The role of the Youth Alliance Program is to provide resources, tutoring, and guidance to youth who are in need of additional resources not provided by other programs. These programs and services can include:
• A child that is the victim of abuse, neglect, or child sex offense that remains with the family or is placed in kinship care. These children may not meet the criteria to obtain a Court Appointed Special Advocate but are still in need of an advocate/mentor to work with and guide them.
• A child that is the victim of a sex offense that occurs outside of the family home and has not been placed into foster care or otherwise removed from the home. The Youth Alliance Volunteer will work with this child to provide resources and personal support to the child.
• A child that has not been removed from a home and is receiving services through the Department of Social Services (In-home services for example). The Youth Alliance Volunteer will work with the child to provide resources and personal support, and to support others working with the child. 
• Any child that is referred to the program by the Department of Social Services caseworker or other representatives of the Department of Social Services, even if they do not meet the above criteria.
The Blue Ribbon Project's Youth Alliance Program currently has openings for elementary school-aged children. To register a child within your care, please contact A Hand to Hold Program Director Pat Keffer. Her e-mail is
If you are interested in becoming a Youth Alliance Volunteer and working with abused and neglected children, please contact The Blue Ribbon Project's Executive Director Taylor Pyles. He can be reached at
Referrals are made to The Blue Ribbon Project by the Department of Social Services as well as Court Appointed Special Advocates. If you have a child or youth in need of this service, please speak with the assigned Social Worker or assigned CASA.
