Every dollar goes directly to supporting Edmonton youth in crisis.
"YESS has helped me a lot when I was down and out, and even when I started trying to make changes. They were supportive through a lot of phases of my life. I’ve suffered, lost and gained a lot over my life, but overall I think I’m successful. I’ve got my own place, am 9 months clean and I have a job. All that hard work has paid off."
"[At YESS], I made friends and started to bond with the staff. There were rules to follow and chores to do, but I found that these were teaching me how to be an independent adult.
Being surrounded by supportive, non-judgmental staff changed everything. Within eight months I got a job, started saving money, and accessed Student Aid programs to continue my education."
The staff at YESS treated me in a way that everyone else in my life was not able to - with dignity and respect. Their attitude towards me helped to nurture something inside me that was rapidly dying. As a troubled teen it was easy to start seeing yourself the way the rest of the world sees you - as worthless - and without the YESS staff I can’t imagine how I ever would have found the belief in myself to move forward."
“They helped me with every single thing. They were my support. They gave me the energy and the courage to make better choices. They encouraged me. At the time I thought all the things they wanted me to do were so small, but all those little choices were so good for me.”
"When I found YESS, I was taken in and given a safe place. I was never one to trust easily but something just felt right. A youth worker showed me how capable I was and taught me how to take responsibility for my actions and take control in my life. At YESS I slowly stopped abusing drugs. I was allowed to be sad and I was allowed to be heard. I was allowed to feel; something I had never experienced before. I stopped self-harming and I developed healthy boundaries."
"At YESS I learned to stand up for myself and I found myself. I learned who I really am and I’m still learning. I’m a lot more confident than before. I’ve also learned how to take care of myself."
“It was actually a lot better than I expected. I met staff who talked to me about my experiences and made me feel a bit better. They encouraged me to stay in school while I was staying in shelter. It was nice to have this place that I knew was a good option for me.”
"YESS helped me realize that I wasn’t just born to be a homeless person. That has been the hardest thing for me to do, is to change that mindset. When you are homeless it feels like you are worthless. Every day I am working to get rid of those feelings. The staff at YESS, they care."
“Being able to find my way with the help of YESS allowed me to still be here to write this. Every day, I wake up with gratitude. I have lost so many people along the way, but I am still here. Without places like YESS, I might not be.”
