YSB Volunteer Team

Staff from the DeKalb County Youth Service Bureau (YSB) kicked off their Volunteer Team on February 12, 2010 by packing meals for Haiti following the earthquake that devastated the Port-au-Prince area. YSB partnered with Christ Community Church of DeKalb, to assist Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) by hand-packing meals designed especially for starving children.

FMSC is a non-profit organization that partners with missionaries around the world who ensure that meals are given to children who need them most. Since the earthquake, 6 million meals have been shipped to Haiti.

“Volunteering with FMSC showed me how much our staff at YSB care about serving those in need. Each person’s willingness and eagerness to participate came from a generous, compassionate spirit. We’re so fortunate to have had the opportunity to work alongside FMSC and help with their mission of bringing nourishment to the youth who need it most.” – Brianne Noll, YSB therapist.

Eight staff members from YSB joined over 150 other volunteers at Ginger Creek Community Church in Aurora and were able to pack over 51,000 meals to be sent to Haiti.

“We initiated the Volunteer Team in 2010 as a way to say thank you to YSB supporters by ‘paying it forward’. I want them know that we are an extremely passionate group of people dedicated to improving the lives of our youth. It’s difficult to communicate our level of gratitude through a thank-you letter.” – Jason Nicol, Executive Director.

• Self-esteem and empowerment
• Suicidal thoughts or attempts
• Self-injury
• Death/loss
• Sexual issues
• Truancy
• Grades
• Suspension
• Attendance
• Risky behavior
• Divorce/separation
• Abuse
• Family conflict
• Violence and conduct disorders
• Parenting related issues
• Poverty/homeless
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Anger and aggression
• Behavioral concerns
• Alcohol, drug and tobacco issues
• Problems with peers
• Communication
• Restitution assistance
• ADD/ADHD

The DeKalb County Youth Service Bureau (YSB) has been enriching the lives and relationships of youth ages 8 to 18 and their families for over 35 years. Founded in 1971, YSB is one of the oldest Youth Service Bureaus in Illinois and since its inception, continues to respond to and meet the service needs of today’s youth and their families.

YSB offers individual and family counseling through our Youth and Family Counseling Program (YFC) to address the specific needs of our clients. Our caring and compassionate therapists work to help clients through a variety of problems including issues such as anxiety, depression, problems with school, family and parenting, self-esteem, sexual abuse, grief, violence, behavior, self-injury, homelessness, and crisis intervention. We also offer drug and alcohol assessment and intervention, tobacco assessment and intervention and a number of different groups for youth and parents.

YSB offers specialized groups dedicated in the areas of Empowering Teenage Girls (GEG), Anger & Emotion Management (DCYP), and Substance Abuse and Tobacco Intervention (EIP and TIP).

Additional programming includes day long services for youth that have been suspended from school (ASP), helping youth that are entrenched in the court system get back on track (UDIS), and offering support, counseling, & 24 hour crisis intervention to families with youth that runaway, have been locked out, or are beyond the control of their parents (CCBYS).

YSB has built strong relationships with the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) as well as DeKalb County Juvenile Justice Center and offers counseling and programs (Diversion) for individuals and families involved with these agencies as well.

The Youth Service Bureau has become a trusted social service organization in DeKalb County and as a result, we also offer community presentations to address any number of topics and issues facing youth and families. We present through churches, schools, libraries, community organizations, for-profit, and non-profit companies.