Youth Empowerment Services (YES)

Lead Partner: Sue Sanderson

Imagine leaving home with no money, no education and a young child. More than 50% of the pregnant and parenting foster teen girls who emancipate from the foster care system at 18 face these obstacles. YES for Haven provides assistance – a twenty-bed group home and training facility known as The Salvation Army’s Door of Hope Haven Program. By providing shelter, job skills training and career guidance to these teenage mothers, we significantly reduce human tragedy by helping them become self-sufficient. YES for Haven’s goal is to help these young women find a career path and life skills that allow them to support themselves and their children long-term.

SDSVP’s three-year grant to YES for Haven has provided work readiness training, career exploration and the development of a life plan for these girls, in addition to one-on-one career guidance. In the last two years, the program assisted over 44 girls. Over 61% of them have completed an internship in an area of career interest, attended vocational school or secured a job.

“Our collaboration with SDSVP and the Door of Hope is exciting and productive. These YES for Haven young women and their children need all of the help and support we can give them.”

Marilyn Stewart, Director, YES Transition Network

“With the help of SDSVP, we have set up a Career Resource Board composed of business and community leaders. This Board will provide us with valuable employment opportunities and connections as we move forward.”

Lynn Sharpe-Underwood, Administrator, Door of Hope