Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation Donates 400 Pounds of Meat to YESS
posted on Sunday, December 10, 2017
“It feels good to know that we are doing what’s best for the kids, even if it isn’t the easiest situation,” said Jana Daisy, Youth Emergency Services & Shelter (YESS) Community Activities Manager. “I’ve worked here for 15 years and I wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t think what we are doing for these kids is great.”
Continuing our spirit of giving, the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation donated over 400 pounds of meat to YESS— cases of pork loins, ribs and several cases of bacon.
Located on the east side of Des Moines, YESS offers support and services to infants and children through the age of 17. YESS is one of the few shelters of its kind still around, providing a 24-hour emergency nursery for newborns, toddlers and young children.
“Many of the kids in our care are here because of a court order,” Daisy says. “The walk through our doors because of all sorts of different situations at home—abuse, neglect, trauma, mental health, runaways and some have been kicked out. We are here to offer these children and their families the support they need.”
During the 2017 fiscal year, the staff at the shelter cared for 2,028 children from 38 counties in Iowa. Part of that care included serving over 37,000 meals, prepared on-site in the kitchen.
“Meat is a hard item to come by,” said Kitchen Supervisor, Rose. “It is a great source of protein and because of its cost, we don’t always have it on our shelves. This donation is going to go a long way with our kids. We see most kids at dinner time where we can feed anywhere from 75 to 80 at a time.”
Children who find shelter at YESS stay for an average of 49 days, but there are always some cases where that number can be longer. The staff is able to take care of those within their walls because of generous donations and people in the community who want to help and do their part in making these children’s lives better.
“If it wasn’t for people like Jeff and Deb donating, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do for these kids,” Rose said.
Subscribe to our newsletter: Get fresh articles delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe