OP-ED: At-risk youth deserve support, attention now more than ever

February 28, 2025  |  By Favor Ellis 

“We do not need heroes. We need people who are committed to one another’s survival, who are willing to act on the basis of that commitment. Unfortunately, we are living in an era where refusing to abandon people can be a revolutionary act. It could also be the key to our collective survival. 

– Mariame Kaba and Kelly Hayes, co-authors of the book, “Let This Radicalize You - Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care”

Refusing to abandon each other is the key to our collective survival. We need each other now, more than ever, and we need each and every one of us. At Elevate Youth Services, we believe that every young person deserves a supportive community that offers hope, safety, and compassion. 

Every young person needs trustworthy adults who believe in them, and they need the joy of fierce friendships to sustain them. We believe every young person should have a safe place to sleep, learn, and find nourishment, and every young person deserves a life free from violence. 

As you know, recent presidential executive orders have caused very real fear, confusion, and uncertainty across the country. Elevate has provided Vermont’s youth with safe housing, crisis- and long-term counseling, substance use treatment, youth leadership development, after-school programming, and advocacy for nearly 50 years. Today, 80% of our services are made possible with the consistent support of local, state, and federal funding. The threatened loss or diminishment of federal support not only causes instability and threatens our ability to simply live our lives, but it will also decimate our ability to maintain these critical, life-saving services to Vermont's most vulnerable young people. 

We know that this flurry of actions has had the effect of isolating and exhausting us. It has caused many of us to fear difference and has made us believe resources are scarce. It doesn’t have to be this way. We have choices. We can choose to stand up now and care deeply for each other, witness each other, and remember each other. We can choose to demand a world in which no one is left behind. 

Now is the time for each of us to do our work to ensure all of us are well-fed, housed, and cared for. Now is the time for us to listen, to be trustworthy, to be generous with our hearts and talents. Now is the time we can choose to show up for the invitation to become who we needed when we were young. 

Whether you are able to donate financially, build community, raise awareness, or share your time, your generosity is needed now. Some ideas: 

● Contact your state and local elected officials and tell them what you and your communities need. 

● Familiarize yourself with local resources, for yourself and for your neighbors. 

● Volunteer 

● Join community conversations 

● Say hello to your neighbors. Check in with each other and offer support and kindness. 

● Learn about mutual aid networks in your communities. If there isn’t one yet, start one! 

Building strong and engaged relationships is one of the most powerful things we can do right now. If we're going to survive, we need each other. Please join us in building the worlds we want to be a part of. 

Barre resident Favor Ellis is the executive director of Elevate Youth Services, the nonprofit formerly known as the Washington County Youth Service Bureau. Its programs include youth and family counseling, substance use counseling, a drop-in teen center and transitional housing for homeless youth and those in foster care.