During the Fall of 2007, Simone Joye, a small business owner, and former nonprofit executive, met with the principal of Walter Parks Middle School in Atlanta to discuss volunteer opportunities.  Principal Waller, who now serves on YPM’s Advisory Board, shared the struggle facing female students.  The majority of them needed mentors to serve as role models and a disproportionate number lack self-esteem.  Ms. Joye soon learned of the sexual exploitation of female students for prostitution, along with the number of arrests of girls for anti-social behaviors, and the numbers are rising each year. Ms. Joye, a mother of her own teenage daughter, decided more than a volunteer opportunity was needed to help Atlanta’s young people and founded Young People Matter.

Throughout the month of December 2007, Ms. Joye met individually with a group of Atlanta residents, from various educational and professional backgrounds. Together they joined forces to assist in YPM’s Mission: To develop, implement, and provide programs that have a positive impact on youth ages 10-24 years old and their families who live in the greater metropolitan Atlanta area.  Our founding leadership all possess years working with young people in various settings including, schools, foster care agencies, group homes, Boys & Girls clubs, the YWCA, child advocacy organizations and juvenile delinquency deterrent programs. Collectively, YPM leaders have agreed its programs be based upon the belief that young people represent a valuable, untapped resource and can significantly contribute to the rejuvenation of communities.

YPM incorporated in December of 2007 and conducted its first Holiday Networking Mixer at Underground Atlanta.  The event was attended by nearly 100 people and raised $1,000 in seed funding and an additional $600 in toys and book donations which were made to Toys for Tots and Forever Families, an organization which assists children with incarcerated mothers.  YPM received its IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt designation in May 2008.  

YPM is an organization that is results and outcome driven and works with the belief that by transforming our supporters into evangelists, treating other nonprofits as partners—not competitors, and respecting the ideas and values of the young people we serve, we will have the leverage to transform society and convert the dreams, hopes and aspirations of Atlanta’s young people into reality.

On behalf of the board of directors, staff and the young people we serve, we look forward to you joining in the YPM Movement to support our efforts!