Our History
Heart For Youth was originally founded in New Zealand in 2012 by Ross and Susan McCook, and is dedicated to guiding and improving the lives of youth and young adults through mentorship. Heart for Youth New Zealand is now connected with over 50 different agencies and organizations that support vulnerable youth – in particular those impacted by family violence and social isolation.
Heart for Youth USA was started by Holly Jones, and was sparked by seeing the need firsthand while working at Job Corps and attaining her Masters in Social Work. Holly worked with youth, particularly foster children, who had little direction and support from adults in their lives, and was inspired to give them positive experiences and a chance to dream bigger.
“My personal experiences with mentors who cared for me, and the opportunities they introduced me to gave me the confidence to succeed, become a leader, and know that I could thrive in this world. These activities make an incredible impact on kids, because it helps empower them to think about their dreams and learn how to chase after them.””
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to empower at-promise youth to reach their full potential by connecting them with mentors that provide ongoing guidance and encouragement.
Our Vision
Our vision is to help our youth become confident, self-assured, and grounded in a culture that supports and helps each other. We do this by providing guidance through adult mentors that help introduce them to positive experiences they can learn and grow from.
Our Values
Heart for Youth has four core values that we use to guide how we operate:
Acceptance
We accept our youth
unconditionally and support them for who they are
Connection
We emphasize building ongoing connections through our many initiatives
Equip
We equip our youth with the tools and skills to help them grow into positive young men and women
Encouragement
We form lifelong connections and encourage youth to reach their full potential