YSS Year End Recap 2023

Over the past year, YSS reached milestones through connecting and collaborating with people in communities across our seven locations. We’ve made huge progress on projects such as the Ember Recovery Campus and Rooftop Gardens. We’ve held multiple events honoring donors, staff, and youth in our programs.

Let’s look back on some of our major accomplishments.

Recognition Luncheon 

YSS held its 2023 Recognition Luncheon at the beginning of the year at the Gateway Hotel in Ames. The annual event celebrates YSS’s supporters, highlights the organization’s achievements, and looks to the year ahead. 

The following award winners were honored: 

Outstanding Service Awards 

These awards are given to an outstanding individual or organization in each YSS community-based center who has made a significant impact through volunteerism and service. 

• YSS Francis Lauer: Shannon Wooge 
• YSS of Hamilton County: Keith Halleland 
• YSS of Boone County: Sam Byriel 
• YSS of Marshall County: Amber Danielson 
• Iowa Homeless Youth Centers: Community State Bank 

YSS Inspiration Award: CICS 

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Ember Recovery Campus 

Construction on the Ember Recovery Campus is making progress! The new campus is being built near Cambridge, Iowa. Located in a serene, nature-based setting, Ember Recovery Campus will provide crisis stabilization, emergency shelter, and residential addiction treatment for youth and young adults.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CAMPUS

Achievement Tea 

In May 2023, Iowa Homeless Youth Centers (IHYC) hosted its annual Achievement Tea at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens. The event celebrates outstanding youth, volunteers, and community partners.

The following award winners were recognized: 

Volunteer Award: Jeffrey Pate 

Community Partner Award: GreenState Credit Union 

Youth Achievement Awards 

• Youth Opportunity Center: Treshawn 
• Rapid Re-housing: Leia 
• Lighthouse: Rontazah 
• Aftercare: Hailey 
• Post-Secondary Education Retention Program (PSERP): Abigail 

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Teen Maze 

Around 850 seventh grade students from a dozen schools in Central Iowa participated in Teen Maze in April. 

Teen Maze, which is held at the Boone County Fairgrounds, is an interactive, experiential learning event to help youth strengthen their morals and create a healthy environment. 

The event is a collaboration between YSS and the Division 11 Kiwanis Clubs of Boone, Greene, and Story Counties, helping youth learn to make the right decisions, as well as understand how consequences of their actions can affect their futures and those around them. 

“We identified professionals who help deliver the content to the youth, so they are hearing from individuals with life experience in each of the rooms,” says Jennifer Schmit, Director of Community, Youth & Family Development at YSS. 

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Colo-NESCO Kids Club Opening

In 2023, YSS Kids Club opened the ninth location in Colo-NESCO. YSS Kids Club program offers a safe, enriching place for over 600 children (grades K-6) with nine locations in eight districts for Ballard, Boone, Colo-Nesco, Gilbert, Madrid, Ogden, Roland-Story, and United. 

Licensed by the Department of Human Services (DHS), YSS Kids Club provides children with a safe and stimulating environment before/after school and during no-school days. The Story County Board of Supervisors allocated $50,000 to the project for start-up costs for the first two years. 

Marc Snavely, Superintendent/Elementary Principal, is passionate about the project, knowing how important childcare can be for both the kids and parents, and is excited to bring YSS Kids Club to the district. 

“My wife and I don’t know what we would’ve done without before- and after-school care,” Snavely said. “It was a lifesaver for us.” 

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McCay Impact Awards 

YSS honored inspiring youth at the 2023 McCay Awards in July 2023 at Reiman Gardens in Ames. 

The annual event recognizes youth and young adults who have overcome obstacles and adversity with the help of YSS programs. The awards are in honor and memory of Rose and Dale McCay, through an endowment established by their children. 

The following award winners were honored: 

• Dale McCay Award: Nate Jones 
• Rose McCay Award: Alberta Harlan 
• Perseverance Awards: Hannah Sanderson and LaRai Bennet 
• Achievement Awards: Rashauntaya Kipper and Sammuel Wilder 
• Youth Leadership Awards: CJ Christiansen and Nyssa Baggett 

 READ MORE

Rooftop Gardens 

Samanthya Marlatt was promoted to Director of Youth Empowerment and Youth Advocacy and is taking overall leadership of project. She flew to Boston and was trained by Freight Farms on urban farming. Construction is on pace to finish this year. Last month we placed the farming containers.

Rooftop Gardens will house a combination of hydroponic farms inside of a year-round functioning greenhouse, raised beds, and vertical growing techniques. A cohort of 12-16 youth will serve as apprentices each year. While in the program, participants will receive a financial stipend of $12 an hour for 30 hours each week. 

Renamed YSS of North Iowa 

In 2023, YSS renamed its community-based center in Mason City from “YSS Francis Lauer” to “YSS of North Iowa.” The new name further brings the organization in alignment with the names and overall branding of YSS’s other community-based centers that include YSS of Marshall County, YSS of Boone County, and YSS of Hamilton County. 

Next year there will be a ribbon cutting as we finish the final stages of our $4 million renovation. 

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New YSS Ambassadors 

YSS was pleased to announce the following three Iowa State University student-athletes have been named YSS Ambassadors: Jaylin Noel, Nyamer Diew, and Tamin Lipsey. As well as one Drake University student-athlete Tucker DeVries.

The YSS Ambassador Program was established in spring 2022, with Gabe Kalscheur of the ISU men’s basketball team serving as the first-ever YSS Ambassador. After legislation was passed allowing student-athletes to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness (NIL), Kalscheur wanted to use his platform for good. He partnered with YSS to represent the organization and give back to his community.  

READ MORE ABOUT ISU AMBASSADORS

READ MORE ABOUT TUCKER DEVRIES

Holiday Giving 

As we wrap up 2023 with the holiday season, our holiday giving campaign is coming to a close. Adopt-A-Family has wrapped up for this year with every single family adopted! If you didn’t get a chance to adopt a family this year, we still have giving trees at local businesses. 

You can stop by these local businesses to purchase essentials for YSS programs. See a list of locations by clicking the button below! 

• Take a tag from a giving tree. 
• Purchase the requested item. 
• Return the item (unwrapped, with the tag attached) to the giving tree. 

GIVING TREE LOCATIONS

Thank you for supporting YSS programs, families, and youth. We are so excited to see what 2024 brings.