YSS Participates in 2023 Washington D.C. Fly-in

In April, YSS was part of a delegation that participated in the 2023 Washington D.C. Fly-in, along with the Ames Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations.

Each year, the Ames Chamber of Commerce assembles a delegation of community, business, and institutional leaders to travel to Washington, D.C. This group presents the delegation’s federal priorities to elected officials and select federal agencies.

A donor sponsored the trip for YSS President & CEO Andrew Allen and Chief Development Officer Kara Warme. In D.C., they met with elected officials, including Sen. Chuck Grassley, Sen. Joni Ernst, and Rep. Randy Feenstra, to advocate for youth and discuss topics such as mental health and substance use.

“It was wonderful to see that our elected officials are familiar with, and appreciative of, the work YSS does to serve Iowa youth and families,” said Warme. “This trip provided a great opportunity to share updates on our Ember Recovery Campus construction and to advocate for funding and policy that can help make our programs more sustainable.”

Other organizations in the delegation included Chevron Renewable Energy Group, Iowa State University, Workiva, Keen Project Solutions, and Des Moines Area Community College.