2025 Youth Focus Annual Report

The Ripple Effect Changing One

Life Changes Everything

Letter from Leadership

This past year at Youth Focus has reminded us of a powerful truth: when one life changes, everything changes A single moment of safety, a caring adult, or an unexpected opportunity can create a ripple that reaches into families, classrooms, workplaces, and even generations yet to come.

Every young person who comes to us brings a story and a world of possibility. Some seek refuge. Others search for hope. Many simply need someone to believe in them.

And when Youth Focus steps in when you step in that moment of support doesn’t stay small It grows into something none of us could create alone.

This year, we saw teens reconnect with school, young adults envision futures they once thought impossible, and families breathe easier knowing their child is safe. These victories extend far beyond the individual; they strengthen communities and build brighter futures.

The ripple effect is real, and you are an essential part of it.

Your generosity, advocacy, and belief in our mission allow us to provide safe housing, crisis intervention, counseling, and the steady encouragement every young person deserves. Because of you, these moments of care continue outward shaping choices, restoring hope, and creating lasting change.

As we look ahead, we remain committed to widening our reach, strengthening our programs, and ensuring every young person in our community has a safe place to turn.

Together, we are creating ripples that grow into waves of change.

With gratitude for the change we’re creating together,

Stacy James, FY

24-25

Board Chair

Sarah Roethlinger, Executive Director

Board of Directors

2024-2025

Stacy James, Board Chair

Shawmut Corporation

Laurie Ford, Vice Chair

Lomonaco Investments

Eoin O’Sullivan, Treasurer

Volvo Group NA

Cynithia Graves, Secretary

Witt O’Briens

Edgar Cross Jr. First Citizens Bank

Summer Foster Lanier Law Group

Melissa Greer Berkshire and Hathaway Realty

Andrea Harrell City of Greensboro

Amanda Hodierne Issacson Sheridan

Dr. Amber Khan National Board of Certified Counselors

Zackary Logan W.L. Gore and Associates

Jon Revells Lennar

Dr. Carey Williams Carolina Pediatrics of the Triad

Rachel’s Story:

For most of her childhood, Rachel learned how to disappear.

Not in the way people leave, but in the way a young person learns to go quiet inside themselves just to survive.

She grew up in a small, overcrowded house filled far beyond its walls: two siblings, three cousins, her mom and stepdad, animals, noise, chaos. Rachel shared a room with four people, a bunk bed, and brothers sleeping on the floor. There was never enough food. There were drugs and alcohol. Strangers kicked in doors. Fleas from the dogs and cats left her covered in bites. Music blasted late into school nights from her stepfather’s studio, stealing the rest her growing mind and body needed.

In that environment, Rachel didn’t have space to be a child. Let alone dream about her future.

“I was abused and neglected,” she says quietly. “I dissociated a lot. That was how I survived.”

At 15, Rachel got her first job. But unlike many teenagers, her paycheck didn’t go toward movies, clothes, or time with friends

Every dollar went back into the household. To food, to bills, to helping her siblings and cousins get through another week. Rachel carried responsibility far heavier than her years.

By the time she graduated high school, her family was facing eviction. While her peers were thinking about decorating dorm rooms, Rachel was buying camping gear She was preparing herself to live outside. Even though she was working as many hours as she could at Panera Bread, she could feel the ground giving way beneath her.

Then one day, a coworker mentioned a resource.

A Ripple that Keeps Moving

Rachel went home, alone in the house for once. She describes the moment as a kind of quiet shift like something inside her finally said, “It’s time.” She called Youth Focus.

Rachel remembers, “I was crying when I talked to Ms. Ali, but she felt for me.”

“I felt hopeful. I had been praying for something good to happen.” The response was quick. Within weeks, Rachel entered Youth Focus’ HEARTH Transitional Living Program.

“I wasn’t nervous,” she says “I was excited I was thinking, ‘Where am I going to be? Who am I going to be?’”

For the first time, Rachel had something she had never truly known: stability.

A safe place to sleep. Quiet. Structure. A home where her nervous system could finally rest. “It was so great to have time to work on myself,” she says. “Being in a structured environment really helped me.”

It also gave her freedom in ways that may seem small, but were life changing. She purchased an electric bike, and this allowed her to get to work, appointments, and daily responsibilities on her own.

“That bike represented independence,” she says. “It gave me freedom. I could move through my life without relying on anyone else ”

Rachel worked tirelessly, sometimes holding three jobs at once. She got a raise. She saved. And still, the pull of her past remained. Even after finding safety herself, she continued sending money back to support her struggling family. Emergencies came. Savings disappeared.

One day, riding in the car with another resident and a Youth Focus staff member, Rachel made a joke and called him “Uncle Ruben.” Then she paused.

“I realized… these people feel like family,” she says. “They give me grace to grow.”

Rachel began to see something new: that using support was not weakness. It was a bridge. It was a way forward.

Inside the program, she built deep connections with other residents, friends who understood her story without explanation.

“We had each other’s backs,” she says. “Those relationships mattered so much. We weren’t just clients, we were community.”

t to be comfortable all the time.”

sentence became a turning point.

ugh Youth Focus’ rapid rehousing am, HEARTH Beyond, Rachel moved into wn apartment. She partnered with orks. She completed her dental assistant ication and radiology training.

y, she is working as a dental assistant. She tains her home. She pays her bills. She dules her own appointments. She protects mental and physical health.

s standing firmly on her own two feet.

weren’t for Youth Focus,” Rachel says, “I’d ably be getting high and drinking. I dn’t have the mental strength of pendence.”

But Rachel’s story isn’t only about what she escaped. It’s about what she is now creating.

Since moving into her own place, Rachel was able to reunite with someone important--her pet, Honey. Honey had stayed at her mother’s home, but he wasn’t eating well and was frequently getting hurt. Now, Honey lives with Rachel as her support animal. Safe, cared for, and loved.

“Being able to take care of him properly means everything to me,” Rachel says.

A stable home changes how a young person sees the world. It changes how they handle stress, how they form relationships, how they dream. It changes what becomes possible. Not just for them, but for everyone connected to them.

Rachel is that ripple.

She is rewriting what adulthood can look like. She is showing her siblings and cousins that survival is not the only option. That support exists. That peace is real. That a future can be built.

And the steadiness she fought for will continue to ripple out to the family she may raise, the patients she will care for, and the community to which she is now strong enough to contribute.

“I finally get to focus on who I am.”

SafePlace

Whenteensfindthemselvesincrisisor needaplacetostay,theyshouldknow howandwheretogethelp Youth FocusrunstheSafePlaceprogramfor Guilford,Alamance,Randolph,and Davidsoncounties.SafePlace providesaccesstoimmediate andresourcesforyouthinnee Placelocationsareeasilyreco bytheirvibrantyellowsig

ActTogether

ActTogetherisanemergency shelterforyouthages11to17 whohaverunaway,are experiencingcrisis,arevictims ofabuseorneglect,orare experiencinghomelessnessfor otherreasons.Referralscanbe made24hoursaday,7daysa week.ActTogetherprovide temporaryshelterwhilea youth’sneedsareassesseda wraparoundservicesprovide

SafeHaven

SafeHavenoffersfreementalhealth counselingandwrap around supportsforyouthages11–24 experiencinghomelessness.The programensureseveryyoungperson inYouthFocushousinghasseamless accesstotrauma informedoutpatie therapy,peersupport,enhancedca management,helpsecuringbenefi andothercriticalservices.

Clinical Interns Youth Served

HEARTH:TLP

Similartodorm-stylehousing,youth ages18–21shareatwo-bedroom apartmentwitharoommateinaunit leasedbyYouthFocus.Oneunitserves asastaffofficeandgatheringspace.

Thisprogramofferssome independencewhilekeepingstaff nearbyasyouthlearnandpractice independentlivingskills.Youthcanstay upto18months.

Referrals Youth served

HEARTHBeyond

My Sister Susan’s House

Home for pregnant or parenting youth ages 16-21 where moms achieve independent living goals so they can provide a good home for their child after leaving the program. Located near A&T University, the program can house up to 4 mo a time along with their depen child and they can stay up to months.

Rentalassistanceforuptotwoyears foryouthages18-24tomaintaina leaseintheirownnamewith locationsthroughoutGuilfordCounty andthesurroundingarea.Youth Focusstaffprovidesupportservices tohelpthemachieveeducationa professionalgoalssotheycan maintainlong-termstabilityand successintheirownhome.

Referrals

Moms & children served

Working or in school

Youth & Dependent children

Maintained long-term housing

2025 Love Opens Doors

As we gathered at the 2025 Love Opens Doors event, we were humbled by the gravity of our mission Youth Focus is literally saving lives.

We heard Paige’s story, how she had lost hope for the future and feared she might not survive without change; her video below shows just how powerfully her life has shifted.

We also learned about a young teen lured to our community by someone pretending to be someone else online. Only after arriving in High Point did she realize the danger she was in, but because she knew about Safe Place, she was able to reach Youth Focus for help.

And we heard from Trinity, who found refuge for herself and her young son after escaping domestic violence. Six years later, she returned to share how life‑changing her time at My Sister Susan’s House had been, reflecting, “Most importantly we were safe, and still to this day the safest place we have ever been the most supportive, impactful, genuine support and love a girl and her baby needs.”

The Ripple Effect of Generosity

This year, your generosity set powerful ripples in motion. Each gift large or small became a point of impact that moved outward into the lives of youth like Paige and Trinity. Because of you, lives were saved, hope was restored, and futures were changed.

Thank you for believing in this work and for helping create change that continues to move outward, shaping what’s possible for generations to come.

Love Opens Doors Sponsors

Sources of Giving

2024 2025 Financial Overview

The Ripple Effect of Financial Stability

Because of the support of individuals, local companies, community foundations, and others who believe in our mission, Youth Focus has remained strong through turbulent financial times. Thank you for ensuring our programs have the resources they need to change lives. As federal grant funding becomes increasingly unsteady, we have relied more than ever on the generosity of our community and we could not have met this year’s needs without you.

At the same time, we feel a deep and growing urgency Our housing programs received 846 referrals last year, yet we were only able to serve 21% of those youth simply because we did not have the beds available. The need is great and it is rising.

That urgency becomes even more profound when you consider who these young people are. The majority come from communities that have long faced underinvestment and systemic barriers. Many have grown up in the shadows of poverty, instability, and limited access to essential resources. These are bright, capable young people who have not been given the same starting point or safety net as many of their peers. When they reach out to Youth Focus, they are often reaching out after every other option has fallen away.

23% LGBTQ+

Our youth do not need charity they need access to the same safety, stability, and opportunity every young person deserves And when they receive it, the change is immediate and lasting.

With your continued support, we can widen that access, meet more of the calls that come in each day, and continue creating ripples of transformation for the young people who need us most.

Join Us in Our Mission

Spread the Word Volunteer Give

There are lots of different ways to volunteer Check out our volunteer page to view and sign up for opportunities and sign up for the newsletter

Tour

A Mission Tour is a great way to see Youth Focus up close and in action Come lean more and then invite your friends to do the same!

Help us grow our presence by introducing Youth Focus to others through social media, inviting us to speak, or hosting a tour

Your unrestricted gift towards general operating funds help us advance our mission of helping youth achieve safety, security, and success

The Ripple Effect of Community

Volunteers 182

Hours 820 $23,743

Volunteers stepped in with creativity, each group offering what they do best whether hosting game nights with our youth or rolling up their sleeves to clear storage spaces. Every act of service, big or small, became part of a growing ripple of support that strengthened youth and staff alike.

Multi-Year Giving Society

Youth Focus is profoundly grateful to our 2024-2025 Multi-Year Giving Society supporters, whose generous three-year commitment of at least $1,000 annually helps ensure kids are surrounded with the supports they need to achieve safety, security, and success.

Circle of Trust

$75,000+ Commitment

Lennar

Circle of Life

$30,000-$74,999 Commitment

Crowder Construction

Diversified Electrical Technology

Circle of Dreams

$15,000-$29,999 Commitment

Melissa Greer

Lomonaco Investments

(Jon & Laurie Ford, Brian Ford)

Jeff & Shirley Vestal

Circle of Champions

$6,000-$14,999 Commitment

Camino Law

Michelle Haaf

Stacy & Brian James

Sarah & Tjai Nielsen

Javier & Carrie Rodriguez

Dr. Carey & James Williams

Circle of Hope

$3,000-$5,999

Amy & Joe Arceneaux

Gayla Bivens

Marshand Hager & Teresa Bonnstetter

Anne & Joseph Britt

Thomas Jones & Jay Brower

Teresa Call

Heather & Edgar Cross, Jr.

Lynn Crutchfield

Emotive Coaching, LLC

Summer Foster

Christien Harden

Andrea & Cooper Harrell

Courtney Horton

Bobbie & Ken Huggins

Dot & Erik Kimelman

Jacqueline King

Emily & Megan Krechel

Robbie LaFar

Sandy Fuller & Charles Langdon

Jennifer & Ben Lewis

Jennifer Love

LaToya & Harry Lucas

Jennifer Mangrum

Tanner Muse & Eric Stevens

Christy Norrod

Eoin O'Sullivan

Debbie Reynolds

Sarah & Erik Roethlinger

Elizabeth & David Safran

LaToya C. Waddell

Robin & Glenn Wise

Corporate, Foundation, & Organization Support

The strength of the circle of support is strongest when all the aspects of our community link arms to surround youth. Through employee giving, matching funds, grants, and sponsorships, these organizations made a huge difference for our youth in 2024-2025

A Joyous Transition

Ally

Apple, Inc.

Aqua Drill, Inc

Arch Mortgage Insurance Company

BlueCross BlueShield of NC Foundation

Breece Enterprises, Inc.

Carolina Pediatrics of the Triad Chase's Chance

Columbia Forest Products

Community Foundation of GSOWomen to Women

Crowder Construction Company

Emerge Ortho

Erin Henry Real Estate Team

First Baptist Church of Greensboro

Forsyth Co. Missionary UN

Garman Homes

Greensboro Civitan Club

Guilford Green Foundation

Hanover Insurance Group Foundation, Inc.

Hoffman Hydronics, LLC

Honda

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church

IQVIA

JC Waller & Associates PC

Lake Jeanette Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry

Lanier Law Group

Lennar

Lomonaco Investments

LT Apparel Group

Mother Murphy's

Nat Greene Kiwanis

NC Dental Hygienists Association

Oechsli

Pinnacle United Methodist Church

Pleasant Union Church

Replacements Ltd.

Residential Building Specialties

Sisterly Essentials

Smith Richardson Foundation, Inc.

Snake, Rabbit, and Snail Bookmobile

SouthEnd Exteriors

Southwest Guilford High School

Spectrum

St. Mark United Holy Church

Starbucks Foundation

Target Corporation

TE Connectivity

Team Pest USA

The Earl and Kathryn Congdon

Family Foundation

The EducateDancer Studio

Triangle Grading & Paving

Truist Financial Corporation

United Way of Greater Greensboro

Urgent Church

Vivid Dental - Greensboro

VMP Construction

Weaver Foundation

Wells Fargo Foundation

Individual Donors

Youth Focus would like to thank the individual donors who have given so generously to give our youth the help they need today so they can have hope for tomorrow Thank you for your gifts made between October 1, 2024 and September 30, 2025.

Jennifer Aguilar

Dave Aiken

Michelle & David Akamine

Nikki Allred

Jamie & Brad Armistead

Angela Atkins

Beverly Banaszak

Jacquelyn & Phil Bargoil

Salina & Landon Barksdale-Clar

Erin Beacham

Ashby Beane

Debra & Jim Bingham

Sara Bolha

Mariah Bolin

Stephanie Bradshaw

Mary K. Bruning

Carolyne Burgman

Hayley Burkhead

Melissa Burleson

Elizabeth & John Burns

Katherine Campbell

Becky Causey

Tracy & Chris Clark

Brenda Cole

Amanda Cook & Paresh Gala

Carly Cooke

Raymond Cooper

Jeanna Cooper

Caroline & Hector Cotto

Ashlyn & Jacob Cox

Austin & David Cox

Samuel Crowell

Susan & Tom Cupito

Shannon Dahlstedt

Kaitlyn Diekman

Jamie & David Fason

Lashawna Forbes

Brian & Austin Ford

Anne Taylor Frost

Brennon Graham

Debra Gunter

Jordan Hammond

A l & S tt H i

Seth Hunt

Sonya Hurtado

Tariq Jah

Zynasia Jasper

Carie Jones-Barrow

Richard Keebler

Twana & Reginald Keitt

Martha & Jon Kesler

Jessica Klerlein

Naomi Lane

Tyler Lenz

Cayce Lineberry

Zackary Logan

Martha Logemann

Melisa & Graham Lyles

Mark Mandelstamm

Vicki & Frank McCain

Brittany McIntyre

Ashley Meredith

Suzie & Chip Metz

Patricia & Joseph Mosley

Bruce Muller, Sr.

Mary Beth Murphy

Christine Murphy

Wanda Nelson

Esther & Thanh Ngo

Michelle & Kevin Nichols

Pamela & Tyler Olson

Laura Opalski

Bob Page

Jennifer & Larry Parham

Margarita Pasakarnis

Tyra Paschal

Patricia & Tom Perfetti

Melanie Phillips

Katie & David Podracky

Christina Pollock

Julie & Jerry Pool

Mary Elizabeth Poythress

Nancy & David Poythress

Nichole Pritchard

Insa Pryor

Sonam Raj

Christina Rama & Kami Rowan

Leanne & Jon Revells

Shannon & JD Rickman

Ann Roberts

Connie & Paul Roethlinger

Susan & Perry Safran

Sharon & Jim Schlosser

Desmond Sheridan

Olivia & Macon Smith

Sallie & Gary Smith

Jeff Smith

Carol Snyder

Kerry & Reid Spears

Lynne & Karl Stonecipher

Ursula Strong

Holly Sturges

Megan & Curtis Tarver

Laurie Tedder

Jennifer & Charles Tierney

Tracy Toler

Christopher Trentini

Penny & Jeff Trivette

Sarah & Zach VandeGriend

Paula Walker

Liz Wallace

Laura Beth Waller

Leslie & Michael Weaver

Cameron Weeks

Hope & TJ Wilkes

Sherry & Alyson Wyche

Candice Zaragoza

Sarah Zimmer