The Victoria Youth Empowerment Society [YES] offers services for youth and their family/caregivers throughout the Capital Region.
YES welcomes all members of our diverse youth community.
ANNUAL REPORT AND STRATEGIC PLAN
about us
Our Story
Our Story
Founded in October 1992 through the merger of the Alliance Club (Youth Development Society) and the Association for Street Kids—both serving Victoria’s youth since 1986—the Victoria Youth Empowerment Society (YES) has grown from a small, $200,000‐budget agency with five staff and three core programs (the Alliance Club, GOALS, and the Storefront Drop‐In) into a leading youth‐serving organization with 80 full‑ and part‑time professionals and an annual budget exceeding $3 million.
While our roots lie in supporting street‑entrenched youth, today YES offers a full continuum of services—prevention, intervention, treatment, and education—for young people, their families, and the broader community. From youth and family counselling, outreach, and crisis response (including after‑hours pager access and emergency shelter) to life‑skills training, independent‑living support, and advocacy around mental health, addictions, housing, education, and employment, we meet young people where they are and help them build the foundations for a brighter future.
In response to growing mental health and economic challenges faced by youth, YES continues to expand programs that offer holistic, practical support. Our newest initiative, the Youth Food Pantry, reflects this approach. More than just a place to access groceries, the Pantry is a safe and welcoming space where youth can build cooking skills, participate in employment workshops, and improve their overall food security—while connecting with supportive staff and peers in a community-focused environment.
Synopsis of Agency Programs: Agency Brochure
The Victoria Youth Empowerment Society Annual Reports And Strategic Reports
At YES, transparency, accountability, and forward-thinking leadership guide our work with vulnerable youth. Our Annual Report highlights the impact of our programs, the voices of the youth we support, and the partnerships that make our work possible.
Our Strategic Plan outlines our vision, goals, and priorities as we continue to adapt and grow in response to the evolving needs of youth in our community. We invite you to explore these documents to learn more about our progress and our path forward.
Philosophy and Values
We, at the Youth Empowerment Society (YES), believe that all people have the capacity to improve their lives.
We dedicate ourselves to helping youth and their families achieve their goals while respecting their individuality and recognizing their diverse and sometimes challenging needs. Our commitment to healthy lifestyle choices creates an atmosphere where youth can feel safe and supported as they progress toward their goals. We believe everyone should be treated with equality, dignity, respect, and acceptance.
INCLUSIVE
At YES we believe in inclusiveness where the youth, staff, board and volunteers work together to create an atmosphere where people feel safe, supported and respected, while being given the opportunity to fulfill their own goals.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
The Youth Empowerment Society is committed to a policy of equal opportunities for disabled clients, and aims to create an environment which enables everyone to participate in the services offered within the parameters of our building structure.
DIVERSE PROGRAMS
We value the diversity of our programs and accept the challenge of supporting each one to best serve the community. We believe our programs show strong leadership and prove themselves to be innovative, solution-focused, and proactive and that each continues to develop in response to our community’s needs. We are dedicated to developing long-term effective solutions by working together to provide the opportunity for growth and success.
CONSTANTLY LEARNING
We are skilled, empathetic professionals working consistently to encourage the well being of others. We are trusted and respected for our ability to work with youth and their families. We continue to train and educate ourselves to enrich our perspectives, maintain a level of excellence and demonstrate ethical presence in our work. We work confidently together to create an optimal work environment where work place issues are resolved in a creative and co-operative manner.
CHALLENGING OUR ASSUMPTIONS
We challenge ourselves to be accountable and responsive to those we serve as well as the community that funds, supports and depends upon us. We are a valued organization that demonstrates success by continually evaluating our programs and challenging our assumptions. People seek our services because our staff offers support, advocacy, opportunity and new alternatives.
Mission and Vision Statement
The Mission Statement of YES is twofold: First, to assist youth to remove themselves from the high risk environment of the street and make the transition to healthier and more constructive life situations and Second, to help youth and families make positive choices, which will prevent involvement in at risk behaviour or connection with the street scene.
Our vision is to provide a continuum of care that empowers positive choices in the lives of multiple-barrier youth by providing accessible, innovative and proactive programs.
We strive to meet the needs of youth by working in partnership with families and the community to deliver a safe and supportive environment for at–risk youth. We do this by being resourceful and meeting community standards as demonstrated through the experience and professionalism of the YES staff.
Our endeavour is to be recognized by the community as valuable resource for youth and their families.
Main Office
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
250-383-3514
Alliance Club
Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm Fri: 10am-2pm
250-361-3923