Mission

The Youth Emergency Shelter, Inc. (YES) is committed to being available and prepared when children are in need of a safe and wholesome residence for their protection while providing individualized, quality, and professional care to all children in our service, area in a sound, efficient and caring manner.

YES accepts both females and males ranging in age from 0 through 17 years. The children fall into one or more category of being in protective custody, dependent, neglected, abandoned, abused, status, or minor delinquent offenders. The children are referred by Juvenile Courts, Tennessee Department of Children's Services and Lakeway Area Law Enforcement Agencies.

YES attempts to provide a home-style atmosphere for the children while meeting their physical and emotional needs. Volunteers from local churches provide religious activities. A medical examination is provided and mental health services are available for all residents. A clothing closet is maintained to provide clothing for those who are admitted without sufficient clothing. When possible, the children are allowed to continue attending their schools. An In-House is provided and staffed by the Hamblen County School System for all other school age residents. The shelter operates under an established "time-tested" set of rules; however, by treating each child individually, every effort is made to meet the specific needs of each child in the shelter's care.

Through July of 2007, over 11,800 children have called YES their temporary home including children from more than 40 counties of Tennessee and over 400 out-of-state runaways who came from 46 states. However, approximately 85% of YES residents were from Hamblen, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hawkins, Jefferson and Sevier Counties.

The shelter is funded by the Hamblen County United Way, Hamblen County, Memorial donations, private donations, corporate donations, churches, grants from The Alcoa Foundation, IOLTA through the Tennessee Bar Association, Tennessee Department of Human Services, Tennessee Arts Commission, Tennessee Commission for Children and Youth, and contracted counties and agencies.