Prince George’s County, MD (Nov. 20, 2018) -- Participants in Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc. in Prince George’s and Montgomery County, Md. are sharing Thanksgiving love, thanks to DeMarco Solar Clothing in Forestville Mall. DeMarco Solar donated turkeys, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and other treats, making it possible for youth to share Thanksgiving baskets with their families and join their YAP Advocates to deliver them to others in their neighborhoods.
YAP is a successful, cost-effective, community-based alternative to youth incarceration and out-of-home residential placement. A non-profit organization, YAP operates in 22 states including Maryland, and in Washington, DC, with plans to expand to communities throughout the U.S. Referrals to YAP come from family court judges and social services and behavioral health professionals. YAP partners with families, matching youth with neighborhood-based mentor-Advocates who help identify and nurture young people’s gifts and talents and empower them with tools to succeed. At the same time, YAP connects parents and guardians with resources to reinforce the entire family’s foundation.
“Partnering with DeMarco Solar for the Thanksgiving basket sharing is consistent with our belief that everyone needs access to positive people, places and activities within their community to develop their natural potential and live full, productive lives,” said YAP Regional Director Craig Jernigan. “We’re thankful to the entire team at DeMarco for embracing the positivity of our program and actively participating in such a special project. A special shout out to Metro Youth Advocate Programs Assistant Director Syl Parson and her team of Advocates for their work with the youth for making this Thanksgiving so special for so many families.”
As part of empowering youth and families with individualized toolkits and resources, YAP provides community service opportunities, paying supported-work and YAPWORX job readiness opportunities. For more information about YAP and how you can support our programs, please go to yapinc.org.