FALL 2024
MIDDLE TENNESSEE
FAMILY VICTORIES FROM YOUTH VILLAGES
MIDDLE TENNESSEE
YOUTH RECOGNIZED FOR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
• GOLF TOURNAMENT SETS RECORD
• INTERCEPT ® HELPS SOLVE THE PUZZLE
• TITANS QUARTERBACK SURPRISES GROUP HOMES
• TENNESSEAN FEATURES LIFESET ™ STORY ALSO IN THIS
FROM YOUTH VILLAGES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dear Friends,
Thanks to each of you — our volunteers, donors, partners and community members — more than 17,000 families received services from Youth Villages community-based programs across our region in the 2024 fiscal year. Your support has been the foundation of our families’ progress and will continue to be crucial as we continue to expand our services throughout Middle Tennessee.
Adoptions are one of the most exciting occasions we get to be part of in our work, and this past fiscal year, we celebrated 37 children finding permanency and a forever home through adoption.
Our primary area of growth for the next year is to recruit and train more foster parents. Our goal is to minimize disruptions in a child’s life once they enter the foster care system, placing them in a loving home with their siblings in their school district, which will require more foster homes of varying sizes in all counties across our region.
Our LifeSet program continued to help young adults transition into independent living with greater stability and hope for the future. One of our participants, Tristan, wrote an inspiring piece about his journey from foster care to the Ivy League, which we’ve included in this newsletter. Every year in Tennessee, around 1,000 young adults turn 18 while in foster care, and our goal is to continue expanding this program until every one of them has the support system needed to thrive.
I am also proud to share that our Specialized Crisis Team, which manages the statewide hotline for youth experiencing mental health crises, fielded more than 10,000 calls and enhanced their follow-up program. And for those youth who needed inpatient psychiatric care, the team reduced the amount of time it took for them to be admitted.
Together, we are making a profound difference in the lives of those we serve. We look forward to another year of growth, impact and positive change.
Brittany Farrar EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MIDDLE TENNESSEE PROGRAMS brittany.farrar@youthvillages.org
615-250-7322
Meredith Forehand, Chair
Elaina Brintnall
Scott Brisson
Josh Corey
Jason Egly
Stephen Francescon
Matthew Gann
Bill Hamburg*
Chuck Hoelscher
Jackie Huser
Ben Madonia
*Honorary board
Dianna Maher
Sarah Mickle
Shannon Millen
Adam Nickas
Helen Roudi
Bailey Saunders
Tony Sharpe
Lisa Small*
Betsy Walkup*
Youth Villages is a national leader in mental and behavioral health committed to finding the most effective solutions to help children, families and young adults overcome obstacles and live successfully. Working through direct services, partnerships with innovative public agencies and advocacy, we collaborate to bring positive change to child welfare, children’s mental health and justice systems. Our 4,500 employees serve more than 43,000 children and young adults in more than 100 locations in 27 states and the District of Columbia. Youth Villages has been recognized by the Harvard Business School and U.S. News & World Report and was identified by The White House as one of the nation’s most promising results-oriented nonprofit organizations.
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A record-breaking $100,000 was raised at Youth Villages Middle Tennessee's 13th annual golf tournament, all of which will go to support young people in the region's LifeSet program.
Across Tennessee, approximately 1,000 young adults turn 18 while in foster care each year, and LifeSet supports these individuals as they transition into adulthood by helping them find safe housing, achieve stable employment, continue their education, learn to manage their mental health issues and more.
The sold-out event, presented by Thomas & Company, was hosted at The Governor’s Club for 120 golfers who were eager for the opportunity to play in support of these young
how the program helped connect her with financial aid, housing and a vehicle while she pursued higher education at Tennessee State University to be a dental hygienist.
The Youth Villages team in Middle Tennessee would like to extend their gratitude to the sponsors for making this event a smashing success and all the golfers for sticking out the rain!
THOMAS & COMPANY
SNELL MANUFACTURING
AMERICAN
NASHVILLE READY MIX
More than 70 young adults with experience in the foster care system in Middle Tennessee gathered to celebrate graduations ranging from HiSET (high school equivalency) to master's degrees.
“It’s a big accomplishment toward my goals,” shared Jaleel, who spent the last eight years in foster care and graduated this spring from John Overton High School. “Because my mom was always gone, my social worker treated me like her own and inspired me to do the same, so I’m going to college to be a social worker.”
Without support, young people who age out of the foster care system are more likely to be homeless, less likely to complete their education and less likely to earn a living wage. But with comprehensive services like those provided by the LifeSet program at Youth Villages, those outcomes drastically improve.
Donald Reed, chef and food service director of TRIO Community Meals, and Zoe Sneed, barber and entrepreneur, both aged out of foster care at 18 and encouraged the group as the ceremony’s featured speakers.
“Y’all got this far, and it’s the first step,” Reed shared. “Things won’t get easier, but it will get less hard. Accept help from genuine people. Every time I got knocked down, I had someone in my corner help me get back on the right path, and I don’t know where I’d be without them.”
As the graduates crossed the stage, the announcer shared everyone's goals for their future. Many plan to pursue careers in education, criminal justice or the trades. Some are less specific in their career plans but know they want to have a family and build generational wealth.
“Don’t let the fact that you were in foster care define you,” Sneed added. “Look yourself in the mirror and know you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. And surround yourself with people who care.”
All the graduates got a kickstart on independent living by having a professional headshot taken and receiving their own laptop, as well as a laundry basket full of essential household items such as toiletries, kitchenware and cleaning supplies. A vendor fair hosting organizations focused on affordable housing, continued education options, job placement services and more ensured the young adults connected with more resources to help them succeed as they transition to their next phase of life.
Five lucky individuals even drove home in a new car from Church of the City’s CARS ministry.
“I worked hard to get here, and it feels good to be celebrated and know I did something right,” said Autumn, who graduated from Hunters Lane High School and will start classes at Nashville State Community College to study art in the fall.
The event was held at Church of the City in Franklin, Tennessee, hosted by the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, Youth Villages and Bridge Family Ministries, with financial support from the Advance Financial Foundation and the Speyer Family Foundation.
LIFESET GRADUATE TRISTAN SLOUGH HAS COLUMN PUBLISHED IN THE TENNESSEAN
Ten years ago, I was sitting in a juvenile detention cell in East Tennessee alone, wondering if I would get home in time to start high school.
Read Tristan’s full article about his journey navigating adulthood, higher education and the impact LifeSet had on his success.
I wouldn’t. I actually never made it back home. I entered the custody of the state, spending years in juvenile justice and foster care placements. Eventually, I turned 18 in a Nashville group home and exited the system — alone.
And yet, this year, I am celebrating graduating from Columbia University with my masters of Social Work.
I'm not alone anymore, either...
waterslides, obstacle courses and hamburgers. But this year, there also was a surprise as Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis joined in the festivities.
Levis threw the football with them, answered questions about football and his career, enjoyed dinner, signed autographs and kept his promise of going down the waterslide — many times.
When youth live in a group home setting, they miss out on certain childhood summer experiences like vacations and summer camp. So Youth Villages prioritizes outings like hiking or going to the movies to ensure they still make happy memories.
This event, of course, was one-of-a-kind. Each youth received brand-new shoes and a backpack from Levis’ sponsor, NOBULL. The backpacks were filled with Tennessee Titans gear and other essential items.
Thanks to our host, UnitedHealthcare, for hosting and making this event possible! Additional thanks to River Run Farm for the use of its property; The Ridge for donating dinner; and Doug and Dolly’s Cookie Cottage for providing dessert for the youth and volunteers.
Titans Quarterback Will Levis signed autographs for the Nashville group homes youth at their summer cookout.
A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
615 Ventures
AHEAD
TechnologyAdvice
Nashville Ready Mix
Rogers Group Inc.
The Churchill Foundation
Donelson-Hermitage Exchange Club
AND WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT OUR VOLUNTEER GROUPS
Jackson
The ICEE Company
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
OneOncology
Advance Financial
Ricoh USA, Inc.
Crye Leike Realtors
AllParts Medical
FOX 17/WXMI TV
Mt. Juliet Senior Center
For a long time, Stacy had worried her 12-year-old son, Jay, would be removed from her home. Despite Jay being very social, active among his peer group and good at engaging with other kids his age, he was often physically aggressive at home, struggled with substance use, general delinquency and was destroying items in his home.
Jay struggled daily to regulate his emotions. As Stacy watched his dysregulation progress, she also watched her family deteriorate. Although the family had multiple providers in place to help, Stacy felt none were making progress.
When Stacy and Jay were enrolled in the Youth Villages intensive in-home services program, Intercept, the first thing Jay’s clinical supervisor, Roberto, did was create a safety plan for his aggression. He taught the family the ‘exit and wait’ strategy which helps families identify their child’s triggers and warning signs before they become dysregulated so caregivers can intervene proactively and empower him to take space to self-regulate. The exit and wait strategy also is family focused so Stacy; his father, Jay Sr.; and his sister all participated in planning and identifying their warning signs, triggers and safe spaces.
As the family learned to employ their safety plan, they recognized although they could now successfully prevent Jay’s escalations, they were struggling to communicate about problems as a family. Family Intervention Specialist Melissa worked with the family on Collaborative Problem Solving, a strategy that focuses on building skills like flexibility, frustration tolerance and problem solving. They made a concentrated effort to discuss their concerns with Jay and provide him with a voice when they discussed incidents. They included him in the planning when they felt he needed appropriate consequences. Jay responded incredibly well to this. Feeling like his parents finally gave him the voice he was missing, Jay learned to appropriately speak up and share his concerns in an effective way.
“Youth Villages has been the missing piece of the puzzle to our family,” Stacy said. “They have brought us more happiness in the last month of working with them than I ever could have imagined.”
Since participating in the Intercept
program, Jay has not had one incidence of physical aggression, and the family collectively has a better understanding of everyone’s needs and concerns.
“They gave us the tools we needed to help our son,” Stacy said.
Stacy has been fighting and advocating to get Jay the help and support he needed since he was 5 years old and was relieved when she was offered Youth Villages services. Stacy felt that having someone who would see Jay in his home, in his own environment and on his schedule, was critical to his success.
“Without Youth Villages our lives would be chaotic,” Stacy said. “Youth Villages kept my son in the home.”
When Stacy dreams of Jay’s future, she hopes for him to graduate from high school and become a productive part of society. She wants him to have friends and spread positivity and kindness everywhere he goes. After working with Youth Villages, Stacy finally sees this as a possibility.
Jay (far left) and his parents discuss his progress at school with his family intervention specialist and supervisor.
JAN. 1 – JUNE 30, 2024
$50,000 to $99,999
Anonymous
TechnologyAdvice
The Scarlett Family Foundation
$25,000 to $49,999
Yarbrough Family Foundation
$10,000 to $24,999
Ronnie Frost
Jackson®
Joe C. Davis Foundation
Maximus Foundation
Nashville Ready Mix
NaviHealth, Inc.
Piedmont Natural Gas
Ryman Hospitality Properties Foundation
$5,000 to $9,999
Anonymous
Kevin Baker
Exchange Club of Donelson-Hermitage
Meredith and Tyler Forehand
The Fox Family
Eva and Ricky Johnson
Amanda and Benjamin Madonia
Snell Family
Charitable Foundation
Mr. And Mrs. Stuart Speyer
Ticket to Dream Foundation
$1,000 to $4,999
Anonymous
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
BackSwing Golf Events
Linda and Jim Berry
Stuart Brown
Boulevard Bolt
Cadence Bank
Ernie Collins
Commonwealth Commercial
Cross Point
Community Church
Deesha Desai
GEODIS
Mr. And Mrs. William Hamburg
Danyell Henry
Sarah Mickle
Shannon and Ryan Millen
Robert Moon
Aylin Ozgener
Chris Patterson
R.C. Mathews Contractor
Renasant Bank
Teresa and David Reynolds
Riley & Jacobson, PLC
Michelle Schott
Tony Sharpe
Richard Shaw
Silicon Ranch Corporation
Lisa and Stephen Small
Eric Smith
SouthPoint Risk
Status of Nashville
Mr. And Mrs. Van Swofford
TBC Corporation
Thomas & Company
Dr. Mechelle Vazquez
Vision Software
VolCorp
Mr. And Mrs. Knox Walkup
Liz Washko
Kelsey Webster
Luke Wilkinson
Dr. Tim Goldsmith
Sarah Catherine Reynolds
*If you made a contribution during this time (above $1,000) but it is not listed, please call 615-250-7200.
The most wonderful time of the year is coming! This Holiday Heroes season, we need the support of your families and companies to fulfill the wish lists of more than 3,000 youth in our community-based programs.
THERE ARE NUMEROUS WAYS YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN YOUTH VILLAGES’ PROGRAMS.
Making a year-end gift to Youth Villages allows you to significantly impact your community and will directly support the youth we serve in Middle Tennessee! There are so many ways you can give at the end of this calendar year and beyond.
Make your donation last the entire year by committing to a monthly gift online at youthvillages.org/donate (select Middle Tennessee from the drop down).
Become a Champion for Children with a gift of $ 84 per month!
2.
If you are 70½ or over, you can give any amount (maximum up to $100,000) per year from your IRA directly to a qualified charity such as Youth Villages Middle Tennessee without having to pay income taxes on the money. Gifts of any value of $100,000 or less are eligible for this benefit and you can feel good knowing you are making a difference. This popular gift option is commonly called the “IRA charitable rollover,” but you may also see it referred to as a “qualified charitable distribution” or QCD.
3.
Giving of appreciated stock offers a smart way to support Youth Villages while potentially reducing the donor’s capital gain tax burden.
Be strategic with your giving and make the most of your appreciated investments!
Youth Villages Fidelity DTC Number: 0226
Account Number: Z7388858
Attn: For Middle Tennessee
Steady, constant giving — no matter how much or how little — can make all the difference. To have consistent monthly donors lets Youth Villages make a budget and know what they can do.
DEBRA BAILEY
Our financial planner encouraged us to reduce our tax burden by donating money to some worthy charities through Qualified Charitable Distributions. The first year we did this, we noticed a significant change in the amount of taxes we had to pay, and we had the satisfaction of being able to support organizations that we knew were making a difference in the lives of many people. Talk about a WIN-WIN!
JUDY HOFFMAN
“GIFT OF STOCK” CONTINUED
Have your stock advisor notify Rae Ryan about your gift at rae.ryan@youthvillages.org to ensure it directly supports Middle Tennessee youth.
4. DOUBLE YOUR GIFT THROUGH YOUR EMPLOYER
Make the most of your contributions to Youth Villages by leveraging your employer’s matching gift program!
5. RECOMMEND A GRANT FROM YOUR DONOR ADVISED FUND
When granting through your DAF, use this information: Tax ID: 62-1652079
Mailing Address:
Youth Villages - Middle Tennessee 3310 Perimeter Hill Dr. Nashville, TN 37211
Please advise Rae Ryan if you make a DAF gift to ensure it directly supports our Middle Tennessee families.
A gift of appreciated stock to Youth Villages is truly a win-win. Youth Villages yields the full market value of the asset, while the donor can see a significant reduction in capital gains tax. The process is simple, the paper trail complete, and you’ll have no impact on cash position for your daily life.
STEVE ELLIS
Need instructions? Designating a gift?
Rae Ryan, Director of Development rae.ryan@youthvillages.org or 615-250-7207
IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO GET INVOLVED through volunteering individually or with a group, contact Julie Abbott at julie.abbott@youthvillages.org
3310 Perimeter Hill Drive
Nashville, TN 37211
(Address Service Requested)
Youth Villages is a private nonprofit that serves more than 43,000 children and their families each year from the following cities and states:
Alabama: Auburn
Arizona: Phoenix
Arkansas: Fayetteville, Little Rock
Florida: Lakeland
Georgia: Atlanta, Douglasville
Indiana: Bloomington, Columbus, Indianapolis
Kentucky: Lexington, Louisville
Louisiana: Metairie
Maine: Portland
Massachusetts: Boston, Marlborough, Springfield, Raynham, Woburn
Mississippi: Biloxi, Greenwood, Hattiesburg, Hernando, Jackson, Meridian, Tupelo
New Hampshire: Manchester, Plymouth
North Carolina: Asheville, Boone, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville, Louisburg, Raleigh-Durham, Waynesville, Wilmington
Ohio: Dayton, Worthington
Oklahoma: Oklahoma City, Tulsa
Oregon: Bend, Portland, Salem
South Carolina: Columbia, Rock Hill
Rhode Island: Providence
Tennessee: Chattanooga, Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Dickson, Dyersburg, Jackson, Johnson City, Knoxville, Memphis, Morristown, Nashville, Paris
Washington, D.C.
New Heights Middle Tennessee is published by Youth Villages
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