Get Involved
Donate to Youth Justice Institute
Make Inkind Donations to YJI Youths - Click Here
YJI gratefully accepts donations on behalf of the youth we work with of new books, clothing and hygiene supplies to distribute to young people in need. These can either be purchased from the Amazon site above or individually.
A young person in detention spends hours a day alone in their small, locked room and the gift of a book can have a positive impact on their mind and perspective. Many young people begin to enjoy reading and literature for the first time with YJI because they are exposed to reading for enjoyment, supported by volunteers and staff who encourage them to expand their knowledge and motivated to challenge themselves to do something they have not done before. It is common to for young people to begin reading a book a week and they are very proud to share their new interest with others.
Young people who live in desperate, chaotic situations often only have the clothes on their back. It is common for young people who move from home to home, placement to placement or spend time homeless or on the streets to have minimal clothing and belongings. Some young people have to leave custody to go to a placement in their pajamas because that is all they have, or some will miss school because they only have one set of clothing and no money to wash them. Others are sent away to placement out of state and don’t own a winter coat or shoes. We provide young people the basics they need to help them be successful in changing their lives.
A young person living on the streets or in a chaotic environment often doesn’t have the daily things they need to take care of themselves that we take for granted. Items like toothbrushes, soap and shampoo can make the difference between a young person who feels good about themselves and one who does not. We provide hygiene supplies to youth who otherwise would not have these items like those who have been living on the streets or are going on to out of home placement.
- All donations should be dropped off at our offices or sent to:
- Youth Justice Institute
- PO Box 31733
- San Francisco, CA 94131-0733
Become a YJI Intern - Apply Here
Become an intern with YJI providing critical services such as; MFT Trainees, administrative support, policy work, and data collection. Fill out our online application here.
Become a Mentor - Apply Here
Are you looking for experience working with youth or have you ever gone through tough times but had a role model or mentor to support you? If yes, this is the perfect internship for you. Be a mentor to system-involved youth in the dependency or delinquency systems who need your support and guidance. This is a great way to give back to the community while at the same time gaining direct experience working with system-involved youth. Fill out our online application here.
Sponsor a Mentorship
Want to support our mentoring program, but short on time? Please consider sponsoring a mentoring relationship. Most YJI mentors are low- or no-income students who need help paying for fun activities to do with their mentees as they provide support and guidance in their lives. With your sponsorship you will directly impact the development of their relationship. Your support will allow the mentor to expand the mentee’s world by opening up the doors to new experiences and ideas that these youths are rarely exposed to, but which many of us take for granted.
Sponsors help cover the costs of:
- Transportation for mentors/mentees to meet
- Lunch
- Ice cream/ coffee shops
- Movies
- Museums
- Other activities like sailing, bowling, rock climbing
As a mentorship sponsor, you’ll get updates from your mentor and mentee about what they’ve been up to and how the relationship is impacting each of their lives. You’ll also be invited to meet the mentors and youth at our end-of-the-year celebration! Email kaina-deleteme[at]-deleteme-yjinstitute [dot] org to become a sponsor or learn more about the program here.