“Children in Morgan County are our greatest asset in building a brighter future for this community. However, so many of them are struggling due to circumstances out of their control, whether it’s poverty, homelessness, addictions, mental illness, etc. We need solutions to help them and their families break these destructive cycles. We’re excited to partner with Youth First as they provide additional people and resources to tackle these issues head-on and build stronger, healthier and self-reliant families.”

“My Youth First Social Worker, Miss Walls, is a very understanding person. She will always understand what you want to talk about. She will always be there when you need her most. One major thing she helped me through is when my parents were fighting and I was having home issues…but she helps me with so much more than that. She has helped me stay in school, because she will always calm me down and help me refrain from getting in trouble. Miss Walls puts a lot of hard work and effort into her job. It’s not just me that she impacts – she impacts many people’s lives.”

“Youth First Social Workers are the lighthouses for many students and families at Bell Intermediate Academy and Paul Hadley Middle School. They are helping the most vulnerable students who are at-risk of poor health outcomes build resiliency and coping skills in order to overcome adversity throughout life.”

“Youth First Social Workers are a priceless resource for the students, families, and staff members in Morgan County schools. Youth First is an invaluable resource, and the Community Foundation of Martin County wholeheartedly supports the amazing impact they create for our community as we look to expand the number of these vital change-agents in Morgan County. Youth mental health is at a crisis point and we need to support programs like Youth First.”

“The impact that Niki Walls has on the students and their families at Bell Intermediate Academy is simply amazing.  She provides outstanding support to students which results in their ability to be most successful at school!  The results of the partnership with Youth First are having students better prepared with skills to get the most out of their time at school!”