Title
Congratulating and recognizing Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout for the grand opening of their Neighborhood Food Market in West Philadelphia and for their transformative work with Philadelphia's youth.
Body
WHEREAS, Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout (YEAH Philly) is a Black-led, community-based nonprofit that works with teens and young adults in West and Southwest Philadelphia who have been impacted by violence. With a focus on those labeled as having "violent histories", YEAH Philly acknowledges teens and young adults as the experts of their own lives and prioritizes pushing back against oppressive systems and addressing structural barriers that often lead to violence; and
WHEREAS, YEAH Philly was founded in 2018 by Kendra Van de Water and James Aye, who both saw a dire need for stronger youth support systems in Philadelphia. Initially growing out of volunteer workshops at neighborhood recreation centers, YEAH Philly now owns its own West Philly rowhome and provides over 500 youth per year with a safe and authentic hangout space and opportunities to change the course of their lives; and
WHEREAS, YEAH Philly emerged to address the crises that young people face in Philadelphia today. Young people in Philadelphia feel abandoned, unheard, and uncared for. They feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods, and they seek safe, free community spaces for activities, friends, love, and support; and
WHEREAS, Instead of finding these spaces, young people too often fall under the control of the juvenile justice system, which has failed to adequately serve them. Overcrowding, underfunding, poor staffing, and harmful and abusive practices plague juvenile detention centers that serve a system already fraught with deep structural issues; and
WHEREAS, The current moment requires that we reshape our juvenile justice system into something that better serves our youth and addresses the causes of violence in our city. In the endeavor to build a more just Phi...
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