Title
Honoring and recognizing Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout (YEAH) Philly for its work advancing community-based violence prevention, youth leadership, and healing-centered engagement with Black youth in Philadelphia.
Body
WHEREAS, The Council of the City of Philadelphia recognizes that too many teens and young adults in our City are impacted by violence, criminalization, and longstanding disinvestment, and that truly safe communities are strengthened through prevention, healing, opportunity, and youth leadership; and
WHEREAS, Recognizing the increase in violence among young people and the absence of culturally relevant, teen-focused organizations, YEAH Philly was founded in 2018 by Kendra Van de Water and James Aye, community leaders committed to centering Black youth voice and advancing healing-centered approaches to violence prevention; and
WHEREAS, Understanding the correlation between poverty, limited opportunity, and violence, YEAH Philly provides services that address both the immediate and long-term needs of teens and young adults, particularly during evening hours when violence is most prevalent, offering consistent safe spaces, mentorship, therapeutic support, and structured programming designed to promote stability, accountability, and growth; and
WHEREAS, YEAH Philly primarily serves Black youth ages 15 to 24 who have been impacted by violence or are at heightened risk, providing basic needs support, conflict resolution services, workforce opportunities, and pathways toward leadership and community engagement; and
WHEREAS, Through violent intervention initiatives, legal advocacy support, paid employment and skill-building opportunities, peer mediation and conflict resolution programming, know-your-rights education, and youth-led research and storytelling, YEAH Philly engages approximately 400 young people annually, equipping them with tools to heal from harm, resolve conflicts constructively, and build leadership capacity; and
WHER...
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