Youth Action Board Highlights: Uplifting Youth Voice & Wellness

The past few weeks have been filled with powerful, youth-led impact here at YAB! From advocacy to healing spaces, our members have shown exactly what it means to lead with purpose and heart.

One of our proudest moments this month was the LGBTQ+ Panel, planned entirely by our young people! Nearly 50 staff members attended, engaging in an honest and affirming conversation led by youth with lived experience. The panel, paired with a thoughtful training and a shared lunch, created a brave and reflective space where staff could listen, learn, and grow in allyship.

During this event, we also shared bittersweet farewells to our phenomenal YAB Chair, Alli Walker, and Co-Chair, Daniela Silva, as they both transitioned into full-time employment with Storefront Youth Emergency Shelter and TAY Academy. We couldn’t be prouder of their growth, and their continued service to youth in our community. We also want to shout out Chai Siddhartha and Addie Kifle, who will soon be stepping into new Residential Counselor (RC) roles with Storefront—continuing the legacy of youth leadership in action.

And although Nyah Ogden will not be joining the staff team this fall, we’re thrilled to celebrate her incredible accomplishment: earning her associate's degree from San Diego Mesa College and officially transitioning to Long Beach State University in the fall! We are so proud of her and can’t wait to see all that she continues to achieve.

At the Independent Living Skills Tabling Event, YAB hosted our "Never a Bother" table—an intentional effort to uplift prevention strategies for BIPOC youth facing mental health challenges and suicide ideation. The table was filled with resources and rooted in care, reminding young people that they are never a burden and always worthy of support, healing, and hope.

We also recently held another incredibly grounding Sound Bath session, made possible thanks to the initiative of one of our YAB members. Through their efforts, we partnered with a Reiki guide to offer a healing experience that was deeply embraced by members and community guests alike. It was a beautiful reminder of how wellness practices can be powerful tools for connection and renewal.

As YAB approaches its first anniversary in this current capacity, we are looking forward to expanding our board with new faces—offering more young people the opportunity to build community, engage with purpose, and develop into the future leaders our world needs.

We’re grateful to our youth for their vision, commitment, and passion. Their impact is felt deeply—and there’s so much more ahead.