We build networks for social impact

It’s more than a name; it’s a practice.

We use a network-centric approach to leverage the talent, insight and potential of Yes Network members in an effort to produce demonstrable social and economic impact in the cluster of neighborhoods in which we live and work.

The Yes Network is uniquely positioned to respond to current and emerging community needs as informed by local knowledge and first-hand experience. Our projects and activities address community-identified needs that fall within these broad categories:

  • Health and Nutrition

  • Youth Development and Education

  • Access to Creative Expression

The Yes Network is not “issue-based”, meaning we do not aim to solve one issue; instead, we seek to impact our culture–the norms and expectations–by prioritizing relationship-building and the development of greater self-awareness as the foundation to effective and sustainable solutions to complex community challenges.

We create opportunities for personal development

A central component of all Yes Network activities is a commitment to personal growth and development–the kind of transformation that happens when we discover our hidden strengths and realize our full potential.

Yes Network members are encouraged to take on new roles and develop new skills by actively supporting or leading projects and activities. Paramount in this effort is our focus on creating spaces where members can support one another and share personal experiences through open and candid conversations.

 

“ The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”  

— Gandhi

 

TRANSFORMATIVE SOCIAL CHANGE

We realize that contemporary social problems can seem overwhelming and never ending, and that “answers” to these problems–if they do exist–are seldom found in straightforward how-to manuals. In other words, there is no quick fix. But then, maybe that’s the problem: our tendency is to look for an easy fix that lies beyond the self. Our work, on the other hand, is based on the premise that before we can move forward we must look inward, and when we do, we discover that the answer has always been there.

We aim to inspire members to be present; to be aware of the here and the now and the interdependent nature of our relationship with each other and our surroundings. This is the essence of transformative social change.