At Youth Services of Tulsa, we believe everyone deserves a second chance. This is your opportunity to experience the prom of your dreams, while giving vulnerable young people the second chance they deserve to achieve their potential.

Join us for a magical evening of dancing, games, delicious food, and fun – all while supporting the innovative and proven programs of YST!

Tickets and Sponsorships now Available!

www.yst2ndchanceprom.com

With your help, the holiday season was brighter for young people facing homelessness and other challenges. Caring organizations and individuals like you gave Gifts of Hope to nearly 500 youth! Thanks to the generosity of our community, we raised more than $12,000 to ensure every wish list was filled.

Organizations like QuikTrip, Global Holdings, Mix96.5, ONEGas, Apex Title and Closing Services, Darby Equipment, Fellowship Congregational Church UCC, and New Haven United Methodist Church came through in big ways by adopting multiple youth, providing delicious meals, and donating other special gifts for our young people.

Last but not least, Gifts of Hope would not be possible without the helping hands of caring volunteers like those from John A. Marshall, Johnson Rouse & Associates, and all the individuals who generously donated their time.

Thank you for filling our youths’ hearts with joy and hope!

Fulfill a Wish List and Fill a Youth’s Heart with Joy Although many people consider the holiday season the most wonderful time of the year, others struggle to make it through each day. Many young people who turn to YST for help are facing the holidays alone. Others will spend the cold winter months without a warm coat and no safe place to stay. You can change that by giving Gifts of Hope. When you “adopt a youth” for the holidays, you’ll receive a personalized wish list, including essential items and a fun gift to make the holidays seem brighter. You’ll learn the youth’s favorite colors, sizes, style preferences (and even their favorite snacks!). Please make a young person’s holiday wishes come true. No time to shop? Simply make a cash donation, and we'll send our elves to the store with a shopping list to ensure no youth is left behind. Learn more about Gifts of Hope or make a cash contribution in any amount at www.yst.org.

Thank you to Bank of Oklahoma, EY, Global Holdings, Hall Estill, Hillcrest, Hilti, Magellan, and Tulsa Remote who adopted us on this fantastic day.

Pictured Above: Tulsa Remote beautifying Street Outreach center, Magellan building picnic tables for Transitional Living apartments, Hall Estill organizing move-in kits for recently housed youth, Hillcrest cleaning our Youth Clinic, Hilti planting flowers in our Shelter garden, Global Holdings processing furniture donations for Transitional Living apartments, EY organizing clothing donations for homeless youth, BOK purchased and packed portable meals for Street Outreach

Backpacks and school supplies are needed by youth in many of YST programs.

See our full wishlist at https://www.yst.org/wishlist

Please deliver items to our reception desk at 311 S. Madison Ave. Tulsa, OK 74120

Business hours Mon - Thu: 9:00 - 5:00 & Fri: 9:00 - 4:00

If you are part of a group that would like to host a collection drive, please contact Caroline Olsen, Community Relations & Events Coordinator at colsen@yst.org or 918.382.3461.

Check below for dates within the next 12 months

For more information, check out our Facebook Event

Join us May 16th as we celebrate National Barbecue Day with Dead Armadillo Craft Brewing. This event will showcase great local music, food, and beer, all for a good cause! Proceeds benefit YST and our effort to make a positive impact on the lives of Tulsa area youth. Click the logo above for more information!

Plan now to join us for a fun evening in support of Youth Services.

Tickets, sponsorships and more information are available on www.yst.org/gala2023

We appreciate everyone who helped make Gifts of Hope happen this year! Over 400 youth were adopted, whose gifts were fulfilled in full over the last couple of weeks by our generous Tulsa community.

Shout out to QuikTrip for adopting 100 youth, and Darby Equipment Company, who adopt 25 youth every year!

We would also like to thank our diligent volunteers, who help our staff in Santa's Workshop by wrapping presents, sorting incoming gifts, decorating, and so much more. Thank you Ferguson Buick GMC Superstore for sending us volunteers every morning and afternoon for nearly the entirety of Gifts of Hope. Thank you Johnson Rouse & Associates, PLLP (pictured first), who come into our giftshop on the last day every year, where they organize, sort, and deliver the final gifts.

We look forward to Gifts of Hope 2023. Until then, happy holidays to everyone and a big thank you from the youth clientele and staff here at YST!

On September 16th, Tulsa Area United Way mobilized thousands of volunteers for an annual Day of Caring. During the community-wide event, volunteers from companies and organizations from across the Tulsa area dedicated themselves to performing both in-person and remote community service projects throughout the area. At YST, over 100 volunteers from 8 different companies worked throughout the day making our campus and offsite facilities sparkle.

Thank you to BOK, Ernst & Young, Gallagher, Hall & Estill, Hillcrest, ONEOK, Ryerson, and TCC who adopted us on this fantastic day.

Clockwise from Top Left: TCC gives our outreach van a thorough scrubbing inside and out • ONEOK dusts, vacuums and sanitizes all offices, and meeting rooms • Hillcrest landscaping YST owned apartment complexes • Gallagher Insurance organizes our Outreach clothing closet •Bank of Oklahoma bought supplies for, and packaged over 900 on-the-go meal bags • Ernst & Young trimming hedges and laying mulch on YST's main campus • Hall & Estill organizing our Transitional Living Program's warehouse • Ryerson Metal organizes our mailroom by sorting classroom and art supplies

Over the weekend, the Tulsa World ran a front page series focused on youth homelessness. Our staff contributed significantly to the series. Several were quoted and YST was highlighted.

The authors did a great job of describing and discussing the complex issues and challenges around youth homelessness, and making it personal with two youth stories.

Check out this article and more:

‘Homelessness in the shadows’: Youth population, though less visible, drives surge in Tulsa

Services of Tulsa is accepting applications for its 2022-2023 Youth Advisory Board (YAB). The YAB provides excellent leadership opportunities for young people who review and inform YST programs while representing YST in the community as youth ambassadors. YST provides YAB members with leadership development and teambuilding skills, as well as community service hours and references for college entrance, scholarship applications, and job applications.

YAB members are expected to model YST’s core values. The YAB typically meets twice monthly on Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons. Additional meetings may be called for special projects and events.

Interested youth, ages 15-22, can learn more and apply online at www.yst.org/yab. Applications are due by August 31.

Join us for this cornhole tournament sponsored by Ferguson Kia for the benefit of Youth Services of Tulsa.

Find a friend and sign up for the doubles tournament! During the competition there will be a live DJ, prize raffles, a bounce house, dunk tank, a long throw competition and The Okie Lemon food truck serving a special menu. All proceeds go toward YST!

• Event coordinated by Keegan Sanders at Ferguson Kia

• Benefiting Youth Services of Tulsa

• Fri, June 24, 6:00-9:00 PM at Ferguson Kia

• 1501 N Elm Pl, Broken Arrow

• Event entry is free

• $25 doubles tournament entry fee

• Prize Raffles OkieLemon Food Truck, bouncy house, dunk tank, music, and info/resources for youth & families

For More information or to sign up, please check out their Facebook Event Page

Plan now to join us for a fun evening in support of Youth Services.

Tickets, sponsorships and more information are available on www.yst.org/events

When you give to Youth Services through a direct transfer from your IRA, you reap tax benefits and improve the lives of at-risk and homeless youth across our community.

If you are at age 70½ or older, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), also known as IRA Charitable Rollovers, are a savvy way you can use your IRA to maximize your charitable impact. Because the check is sent directly from the IRA to the charity, it allows you to exclude the amount from taxable income.

Here are a few important details you need to know:

• You must be at least 70 1/2 years old when you make your gift.

• The gift must be made from an IRA – no other retirement plans, such as a

401k, 403b or SEP account, qualify.

• Your gift must be paid directly from your IRA to the charity or charities.

• Although it does not create a tax deduction, your IRA distribution will be

free from income tax.

• Your distribution gift must be postmarked no later than December 31,

2021 to qualify for the 2021 tax year.

• The annual QCD limit is $100,000 per account holder.

To make an IRA charitable rollover gift, simply contact your IRA plan administrator and direct them to make a distribution to your favorite charities. Youth Services is happy to provide you a sample letter of instruction you can send to your plan provider.

For more information on how you can use your IRA to benefit Youth Services, contact Suzy Sharp, Director of Development at 918-382-4401 or sharp@yst.org.

“I am so proud of these young people who share their time and expertise to help their peers, while continuously striving to model YST’s core values in their own lives and through their work on the YAB,” said Brian Young, Community Relations Coordinator and advisor to the YAB. Many of these youth lead extraordinarily busy lives, which makes their dedication to YST all the more inspiring.

Members of the YAB include Caroline Briggs, Evan Burns, Estrella Dominguez,

Thomas Espinosa, Paytin Ginn, Georgia Gleason, Yolanda Guerrero,

Brandon Hawkins, Ivan Herrera, Marley Hutchins, Alexa Rodriguez,

Lily Stuckey, Maya Woods, Mia Woods, and Racheal Yadon.

The morning starts off with stretches before agencies

split up to focus on their respective projects

Reading partners dusting and

wiping down surfaces in offices

A-Best Roofing cleaning all the gutters on

the main building

Bank of Oklahoma putting together over 800 meal kits to be distributed to Homeless Youth

Blue Cross Blue Shield sorting and hanging

up clothing in the Youth Drop-in Center's

Clothing Closet

Simmons Bank pouring sod at an off-site Transitional Living apartment complex

TTCU and part of their 30 committed

volunteers trimming and sharpening

the Landscape around the entire campus

Magellan Midstream Partners Making the

Youth Shelter sparkle

ONEOK cleaning and organizing the donations

that are stored in our warehouse

Ramsey Industries gardening/mulching at an apartment complex in Midtown

YST's Youth Court program is accepting applications for the '21-'22 school year. Youth Court provides an opportunity for 9th-12th graders to serve as members of a court for young people who have committed offenses in our community. Court members include three judges, a prosecuting attorney, clerk and bailiff. If you know of a youth who is interested in law and legal proceedings, and helping their peers get a second chance, please have them fill out an application on our website, or attend our training class on Thursday, October 21, 6:00-7:00pm at Youth Services, 311 S Madison. Click here for more information/application.

Brett Peterson, a Boy Scout in Troop 10 and Junior at Broken Arrow High School, chose YST as the benefactor of his Eagle project. One of the final requirements of the highest rank, includes an extensive service project that the Scout plans, organizes, leads and manages. Brett donated 50 backpacks filled with personal care products, first aid kits, and house keeping items. "I chose this project because these resources might not be readily available to other youth," Brett Said. The majority of the donation was donated by scouts, parents, and other community members. These items will go a long way toward helping at risk youth in the Tulsa area.