Re-opening of YEPP Programs and Services  

After taking a small collective pause to assess, learn, restore, and restructure our organizational infrastructure, we are now ready to re-open a number YEPP's programs and services!  

 

Now open:

Resource and Healing Advocacy  RHA

We support participants with necessary resources pertaining to housing, employment, education, clothing, physical health, medical services, legal services, obtaining vital records, and other basic needs.  Even though this resource wasn't fully pause as we continued supporting participants we already had relationships with, we are currently welcoming new participants into our work.  If you are a young person in need of this support, or would like to refer a young person to us, you can email us at info@WeSayYEPP.com or redirect the person to our space located on 835 W. Addison St. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-5pm (no appointment needed).    

 

Chicago Youth Mutual Aid  CYMA

This is an effort born from the collaboration of five Black and Brown grassroots led organizations in Chicago serving youth and their families: Assata's Daughters, Chicago Freedom School, Circles & Ciphers, Street Youth Rise Up and YEPP. In the CYMA closet you will find casual and interview clothing, shoes, underwear, hygiene supplies, cleaning supplies, school supplies, baby supplies, household items, and much more.  We will provide this service during our Community Drop-In Arts Program (see below), on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1-5pm, at our space.  If you can't come during those days and times, you can email us at info@WeSayYEPP.com to schedule an appointment.    

 

Community Drop-In Arts Program  C-DAP

This is a structure in place to support participants to receive basic resources such as showers, restrooms, laundry, food, clothing, hygiene supplies, and a place to rest.  During this time participants will be able to access Resource and Healing Advocacy services around: getting State ID, legal referrals, support in resume and cover letter building, among others.    

 

Opening soon:

September 2023

Healing Performance Program (HPP) 

Over a course of 9 months, youth move through a creative process of healing, self-discovery, and life building that results in a self-developed theatrical production.  This program closes with community performances of the production and possible opportunities to travel regionally and nationally while creating awareness about issues surrounding LGBTQI+ youth homelessness and its intersections.     

 

March 2024

Leadership Program (LP)

This is a 7-month paid leadership development program that creates opportunities for participants to learn, develop, and practice leadership skills using YEPP’s unique model of community engagement and healing through creative expression. The focus of the program will be on providing in-depth training to participants in the following anti-oppression & liberation frameworks:

• Harm Reduction

• Trauma Responsiveness

• Transformative Justice

• Restorative Justice

• Education for Liberation

If you have any questions about any of our programs and services, don't hesitate to contact us at info@WeSayYEPP.com

 

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Searching for an Internship?  

As part of the revamping process of our programs and services, we are looking for students that are interested to learn how to do healing and community building work through the expressive arts and liberation based frameworks to join our team.    

We are looking for: 

1. Resource and Healing Advocate- this intern has primary responsibilities to connect participants with resources and opportunities to get to the next level of self-sufficiency and stability; develops and sustains relationships with partner organizations and community agencies to increase resources and services for members; and provides resource advocacy and trauma-healing support to assigned young people.   

2. Services Support Specialist-  this intern is responsible for providing in-person support to programmatic and services efforts; support young people navigating our supportive services such as: Chicago Youth Mutual Aid (CYMA), food efforts, laundry and shower services, among others. The Services Support Specialist will also facilitate workshops and/or conversations with young people during the Community Drop-In Arts Program. 

 

For more information, connect with our Director of Services Theo Alexander Sullivan at TheoAlexander@WeSayYEPP.com

 

​Becoming a Volunteer 

As part of the revamping process of our programs and services, we are looking for new volunteers!  If you feel connected with our mission in supporting LGBTQI+ youth experiencing homelessness, and have some time capacity to do some volunteer work, below we have three positions that we are in current need and we invite you to highly consider:    

• Family Meals and/or Groceries- the person or group of people that would like to be a part of this opportunity will provide a hot meal to share food and conversation prior to our youth programming.  If not able to join youth participants and staff members for a family meal, you can still provide the food or consider getting groceries for our Community Kitchen. 

• Transport Support- As part of our mutual aid effort known as Chicago Youth Mutual Aid, we are usually in need of community members that can transport donations from our space to young people's living spaces.  Occasionally, we also need transportation support to bring supplies for our events. 

 

More Opportunities

We also have additional volunteer opportunities you might consider on the Get Involved page.  Apply for any of these positions using our Volunteer Application Form, and a team member will reach out to you with next steps. You may email questions to info@WeSayYEPP.com

We're in Need of Your Donations Support! 

We are currently searching for donations for the Chicago Youth Mutual Aid CYMA closet.

 

What is CYMA?

The Chicago Youth Mutual Aid, best known as CYMA, is an effort born from the collaboration of five Black and Brown grassroots led organizations in Chicago serving youth and their families: Assata's Daughters, Chicago Freedom School, Circles & Ciphers, Street Youth Rise Up and Youth Empowerment Performance Project.

 

Where to start

Link with our Master list of Needs, which are directly requested by community members.  You can also access the list above under the case sensitive link: bit.ly/CYMANeedsList.  If you would like to coordinate a donation drive to bring communities together, you can access this Donation Drive Guide and/or connect with our Director of Services Theo Sullivan at TheoAlexander@WeSayYEPP.com    

 

Spread the love, spread the word! 

Go ahead and pass this information to other community members and/or collectives you may know.  The more the word is spread out, the more needs we can meet among Black and Brown, trans and gender expansive young people and their families. 

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