Celebrating the superpowers of youth
This year, Youth Eastside Services (YES) held its annual Invest in Youth Event virtually on May 6, 2021, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.
Virtual attendees grabbed their superhero capes and joined YES for a night of inspiration and hope in celebration of the resilience and strength of youth in our community.
An inspiring program
Elisa Jaffe, Anchor for KOMO News Radio was our wonderful host and had an enlightening conversation with YES CEO David W. Downing about how youth have been affected during the pandemic. Special guest and mental health advocate, Mike Veny, shared his story of struggling with mental health as a child and how he found recovery through drumming. Pari and YES counselors shared their stories offering a glimpse into the lives of youth struggling with mental health.
“The event was so inspiring and authentic. I think authenticity can be hard to portray virtually, so kudos to all! Every speaker was engaging and the flow was seamless,” said attendee and Board of Trustee member Cortny Bourbonnais.
Even if you missed the event, you don’t have to miss out. A recording of the entire program is available to watch on the 2021 Invest in Youth Event webpage.
Support of our community
Thanks to the generous community of supporters that made a donation leading up and during the event, over 5,000 children, youth and families will receive critical mental health and substance use services at YES, regardless of their ability to pay. But we’re not done yet! You can still be a superhero by ensuring that ALL children, youth, and families have access to critical mental health and substance use counseling. We are $42,901 away from reaching our goal of $800,000. We need your help to close that gap! The Invest in Youth campaign will continue until May 13th and you can make your tax-deductible donation by clicking here.
New this year, many YES supporters took their passion for youth mental health one step further by becoming fundraisers. Fifty-eight fundraisers used their creativity and inspiration to make their own campaign pages. They invited their family, friends, and colleagues to join them in support of children and youth struggling with critical mental health and substance use challenges, and together they were able to raise over $160,000 towards the $800,000 goal.
Special thanks
A special thanks to the Champions of Youth Giving Circle Members, who matched all donations of $500 and above 1:1, which will support twice as many children and you. Also a thank you to our generous sponsors who extend a lifeline to struggling children, youth, and families in East King County by underwriting the cost of care for mental health and substance use services.