BUILDING OUR FUTURE 2017 Annual Report
30 YEARS
HERE’S TO 30 MORE
Young people have the potential to make a real, meaningful difference in their community.
That idea sparked Youth Volunteer Corps in 1987 and began our mission to change lives and communities through volunteer service. It was a risk. Few people thought teenagers could be convinced to volunteer, but we took the chance. It was a chance worth taking. Now, 30 years later, YVC has grown from a summer program in Kansas City into an international volunteer service organization with more than 30 affiliates across North America. 300,000 youth volunteers have given nearly 5 million hours of service and have touched countless lives. They have proven young people have the potential and the passion to truly change the world. For 30 years, youth volunteers have fed the hungry, clothed the cold and lent their strength to those who needed a helping hand. We can’t wait to see all they accomplish in the next 30 years!
David Battey President and Founder
Jim Hise Board Chair
BUILDING COMPASSION Giving back by giving more
Korrine Nelson of Danbury, CT, knows hunger. She knows homelessness. She knows what it’s like to depend on the charity of others. In 2013, Korrine’s mother lost her job and her family was thrown into a state of financial insecurity. Soon, Korrine was forced to sleep in other people’s homes, eventually living in a homeless shelter for three months. During that time, she depended on charity to get things she needed like food, clothes and shoes. Later that year, her mother died, and Korrine moved to Danbury to be raised by her aunt. That’s when she found Youth Volunteer Corps and first had the chance to help others in the same way she had been helped. “I like to work with the less fortunate. I’ve gone from having money to needing donations and now being stable.” – Korrine Four years later, Korrine has become an integral part of YVC of Danbury and has even served as president of their Youth Advisory Board. The challenges Korrine has faced have inspired her to seek out and help community members who are facing challenges of their own. “That’s the biggest thing for me—giving back for everything I’ve received.” – Korrine
BUILDING COMMUNITY Volunteers come together for One YVC
This year, Youth Volunteer Corps affiliates in Philadelphia, PA, Reading, PA, and Hampton Roads, VA, took the initiative to create and execute a regional service project that exemplified the values of diversity and teamwork. After countless phone calls and hours of planning, these programs brought their youth volunteers together to tackle illiteracy in Philadelphia and Reading during their Regional Day of Service. They built Little Free Libraries in their hometowns and brought them to Reading to install in the community. They also organized a “reading carnival” and collected and distributed backpacks full of books to children who were eager to read but could not afford new books. “Throughout the year, we often remind our YVC members they are part of a larger youth network, and the Regional Day of Service brought that concept to life. We weren’t three separate YVC affiliates that day; we were simply Youth Volunteer Corps doing what we do best — sharing, serving and changing the world for the better.” – Christie Botterbusch, Program Director for YVC of Reading The YVC programs of Philadelphia, Reading and Hampton Roads were presented the “One YVC Award” during the 2017 YVC Summit in recognition of this innovative project.
Rose Jasman and Jessica Vu
BUILDING PASSION
Reaching a milestone in volunteer service Youth Volunteer Corps works to build an ethic of service in each volunteer and strives to help them find a passion for volunteering that will last a lifetime. In 2017, two volunteers reached a service milestone never before attained in YVC’s 30 years. Rose Jasman of Alpena, MI, and Jessica Vu of Calgary, AB, have found a passion for service, and they have 1500 volunteer hours to prove it. Each. “I met some of my closest friends from volunteering and our work with YVC is a passion we all share.” – Jessica For both Rose and Jessica, volunteering has become more than a weekend activity, more than a way to pass the time. To each, volunteer service now means something much more – a lifestyle that has led them to learn new things, meet new people, make new friends and find a new passion. “I will most definitely continue to volunteer. It’s not a habit one can stop easily.” – Rose Rose and Jessica are leaders in the YVC network of affiliates and will continue to inspire as they serve well into the future.
BUILDING OUR FUTURE New communities and new opportunities In 2017, YVC’s impact expanded to six new communities!
Fargo, North Dakota
St. Louis, Missouri
Lawrence, Kansas
Terrace, British Columbia
Queens, New York
Topeka, Kansas
“It was so great to see the youth volunteers grow as they taught skills to local children and helped pack and distribute food to families in Topeka. They served, they learned, and they were changed from this unique opportunity. I feel grateful to have been a part of this transforming experience and look forward to seeing the greater impact YVC will have in Topeka in the future.” – Susan Christensen, Program Director for YVC of Topeka With each of these new affiliates, YVC reaches more young people and helps them grow as they take on challenges in their communities and work to make what is broken today, better tomorrow.
YVC AFFILIATES
Making a difference throughout North America Alexandria, LA • Alpena, MI • Anderson, SC • Ann Arbor, MI • Baton Rouge, LA Billings, MT • Calgary, AB • Cedar City, UT • Charleston, SC • Cleveland, OH Corvallis, OR • Danbury, CT • Des Moines, IA • Fargo, ND Farmington Hills, MI • Grand Prairie, TX • Hampton Roads, VA Kansas City, KS/MO • Lawrence, KS • Manhattan, KS • Muskogee, OK Omaha, NE • Philadelphia, PA • Plymouth, MI • Queens, NY • Racine, WI Reading, PA • Sioux City, IA • Southgate, MI • St. Joseph, MO • St. Louis, MO Staunton, VA • Terrace, BC • Topeka, KS
Thank you for helping build our future in these communities and beyond.
2017 BY THE NUMBERS
Impacting youth and the communities they serve
109,930 Volunteer Hours 5,224 Youth Volunteers 3,728 Projects
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
say they want to volunteer again
say they can relate to people who are different from them
Front: Laurie Sepanski • Melanie Tucker, Treasurer Margi Pence • Peggy Dunn, Vice Chair Back: Tristen Caudle • Cathi Duchon • Mark Tatum, Secretary Stephanie O’Connell • David Battey • Jim Hise, Chair Vicki Clark • Lisa Rinehart Hoffman • Elizabeth Potterf
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Program Expenses
Contributions 5.8% Corporations
2.6% Other
7.7% Affiliates 13.6% Fundraising
79.9% Programming
6.5% Management
9.9% Individuals 12.8% Federal Grants
61.2 % Foundations
Income & Expenses
Assets & Liabilities
Income: $1,684,940* Expenses: $796,915 Net Income: $888,025
Assets: $1,686,611 Liabilities: $27,938 Net Assets: $1,658,673
*Includes pledges for future years
Decades of Quality Service Youth Volunteer Corps values high quality programming. Research has shown that if their first experience with volunteering is not positive, youth may be turned off from service forever.
n u l o V h t u r o u Y o 0 H 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 3 0 0 , e l 5 nt
Since 1987, Youth Volunteer Corps projects have been designed to support transformation in youth volunteers while keeping them engaged and excited. Nearly 30 years later, the impact is clear with big numbers backing up YVC’s model of youth service.
u o C
s r e e e c t i n v r e d S e f g o n s r ha u
e
i L ss
C s e v 94
%
In surveys of youth volunteers who have served at least 30 hours with YVC:
94
%
say their work ethic say they relate better to people has improved different from themselves
95
%
say they want to volunteer again
HOW YOU CAN HELP THANK YOU for believing in youth! Interested in doing more to help out? Here’s how:
Volunteer
Youth between the ages of 11 and 18 are encouraged to volunteer with YVC. Adult volunteers are also needed throughout the year to help with event planning, administrative duties and more. Contact info@yvc.org to get involved.
Connect
Do you know a community that could benefit from meaningful youth service opportunities? Contact us at info@yvc.org to tell us about a community that needs a YVC program. Most YVC affiliates launch as a program of an existing organization such as YMCA, United Way, Parks and Recreation, etc., so it’s especially helpful if you have contacts at a similar organization.
Share
Are you inspired by the compassion, energy and wisdom of our nation’s youth? Share their stories with others! Find us on social media on Facebook (facebook.com/youthvolunteers), Twitter (@yvolunteercorps) and Instagram (@youthvolunteercorps).
Give
Empower even more youth to set solid foundations in their lives and in their communities by donating. Visit yvc.org/donate to give today.
1025 Jefferson Street Kansas City, MO 64105 816-472-9822 • YVC.org