, always had my back, told me honestly when and where and how I messed up, and showed me how to fix it, and she displayed an emormous amount of love for everybody at Graham’s.
Dela is a hard ass, but that’s one of the many things that makes her such an amazing team leader. She sees where there could be improvement and she strives to create realistic goals to meet the ultimate goal of creating a better space for youth and staff within YESS. She is a never-ending advocate for her staff and for the youth she encounters. Dela is motivated to succeed within YESS and her dedication and many years at the organization show this. She is detail oriented and organized, skills every employer runs after, and she compartmentalizes very well which is an absolute asset in this industry. As a youth, I appreciate her honesty and compassion when situations aren’t quite right and there’s limited resources. That honesty helps me because it shows on behalf of YESS that they care, and that there’s really just not much they can always do for every situation, but Dela and YESS staff always give out information for other agencies or people who might be a better fit for supporting your situation.
When I got pregnant with my daughter, Dela did everything in her power to ensure I was ready to take care of a child, being a child myself at 17. She ensured I had parenting and prenatal classes, Dela made sure I made it to all of my doctors’ appointments and supported me with clothing, a stroller and baby carrier, formula, diapers and wipes, blankets, and everything one would need to start a family. She supported me leaving my ex and becoming a single parent. She had my back every step of the journey and without her love and continuous support I would not be who I am today and my daughter would not have the life she has today.
Dela has always been a huge support in my life and as she advances in the company, it makes me proud to see that her hard work, dedication, love, compassion, empathy, and kindness has paid off within YESS. I hope to see Dela in a higher position in the future but for now I truly believe there isn’t a better fit for the position than Dela herself.
From Karis Nsofor, Ethno-Cultural Capacity Building Project Manager, Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations.
Some of my most memorable stories of Delalie involve her stepping boldly into the role of advocate for youth from immigrant and newcomer BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, people of colour] backgrounds. In her capacity at YESS, Delalie’s gift not only lies in connecting deeply with those she supports but also in facilitating impactful collaborative spaces and opportunities. Her advocacy efforts ensure that community members are wrapped around in the supports and services that they need to thrive and be actively involved in the community.
From Tina Pye, Contracts Specialist, Alberta Children and Family Services, Government of Alberta
Delalie is highly respected in her professional field, by her colleagues, community members, and most importantly by the youth she serves. I have seen her demonstrated leadership by identifying gaps in services and creating community partnerships to help fill those gaps for youth and young adults. Delalie is assertive and impactful when advocating for change. She builds healthy relationship with every person she encounters regardless of their social-economic status or position. She does not only promote inclusivity; she embodies it in her every word and action. Delalie is an indelible individual, and our community is very fortunate to have her as an active, contributing member. Delalie is a recognized leader in the movement to improve the lives of our courageous young people who rely on the interdependence of community, that Delalie relentlessly helps shape.
From Belen Samuel, Edmonton change-maker
Dela is one of the most selfless, caring, and principled individuals I have ever met. She was one of the first people I met while working at YESS: she has not only mentored me to becoming a better community service professional, but she has also informed the ways that I continue to dedicate myself to the world of community-based support services. She is the reason many community and support professionals like me see possibility beyond the impossible and in the face of limited resources and capacity.
She is not only committed to her work of making life better and essentially liveable for the lives of unhoused and societally neglected populations, but she is deeply committed to solving the precarious nature and issues of migration that uniquely affect so many refugees and immigrants of colour. The most memorable example is the case of an individual who she ensured safety and inclusion for despite and upon state requests of deportation back to the client’s country of birth. Her leadership and advocacy efforts in aligning legal services, provincial and federal consultation, and collaborative organizational teamwork not only resulted in the approved status and settlement of this client, but also made their current life of accessing higher education and supporting their own siblings despite being orphaned and abandoned in so-called Edmonton possible.
We spoke to neighbourhood members Elizabeth Showalter and Barbara McPherson, who have been involved in a community group since the summer of 2022. This group’s feedback has been instrumental in how YESS has introduced the concept of the changes in our programs in June 2023, and how we can ensure the felt safety of not only our youth, but also for our neighbours in the Bonnie Doon community where we are based.
Interview with Elizabeth Showalter
Tell us about yourself and your connection with YESS.
I live nearby the Youth Community Support Centre and first connected with YESS last summer. I’ve been able to attend clean ups and meetings to learn more about YESS, get to know staff and help maintain a relationship between the organization and the community. I’ve been working with some other neighbours and the City of Edmonton’s Neighbourhood Empowerment Team on this.
What was your opinion of the changes to YESS programs when you first heard of them?
Having learned about the mental health challenges faced by youth and the need for more supports in one place, I was glad to hear that the changes were able to fill an important gap and address some barriers that youth faced in the old model and provide more staff to support them.
How have you seen the positive impact of these changes not only for youth, but in the community?
I’ve heard that youth have been able to access more supports for mental health and I think YESS has done a good job of keeping the community informed as change has occurred.
What is one thing you wish the wider community knew about youth who access YESS? That YESS is a safe place for youth and that feeling safe is important to them.
Interview with Barbara McPherson
Tell us about yourself and your connection with YESS.
My first connection point with YESS is proximity—I live in the neighbourhood. And then last summer I got involved with the neighbourhood action community group that Elizabeth Schowalter headed up.
What was your opinion of the changes to YESS programs when you first heard of them?
I was very much in support of the new model. It is excellent to see all the resources co-located and available for youth. Now, youth don’t have to leave the building to access the most essential services, and this reduces barriers for youth in how they get help.
What is one thing you wish the wider community knew about youth who access YESS?
I found it very compelling to learn that 100% of youth who access YESS have experienced trauma. Across all the different kinds of experiences kids have had, they have this in common. This is significant, and it points to the importance of a place like YESS existing and helping youth find their way.
