In this issue: Staff celebrate at YINFest; Montgomery County Early Learning Center dedicates gross motor skills room; remembering the tornado one year later; Youth In Need Celebrates National Foster Care Month; and registration opens for Golfing for Youth.
Youth In Need Hosts Annual YINFest
This week, Youth In Need held its annual organization-wide staff appreciation event! YINFest is a time where hundreds of staff from all Youth In Need locations and departments come together to relax, eat, play games and celebrate our community.
It was a great day full of fun, giveaways, line dancing and paddle-boating! Thank you to our Human Resources Department for hosting, and thanks to everyone at Youth In Need for all that you do!
In Memory of Peggy Jean Ritschard
Last month, Youth In Need’s Montgomery County Early Learning Center dedicated its gross motor skill classroom in honor of Peggy Jean Ritschard, who tragically passed away at age 17. Peggy was the youngest of six children and always tried to keep up with her older sisters. Growing up on her family’s farm, Peggy loved learning about and exploring the outdoors.
Peggy’s sister, Faye Edwards, spoke at the dedication ceremony where more than a dozen family members had gathered to remember Peggy. Faye remembers, “She loved babysitting her little niece and nephews . . . playing with them and entertaining them. She was so patient with them, always happy to be around them. Youth In Need seemed like the kind of organization that she would have wanted to be a part of.”
“We are so thankful that Faye and her family were so generous with this gift,” said Rob Muschany, Youth In Need’s Chief Development Officer, “and so thoughtful about how they wanted to connect Peggy’s life and all that it represented with our mission to help young children and their families.”
Faye remembers that Peggy had set her sights on being a teacher. “She didn’t get to experience the length of life that those of us gathered here today have been blessed with, nor leave behind children or grandchildren as her legacy, but hopefully this room will be a small reminder of her and what she meant to us.”
Remembering Resilience and the 2025 Tornado
Pat Holterman-Hommes, Youth In Need’s President and CEO, reflects on the tornadoes that struck our community one year ago on Friday, May 16, 2025.
“The day took a tragic turn when tornadoes struck St. Louis, causing massive damage to thousands of homes and businesses. Lives were lost that day, and many, many people were displaced, including several Youth In Need clients and staff.
Wide swaths of north St. Louis were devastated, including the Academy Neighborhood where Youth In Need has an early learning center. But it was nothing in comparison to our neighbors, whose homes were missing walls and roofs, or in total collapse, and many remain so today.
The next morning, Melissa Tureaud (Vice President of Early Learning Programs) said, “Youth In Need is a family, and when one of us is hurt, all of us hurt.” We were spurred into action to help the community and reopen our centers as quickly as possible.
On Monday, May 19, Youth In Need’s staff, plus family members and friends, joined the facilities team to help clear debris, repair fences and make sure our centers were safe for children. We branched out into the community, helping to check on neighbors, clear glass, shingles and tree branches, cutting up and hauling out fallen trees. We brought in a construction dumpster for the neighborhood to use, prepared and served meals and gave away supplies like tarps, trash bags, and diapers. On Wednesday, May 21, the Board of Directors cancelled their second-quarter meeting and instead met at Academy to help distribute food and care packages to residents who were still without power and supplies. Once Academy’s power was restored, we welcomed children back into the center, and it truly became a hub for recovery for the neighborhood. Michelle Slack and the Academy team organized the countless donations solicited by our Development Department, and we became a meal distribution site for World Central Kitchen. Academy staff spent their days canvassing the neighborhood to provide food, water and supplies, as well as emotional support and resource referrals. We closed all Youth In Need operations for the day on June 3, and had a huge workday, with teams of staff going block by block with shovels and chainsaws to help clear debris and continue to bring water and supplies to those in need, including many elderly neighbors.
A year later, the community is resilient, but rebuilding has been very slow. The outpouring of love and support has been inspiring, and I’m proud of Youth In Need and our nonprofit partners like Better Family Life, the Urban League, Annie Malone and WePower (and many others) for immediately organizing and stepping up, and for continuing to show up for the community and for each other.
That said, there are still far too many people who have been severely traumatized and who remain in limbo. The story is far from over. One year later.
#YINThisTogether”
Youth In Need Joins Epworth and FamilyForward to Celebrate National Foster Care Month
Last month, we celebrated National Foster Care Month by joining Epworth Children & Family Services and FamilyForward to shed light on the journeys of children, youth and families involved in foster care.
Throughout May, we highlighted the different ways we are helping strengthen the continuum of care for children and families at every stage of their journey.
For more than 100 years, organizations like Epworth Children & Family Services, FamilyForward and Youth In Need have helped strengthen families and support children and youth across our community. Together, we serve more than 6,500 children in foster care and support nearly 400 youth each year in their transition out of foster care through housing and life skills programs.
We are proud to stand together in helping create brighter futures for children, youth and families across our community.
Tee It Up for Kids on July 27!
th In Need’s 29th annual Golfing for Youth Benefit Tournament, presented by DRN | MVTRAC | SCM, on Monday, July 27, 2026, at Whitmoor Country Club and Persimmon Woods Golf Club!
Enjoy a fun-filled day of lunch, 18 holes of golf, social hour, open bar, dinner, auction and awards ceremony—all for the youth and families Youth In Need serves!
