There was a lot of up and down days but overall the staff do care about the youth. Theres other jobs with better pay that take less work than what they get payed. I spent 119 days in that shelter plus a month over the summer and they try to meet your needs and you build a great bond with staff over time. Its not perfect. Theres fights and arguments and drama but its no different than anywhere else.

When I was there, there was some staff that really didnt care. All they cared for was about getting money. And there was some staff that was always be there for you. There was a lot of BS rules and fights that happend all the time. You do not want to go there. Take my advice, Listen and be good!!!!

Really appreciate the work done here to support young adults. Keep up the good work.

I was there for a really long time. Fights broke out a lot but the staff took care of you. There was a lot of bs rules honestly. The time I was there the supervisors only cared about being sued. They didnt care about the childs well being. The normal staff was great. Unit 2 was the best tho!!

I mean no kid wants to be at a shelter, if they can avoid it, so saying loved it is disingenuous but when I was there I had a safe environment. The staff were always funny and enjoyable to be around. If you cant be home and youre a kid with nowhere else to go, YESS shelter staff will help you one way or another.

I have volunteered at YESS for more than three years and I am continually impressed with the staff, the care, concern, and respect they show for their youth, and the amazing changes I see in youth under YESSs care. What an amazing place and the services provided are a huge blessing for our community!

Professional caring staff protecting vulnerable children in need of immediate help. Thanks for all you do.

The staff at YESS roll their sleeves up and plunge their hands into the ugly parts of the world no one else wants to touch but so desperately need help. In the time I volunteered there I was consistently blown away by how much patience and strength of will the staff would have to have on a daily basis. These folks take horrible situations and make lemons out of lemonade nearly every time. God blessem and their work.And the state should be flooding them with $$! Ghandi was right: A nations greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.

YESS is a wonderful resource, serving children who have been neglected or abused or otherwise are at risk. I volunteer with the children every week and am impressed by the dedicated and competent staff. Depending on the children who are there at that time, it is sometimes quite lively, sometimes quieter. We are fortunate to have YESS in Des Moines.

I am a volunteer at the YESS Shelter. Every time I leave the shelter I think how fortunate it is that Des Moines has such a safe, warm, and structured place for these young people to go. I imagine that many would be on the street if it wasnt for the Yess Shelter.

When i was there the staff were awesome they cared for me, and helped me go home

They steal from you and are very rude and dont let you do anything even if you need to stay after for school to graduate they say no, they stole money and said it was donated, they dont allow any food even though their food taste like a dog vomited it up. Its inhumane!!

The adults are so mean here to kids who have been abused severly already and show no compassion or at least most dont at all. Children are also litteraly kept indoors locked in here for years without seeing the outside at all when u dont have family or sometimes even then. and there is a ridiculous amount of rules and overall rudeness. Its almost the exact same as going to jail. I hated it here and was often afriad of being abused by staff even through i never did anything wrong at all or was rude at all or anything. We were emotionally abused by staff daily because they were always so bitterly rude and acting miserable and had no privacy not even when changing clothes or taking a shower staff would walk in. They also made many assumptions and made you take all piercings out and you couldnt visit the doctor or get barely any physical excersize except maybe once a day for 30 mins. 99 percent of the rest of time was spent sitting on a couch or sleeping. Fights broke out there daily because of the complete miserable atmosphere

Was shot staff was cool as hell(only some of em)but supervisor was on smoke and she was pretty bad at doing her job both of em

Thank you YESS for the miracles you perform everyday. Our community is fortunate to have you.

When i was there the staff was nice and helped me