View a gallery of thank-you notes from the children, photos from corporate partners and pictures from our School Supply Shindig fundraiser.

Going back to school for every family can be a difficult transition after a carefree summer. However, for some of the youth and families in Youth Villages programs, going back to school can be a financial burden filled with stress and anxiety. For the past seven years, the Youth Villages’ Back-to-School Drive has been able to alleviate that stress.

Thanks to the generosity of donors and volunteers, the 2016 Back-to-School Drive was a remarkable success. Youth Villages New England was able to distribute backpacks filled with new school supplies to more than 330 children in our neediest families. We could not have done it without your tremendous support.

Youth Villages’ Danielle Pendleton, family intervention specialist, had the opportunity to see first-hand the impact that a backpack can have on a family.

I have been working with this family for a few months and the last four years has been filled with ups and downs. The three children were removed from the home and both parents worked hard to bring them all home. Mom and Dad went through many challenges, made significant progress individually and together, and after three years in foster care, the children returned to their parents’ home in June 2016.

Mom and Dad work diligently to provide for their children. Nevertheless, it was clear that the cost of going back to school for three kids would be a financial strain. All three children returned to the home with little clothing. Getting clothes for two growing boys and a teenage girl can get expensive very quickly, adding to the cost of backpacks and school supplies. However, Youth Villages was able to support this family with the backpacks and clothes through its Back-to-School Drive.

When I brought the backpacks and clothes to the family, the parents began to tear up. Both were overwhelmed by the generosity and they continue to express gratitude. The whole family was so grateful and appreciative, knowing that the children would have incredible backpacks that would last them a long time, and brand new outfits for school. The boys were extremely excited that their backpacks included tissues! Their teen daughter was so happy to open up her bag and see so many personal touches, including a purse fit for a 14-year-old girl.

The family continues to thank me for these items at our weekly sessions, and they were so excited to show me they were using the school supplies when they got home from school!

Thank you to everyone who donated, shopped and took the time to care about this family and the many families across New England this September!

Neglected as she moved from one relative’s home to the next, Kristin, 12, entered state custody when she was only 2 years old. She was also exposed to domestic violence, sexual abuse and drug addiction.

Kristin spent a year in Youth Villages’ intensive residential treatment to address challenging behaviors. Meanwhile, John and Melissa Miller were training to become foster parents.

“The timing was meant to be,” Melissa said. “We didn’t know what to expect as new foster parents, but Kristin captured our hearts. By the end of our first weekend together, we couldn’t imagine life without her.”

With consistent and attentive parenting, Kristin’s defiance disappeared. John and Melissa signed an intent to adopt as quickly as possible. Eight days later, the adoption was finalized.

“Being Kristin’s mother feels like I am fulfilling my calling,” Melissa said. “John and I find pure joy in providing the love and support she has always deserved.”

Melissa and John enrolled Kristin in horseback riding lessons. Kristin wants to become a veterinarian, and they regularly volunteer at the local animal hospital. Kristin’s grades have never been better, and she looks forward to attending private school in the fall.

“This happy ending reflects the amazing teamwork of Youth Villages and the Department of Children’s Services,” said Joli LaRoche, Youth Villages adoption specialist. “Thanks to everyone’s efforts, Kristin found her forever family.”

UPDATE — The Steven Tyler Skittles Portrait sold for $7,101 on eBay on Feb. 10.

Skittles® announced tonight an eBay auction of musician Steven Tyler’s Skittles portrait (below) to support Tyler’s philanthropic initiative that helps girls who have been abused and neglected: Janie’s Fund.

Tyler and his Skittles portrait are featured in the Skittles Super Bowl 50 television commercial, in which Tyler comes face to face with a portrait of himself made entirely of the candy. Bidders can bid on the replica Skittles portrait at www.SkittlesPortrait.com starting Sunday evening until Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. CST.

Proceeds from the auction will support Janie’s Fund, Tyler’s partnership with private nonprofit Youth Villages that raises money and awareness to help Youth Villages provide trauma-informed care to girls who have histories of being abused and/or neglected.

Tyler’s hit song “Janie’s Got a Gun,” originally released Nov. 8, 1989, was born out of a growing desire to speak up for victims of child abuse. Each year, 1 in 5 girls in the United States experiences sexual abuse.

 For more information, please visit www.JaniesFund.org or call 901-251-5000.

View a photo gallery featuring event photos, volunteer testimonials and thank-you notes from the children and families we serve.

Thanks to the generosity of supporters, Youth Villages fulfilled the holiday wishes of more than 430 youth in need from approximately 140 families participating in our New England programs – including 86 adolescent girls living at the Youth Villages – Germaine Lawrence Campus.

Several specialists who work with youth and their families, across Youth Villages programs, shared some heartwarming stories about how the gifts from Holiday Heroes made a difference this holiday season:

This year I was able to refer a family at the last minute to Holiday Heroes because the family was in desperate need of holiday help. Mom had recently obtained a part-time delivery job and she does the best she can with what she has. Mom is balancing work and caring for her three children, all younger than seven. Her oldest is autistic and needs additional care and support, putting an additional strain on Mom.

The Holiday Heroes Elves were able to get all the children what they needed and wanted. All one daughter wanted was a baby doll, which she got, and winter clothes and boots. A second daughter is obsessed with “Frozen,” and she got these adorable boots with Elsa on them, a doll and other “Frozen” items and clothes.

Mom was so happy and thankful when I called her to tell her that we received the gifts and that I would bring them by in time for Christmas.

Thank you to all of the supporters of Holiday Heroes for donating to this amazing program. This family and so many other families are so grateful for the gifts that they received this holiday season!

-Lindsay Beitman, Family Intervention Specialist

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I had the pleasure of dropping off gifts to a family that had recently reached its goals and completed its work with Youth Villages. When the mother laid her eyes on the four bikes, she lit up with joy. This is a woman who I have rarely seen smile and she was grinning like this was the best day of her life.

She said, “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” over and over again, and helped me bring the bikes into her friend’s house to store until Christmas morning.

This mother struggles as a single mother with four children and, although she works full-time, there never seems to be enough money to buy any extras, let alone Christmas presents.

Mom informed me that this would be the “best Christmas,” and she could not wait until the children saw the bikes and other presents.

Thank you so very much for your generosity. It is people like you that give families hope, joy and happy memories. From the bottom of our hearts, we at Youth Villages thank you very much.

-Sara Chappell, Clinical Supervisor

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A young woman I work with has had a ton of disrupted foster home placements as a child and adult. She told me before that she never felt like she had a home.

We talked about what would make a place a home for her. She said it was be a place where she could put her “stamp” on it – her personality. With the gifts she received from Holiday Heroes, she kept saying “this is what home must feel like” and “I really want to live here for a while.” Now she is reaching out for support when difficulties arise to ensure she can maintain her placement.

Thank you to all of the Holiday Heroes that supported the young adults in YVLifeSet!

-Nicole Schick, YVLifeSet Clinical Supervisor

Musician Steven Tyler announced today the launch of his new signature philanthropic initiative to help girls who have been abused and neglected: Janie’s Fund.

A partnership with private nonprofit Youth Villages, Janie’s Fund will raise money and awareness to help Youth Villages provide trauma-informed care and experiential therapies to girls who have histories of being abused and/or neglected.

Tyler’s hit song “Janie’s Got a Gun,” originally released Nov. 8, 1989, was born out of a growing desire to speak up for victims of child abuse. Each year, 1 in 5 girls in the United States experiences sexual abuse.

“As a father and grandfather, I want to focus my energy on things that really matter and leave behind something else in this crazy world along with my music,” Tyler said. “I am starting Janie’s Fund to give a voice to the millions of victims who haven’t had one and encourage everyone to join me on this mission.”

Janie’s Fund kicks off with “54 days of impact” running from Nov. 8, the 26th anniversary of the release of “Janie’s Got a Gun,” through the end of the year. Anyone who signs up to support Janie’s Fund during these 54 days becomes a founding member of the fund and receives limited-edition merchandise from Tyler. Fans can visit www.Prizeo.com/StevenTyler to become a founding member and register for a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Tyler through Prizeo.

The Ultimate Rock Icon Experience with Steven Tyler prize includes walking the red carpet and VIP backstage passes to Tyler’s new solo album release party and concert as well as hanging with Tyler before and after the show. In addition, founding members are recognized in perpetuity on www.JaniesFund.org.

Youth Villages will use Janie’s Fund to support its work with girls who have been abused and neglected, including in intensive in-home services, residential treatment services, YVLifeSet services for girls aging out of foster care, and experiential therapies such as therapeutic drumming. During the past 10 years, the organization has helped more than 20,000 girls who have experienced abuse and/or neglect and expects to help nearly 4,000 such girls this year in its programs in 12 states and Washington, D.C.

“Youth Villages is thrilled to work with the legendary Steven Tyler to help fulfill his dream of helping these most vulnerable children in our country,” said Patrick Lawler, CEO of Youth Villages. “We use the latest science on children’s developing brains and what works to help them heal from trauma. We appreciate Steven using his big voice on these girls’ behalf.”

Tyler, the songwriter and voice of the best-selling American rock band Aerosmith, has been a philanthropist his entire life, performing at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway.

For more information, please visit www.JaniesFund.org or call 901-251-5000.

In fewer than 90 days, Chastity’s stable life spiraled into chaos. Tonye, her niece she’d recently taken in, was an escalating struggle. Chastity had concerns about being able to protect her own daughter. Chastity quit her job and dropped her college classes, but even that didn’t help her get control of Tonye.

“I was at the point where I was going to give her back just to protect my child,” Chastity said. “I knew Tonye needed help, but it was too much. I asked God for help.”

Further assessments of Tonye revealed that, before Chastity welcomed her into her home, the 10-year-old girl had been neglected and physically and verbally abused and was taken advantage of by family and community members. Tonye couldn’t read or communicate effectively and was far below her grade level in school. She didn’t care about her appearance or keep herself clean. These and the young girl’s physical and verbal aggression, homicidal thoughts and inappropriate behavior were all signs of the trauma she’d experienced.

Tonye was referred to Youth Villages’ Intercept® intensive in-home program, where counselors work with both the child and family in the family’s own home. Intercept Family Intervention Specialist Amanda Williams began meeting with Tonye and Chastity an average of three times a week. Tonye had been with Chastity three months when they started the program.

“The first priority was home safety and ensuring there was supervision in the home, “Amanda said. “We had to get things under control, because the environment was challenging Chastity’s ability to help Tonye.” The two women worked hard to help Tonye.

“Amanda was dedicated to this family,” Chastity said. “Other counselors had come here before and sat on the edge of the couch for their 45 minutes and then they’d leave.”

Christmas marked a turning point for the niece and aunt. “I think [Tonye] realized I wasn’t going away, and I’d be there and would support her,” Chastity said.

Chastity’s biological daughter and Tonye play together like sister now. Tonye smiles, her hair in braids. She does her schoolwork, has learned to read and has improved her grades. She plays volleyball and wants to go to college. When Tonye completed her Youth Villages program, aftercare services were established so she could still receive the therapy she needs.

Chastity has returned to college to finish a criminal justice degree. She never imagined the past year and, looking back, wouldn’t have made it without help.

“Amanda was in tune with this family,” Chastity said. “I thank God for her, and I’m blessed that she came to this house.”

Saphire (left), her mother, Yvonne, and sister, Zaiah

Saphire, 17, and her mother, Yvonne, had given up on their relationship. They couldn’t have a simple conversation without fighting.

“When I began working with them, I begged Yvonne to give us time to see changes before deciding to put Saphire out of her home,” said Shandi Peters, Youth Villages family intervention specialist. “I also begged Saphire not to leave.”

Saphire was sad and had a temper. She lashed out when she was angry, throwing things, becoming aggressive and yelling. At age 5, she witnessed her father pass away and later experienced physical abuse. She has post traumatic stress disorder.

“Our home was a tornado before Shandi came,” Saphire said. “Not long ago, I was hospitalized after a drug overdose and Mom almost went to the hospital for her extreme anxiety.”

Yvonne and Saphire had tried numerous in-home therapy services and programs for youth with difficult behaviors. Nothing had worked. Youth Villages’ Intercept® intensive in-home program was a last resort.

“I had no energy left and I needed help,” Yvonne said. “I wanted Saphire locked up because I didn’t know how to deal with her.”

Yvonne and Saphire’s biggest hurdle was learning how to communicate with each other. When they fought, their communication broke down completely.

“Saphire would walk away from our fights, and I felt disrespected,” Yvonne said. “I thought she didn’t care about our relationship. But something clicked when Shandi explained that Saphire and I have different ways of handling our anger.”

With Shandi’s help, Yvonne learned that Saphire needed time to cool down.

“As soon as Saphire started seeing her mom make changes for her, she softened,” Shandi said. “Saphire realized they are in this together and started putting her all into their relationship.”

The Youth Villages Intercept program provides treatment to troubled children and families in their own homes. Treatment includes family therapy, mental health treatment, parenting skills education and resources for long-term support. Shandi met with the family an average of three times weekly and was on-call around the clock.

“We were full of hope after we noticed ourselves fighting less,” Yvonne said. “We took notes on each other and showed Shandi, hoping each week there would be more we could work on together.”

With Shandi’s help, Saphire and Yvonne have become a team. Saphire spends hours cleaning the house, and Yvonne never fails to thank her. They talk about their days together and joke about how often they used to fight.

“I’m really trying to use what Shandi taught us because it works,” Saphire said. “I will continue to get my life together so I can go to college and have a career. These are my dreams and I want them to come true.”

Saphire is taking extra academic credits to graduate on time while holding a part-time job. The house is calm and Yvonne is less anxious.

“Saphire is an amazing child,” Yvonne said. “She’s been through a lot, and she didn’t have to accept Shandi’s help. However, she did and our family has completely changed.”

View more thank-you notes from youth and volunteers, along with photos from our Back to Shindig July 28 in Boston.

Thanks to the generosity of donors and volunteers, Youth Villages’ Sixth Annual Back-to-School Initiative was a success! Youth Villages was able to distribute backpacks filled with new school supplies to more than 300 children in our neediest families across New England. We couldn’t have done it without this tremendous support!

Youth Villages’ Jen McMurray, a Master’s level clinician, had the opportunity to see this first-hand. Read about her experience below:

I wanted to take the time to thank you for going above and beyond for Kristy and her going back to school gifts.

Kristy had been through a lot this year. She had previously been removed from her home due to excessive weight gain and parental neglect on this part. She continues to struggle with her weight. Kristy returned home from being in foster care and the custody of the Department of Children and Families. Her mother become very ill and passed away on June 3. Kristy struggled with this loss and struggled to get back into school mode.

This past week I was able to drop off the large bag of brand new clothes and a backpack full of all the school supplies she needed, in her favorite colors (red and black). I was able to see the smile on her face when I went through the items with her.

Kristy was overjoyed with every single item in her bag and was pleased to have new, different types of clothing available to her. Kristy is now enrolled in school in Lowell and is excited to be able to wear her new clothes and have a stylish new backpack to start the school year.

Thank you to everyone that went out of their ways to make sure that Kristy has a positive start to the school year.

See more photos…

Approximately 130 guests joined us May 31, 2015, at Aeronaut Brewing Co. in Somerville, Massachusetts, for Youth Villages’ Cornhole for a Cause event.

Thirty-three teams competed in this year’s tournament, which generated more than $4,000 to help provide youth in our programs access to positive extracurricular activities that they would otherwise be unable to afford. Thanks to all those who played and those who supported this year’s Cornhole Tournament.

Congratulations to our winners!

• 1st Place: Team “Bentley Bros” consisting of Curtis Freedman and Brian Cusick
• 2nd Place: Team “Cornhole on Fleek #blessed” made up of Justin Nihon and Cait Ryan
• 3rd Place: Lelani and Rich Foster, known as team “Kernel Fosters”

If you were unable to attend, it is not too late to support our efforts.

For questions or more information, please contact Kimberly Santos, special events manager, by email or call her at 781-937-7905.

Sarah Hurley, Ph. D., managing director – data science for Youth Villages (center), is working with data scientists Stephan Gabler (left) and Mehdi Jamei of Bayes Impact to find trends and answer questions that can lead to program enhancements.

Youth Villages is excited to partner with Bayes Impact, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that aims to bring data science solutions to big social problems, on a project that will help enhance Youth Villages’ positive results for children and families.

Bayes Impact draws data scientists from some of the largest technology companies and universities, including Google, Eventbrite and Uber, to serve for a time as Bayes Fellows, who use their skills for the greater social good.

In their Youth Villages project, the Bayes Fellows will study Youth Villages’ extensive data resources, including clinical and staff data, for factors that influence long-term outcomes for youth served in Youth Villages’ Intercept® program. They will use sophisticated data engineering and statistical techniques to find trends and answer questions that can lead to program enhancements.

“We’ve always wanted to use our data to answer this one big question,” said Sarah Hurley, Ph.D., managing director of data science for Youth Villages. “‘What program activities are most likely to produce a positive long-term outcome for youth and families with a particular set of characteristics?’”

The project not only will help answer this specific question, but also will provide Youth Villages with a set of tools for answering additional questions about the clinical and operational aspects of programs. This knowledge transfer is a critical part of Bayes Impact’s work, as it extends the impact of the Fellows far beyond each project by enabling the organization to carry on the data science work. With the help of Bayes Impact and their data scientists, Youth Villages will be able to make substantial improvements to our services for youth and families.

“Youth Villages with its evidence-based methods is the perfect partner for a data science project,” said Stephan Gabler, Bayes Impact data scientist. “They have the data and they are willing to change their behavior based on new insight.”

More than 15 years of detailed outcomes evaluation have placed Youth Villages at the forefront of applied research in the treatment of children with emotional and behavioral problems and their families. In this field of research, Youth Villages has accumulated one of the most extensive datasets in the country. Led by Hurley, the research department collects and analyzes data gathered from youth in all Youth Villages programs, then uses the findings to make program and organization improvements. By partnering with a nonprofit like Bayes Impact, Youth Villages’ extensive data and research can reach their greatest potential.