Youth Empowered Society (YES) works tirelessly to address the crisis of youth homelessness in Baltimore City, striving for the city’s youth to have access to proper services that allow them to change their lives for the better. They reached out to Community Law Center for assistance with lease negotiations at a critical time. CLC also provided board training and helped YES through nonprofit compliance matters.
YES offers youth-centered and trauma-informed programs. They also offer meals, hygiene supplies, and access to computers and phones, as well as individualized case management, education, employment support, and on-site and referral-based health services and support groups. Youth are “not just at the table; they are making decisions,” says program director, Ciera Dunlap.
Allen Blackwell, executive director of YES, said of CLC: “it’s important to have someone who has a legal background at the table, because the perspective is necessary and at the end of the day, these are all legal documents. So, to have someone who can understand language is always key; and then I’d say the second part of that is [being] able to articulate what the changes are to people is also equally important. So, that has been very helpful.” He added, “I love the fact that you don’t just serve us, you serve our clients, you serve our community.”