YES Weekend Trips

YES comes to your city by invitation. Our trained, experienced trip leaders will come to your parish and guide your young people in a weekend of exposure and engagement to the poverty in their own city. This is accomplished by building relationships with local service organizations and those they serve. YES prepares and empowers our youth to live as servant-leaders in all aspects of their lives.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

See a sample schedule for a YES service-learning weekend.

Make sure to fill out these release forms and bring them with you.

Know what you need to bring and what to leave at home on your trip.

You can receive a scholarship or provide one for someone else.

“There is something beautiful about having built up a tradition of YES trips. They are already in their “YES Place” in their heart when they show up. I love to see that it’s really working, and this new generation is truly picking it up and taking it forward.”

Elissa Bjelitich

YES Parent, Youth Worker, and Advisory Board member speaking on the culture of service that has been created by hosting annual YES trips at her parish in Austin, TX.

YES TRIP FAQ

Most frequent questions and answers

The YES Program takes students through a service-learning process called E4. We will spend about 2 hours orienting the students and preparing them for what we will be doing.  We will then take the students on a PRAYER TOUR of the city, where they will get to know the city we will be serving in, so that we can properly meet the needs of the city.  Then we will engage the students in strategically planned service projects that mostly consist of interacting with people in need. We will enjoy fellowship together throughout the weekend and debrief well at the conclusion of the trip. We prepare and execute with safety first in mind. 

On a typical YES Trip, our housing site is a church near where we will be serving in the city.  We also may stay at a mission with volunteer housing, a youth hostel, or the local YMCA.  To find out where your youth will be staying, please see the details of the trip registration page.

Please see the SAMPLE TRIP SCHEDULE on our website.

Your generous $175 trip donation covers all the expenses of preparing and executing the trip.  It enables us to:

*Per person cost for day trips will range from $75-$100

– take care of ALL COSTS of trip preparation, including:   website, advertising, phone calls, mailings, meetings

– take care of ALL COSTS during the trip weekend, including: meals, transportation, and the needs of those we serve

– cover all the costs of travel to send our trained Trip Leaders to your city

– relieve our host parishes from ALL financial burdens, including:  travel costs and honorariums for Trip Leaders

Please click here for questions about financial assistance & fund-raising.

The YES Trip leaders are designated youth workers who are trained to lead YES trips.  They have gone through extensive youth ministry, poverty awareness, and trip leader training.  They are equipped to attend to the needs of the students, guide them with love through the weekend, and to respond with care in any situation that may arise.  Depending on the number of trip participants, YES will send 2-3 leaders to your city, and welcome local youth workers to attend with their youth as well. 

Get to know them here.