With schools closed and most businesses either reducing their hours or ceasing operations altogether, it’s safe to say that our entire community is feeling the effects of COVID-19. Our YOTO students are no exception. In addition to the challenges they are facing with school closures, YOTO kids are finding themselves out of work and in [...]
At every YOTO luncheon, we appeal to our YOTO Family to help us ease some of the burdens our youth face. We issue a special challenge to everyone in the audience – make a gift to YOTO before Friday, March 13 and steadfast YOTO supporters Buzz Petersen and Robbie Willingham will match it dollar-for-dollar up [...]
The ever-expanding YOTO Family is made up of students, staff, volunteers, school liaisons, donors, members of the local media and business communities, and more! Every single person who has supported YOTO has done their part to make it possible for youth experiencing homelessness to graduate high school and pursue their dreams! YOTO volunteer and retired [...]
Volunteer groups also play an integral part in YOTO’s operations. Typically, these are members of a school, club, religious organization, or company who would like to give a few hours of their time to help YOTO youth. These groups assemble packages, write inspirational notes to students, hold food or school supply drives, and more! This [...]
Volunteers have been the heart and soul of YOTO from the very beginning. Among other duties, YOTO volunteers staff our reception area, stock our Mini Mall, make weekly deliveries to schools, and prepare students’ stipend checks. In 2018-2019, volunteers collectively donated 9,338 hours of their time and saved YOTO over $230,000! This year, the award [...]
School liaisons are the foundation of YOTO’s program. They are YOTO’s points of contact at each school, advocating on behalf of the students they support. School liaisons identify students in need, collect monthly stipend forms, distribute basic needs items, and much more. They do all this in addition to their normal school responsibilities and [...]
YOTO was founded in 1986 by Ann Young, a guidance counselor at Amphi High School, when she noticed that talented and motivated students were dropping out of school due to unstable living situations. In an effort to help those students graduate, Ann appealed to other school counselors, teachers, volunteers, and community members, laying the [...]
On Tuesday, March 3, Youth On Their Own proudly hosted the 2020 “YOTO is Family” Spring Luncheon at the Tucson Convention Center! YOTO staff and volunteers eagerly greeted the nearly 500 guests who came out to recognize the amazing accomplishments of YOTO students and honor the exceptional individuals who have had such an immense impact [...]
Please join us for a Community Appreciation Open House on Tuesday, February 4th, from 11:00am-1:00pm. There will be come and go tours, refreshments, and a student speaker. If you are interested in learning more about the YOTO Program and the services we offer to the homeless, unaccompanied youth in Pima County, please stop by to [...]
The YOTO family never ceases to amaze us! The Arizona State Prison Complex (ASPC)-Tucson recently held a month-long fundraising event selling pizzas to inmates throughout the facility. Little Caesars pizzas were sold for $10 each with $5 from each sale going directly to Youth On Their Own. By the end of the fundraising month, over [...]