Our Core Emphasis Areas & Programs:

Since 1994, the St. Joseph Youth Alliance has been striving to positively impact issues relating to children and youth. Over the years, each of the programs and services have systematically fallen into the following five emphasis areas, which now serve as the drivers for the organization’s decision-making. The areas are: Community Awareness and Education, Crisis Intervention, Early Childhood, Youth Mentoring, and Youth Asset Development. The Alliance’s core emphasis areas and programs are designed to help children and families in our community with their most pressing needs. More resources from diverse sources are continually needed to provide ongoing supports that promote asset development and reduce risk factors. It is with great pride that the Alliance serves the greater St. Joseph community as a resource.

Community Awareness & Education:

Volunteer St. Joseph: is a web-based volunteer information system designed to improve access and delivery of volunteer services opportunities, particularly for youth, in the St. Joseph community.www.volunteerstjoseph.org

St. Joseph Drug Free Community Coalition: works to positively change community attitudes and behaviors surrounding drugs, alcohol and tobacco, ultimately encouraging youth to choose substance free lives.

Teen-Talk: is an interactive site for youth that provides information about issues concerning youth, a calendar of events, current news, and links to other youth-friendly sites.www.teen-talk.org

Best at Birth: is a long-standing collaborative focused on reducing teen pregnancy and supporting students who experience a pregnancy during the school season.

Crisis Intervention:

Family Resource Advisory Council:is a group of organizations and citizens concerned about the prevention of child abuse and neglect. This council helps coordinate prevention efforts in the community and provide guidance and support to the Family Connections program.

Family Connections: works to establish an integrated system for delivering health, family support, and social services to children and families in order to improve outcomes, reduce costs, and ultimately reduce the risks of child abuse and neglect.

Strengthening Families: is a nationally recognized, evidence-based, parenting training that reduces problem behaviors in children. It improves school performance, reduces delinquency, and alcohol, and drug use in youth.

Circle of Parents: is a parent support group that is lead by parents.

Enough Abuse: works to increase awareness of the importance of preventing child sexual abuse. www.enoughabusemo.org

Early Childhood:

Childcare Start-up & Expansion: provides financial assistance to increase the capacity of quality child care programs that provide care for infants and toddlers of low-income working families.

Childcare Accreditation:Provides funding to child care programs that are committed to reach beyond the minimum requirements defined by licensing and achieve recognized standards of excellence.

Youth Mentoring:

Journey to Unite Mentors & Parents (JUMP): provides education, support, home visits, and mentoring to teens who face the challenges of parenthood.

Youth Asset Development:

Youth Empowerment through Service: YES chapters are autonomous units that perform community service in partnership with St. Joseph Youth Alliance. YES chapters can be any group of youth that performs community service as part of the group’s normal routine.

Joseph Family Photos & Cards: are asset-promoting pictures that include metal sculptures in everyday life scenarios.

Look Again Videos: are a series of five videos that promote the importance of adults in the lives of children.