Serving our Youth, Connecting our Community

New leader. . new home...

After six years at the helm of YAR, Mike Duda has resigned his post to become senior pastor of the First Church in Wenham effective July 2. His accomplishments include the annual YAR conference and the comprehensive youth services directory available on the website. YAR's new program manager, Kirsten Doherty, started on July 5. Kirsten spent more than 15 years in healthcare fundraising, most recently as a consultant with her own company. Her background in fundraising, consulting, and volunteer management will provide added strength to YAR’s growth and sustainability.

YAR is also making another transition to a new “home” with the Northeast Center for Healthy Communities (NCHC), a program of the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, in Lawrence. The Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF) will continue to serve as YAR’s fiscal agent and the ECCF board will maintain control over the direction of YAR. NCHC will provide the organizational capacity with regard to program development, planning, website enhancements, and grant-writing support.

6th Annual Conference a success!

The annual YAR conference on June 7, 2006, drew close to 600 attendees from communities across Essex Community. The YAR Friends Breakfast drew representatives from Essex County’s public and private child care agencies to hear Lt. Governor Kerry Healey. The conference began with Dr. Jeff Prince, the morning keynote speaker, addressing issues of psychopharmacology and youth. The conference offered twenty workshops on a wide variety of youth issues. In the afternoon the attendees were deeply moved by Wayne Theodore’s account of his amazing recovery from one of the worst cases of abuse in Massachusetts’ history. Once again the YAR Conference Committee organized an inspiring and informative conference.

Here are snapshots from the day. . .