Our history

IN THE BEGINNING

Youth Advocate Resource Network, Inc. (YARN) hereafter, referred to as YARN; is a Nonprofit Organization that was established in 1982, by Berthenia L. Gill.

The first career models were presented Sunday afternoon, March 3, 1985 to neighborhood children and adults; at the Palarm Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, located on 795 Highway 365 South in Mayflower the Palarm Community of Faulkner County, Arkansas.

Rev. James E. Mackey, was Pastor at the time. YARN, Inc. was identified by the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) as a 501 (c) 3 Nonprofit organization in 1994. Mr. Michael Craig, a Certified Public Accountant completed and submitted the application to the IRS. After the death of Mr. Craig, Mr. Orville Abrams’ CPA continues to guide the organization.

OUTREACH

To this end, many children and students of all ages have been introduced to professional careers, technical and skills training.

Since 1985, many volunteers representing local, state, and national government agencies, corporations, small businesses, churches, firefighters, medical doctors, colleges and universities, legal profession, peer models and parents have shared options to future planning.

Volunteer’s representatives included: astronauts, pilots, academicians, corporate leaders and business owners, politicians, musicians, lobbyists, prison wardens, authors, military commanding officers and other occupations volunteer time and service. Among them were: Col. Fredrick Gregory, Lt. Drew Brown, Mr. Rodney Slater, Ms. Mary Lindsey, Dr. Ben Carson and family, Mrs. Daisy Bates, Dr. Ronnie Williams, Mr. Walter Lloyd, Dr. Lloyd Herwey, Dr. Patricia McGraw, Pamela McCauley-Bell, Mr. Matthew Hampton, Ms. Deborah Robinson, Mr. Charles Jordan, Mr. Stephen Hayes, and Wiley College. Dr. Bates and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff music department, Mr. Oliver Dillingham, State Department of Education, Mrs. Garbo Hearne and many others.

TODAY

Today, YARN sponsors Art Camps, Early Childhood Literacy Programs, Travel N’ Learn Education Tours annually, throughout the United States young people and parents are exposed to hands on learning opportunities in traditional and non-traditional sites and sounds; museums, colleges and universities, technical and skills schools, manufacturing space centers, Indian Reservations, plantations, State Capitals & the Nation’s Capital and the White House and much more.

As result, the exposure has allowed students to visit and choose non-traditional college and universities such as: Howard University, Spellman, Fink, Allen, Rhodes, McHarry Medical College, the National Germ Bank, Atlanta University, Emory, Morehouse College and other sites.