With belief in their potential, Youth With Faces helps adolescents involved in the criminal justice system build the skills needed to break the cycle of incarceration and create positive futures.
First launched in 2001 to provide clothing and meals to residents in Dallas County Juvenile Department’s (DCJD) Youth Village, Youth With Faces expanded its scope in 2008 to include career-readiness and culinary courses with paid work opportunities. These “Earn & Learn” opportunities included pop-up dinners in the community that eventually led to the formation of Café Momentum in 2015. That same year, the agency expanded programs to multiple Dallas County campuses. It changed its name from Youth Village Resources of Dallas to Youth With Faces to better reflect its purpose – giving young men and women in the juvenile justice system a second chance at being more than a faceless statistic. Youth With Faces expanded again in early 2022 when it launched services with Collin County Juvenile Probation Services (CCJPS). In 2023, the agency launched its first-ever community-based program, serving youth under community supervision (probation) in Collin County.
By giving justice-involved youth employable skills and a support network, Youth With Faces helps them visualize their capabilities and realize the unique gifts they can contribute to the community. Today, Youth With Faces serves more than 350 young people annually through career education and reentry programs, post-release services, and campus events at five campuses within Collin County Juvenile Probation Services and the Dallas County Juvenile Department. To date, Youth With Faces has served more than 2,800 justice-impacted youth.
All Youth With Faces programs incorporate three key tenets:
Character: Youth develop social skills and healthy approaches to addressing challenges, then put them to work in real-life situations, such as teamwork, decision-making and problem-solving.
Capabilities: Youth learn and practice skills they need to be self-sufficient, confident and contributing members of the community.
Connection: Youth work alongside adult role models who believe in them. This positive network of support includes mentors, employers, volunteers and educators. When working and learning with encouraging adults, students quickly begin to believe in themselves and make in-roads to productive pathways.
Some of our outcomes include:
Mission
Youth With Faces believes in the potential of justice-involved young people and helps them grow the skills needed to break the cycle of incarceration and create positive futures.
Vision
To build a future in which justice-involved youth receive opportunities to build character, connections and capabilities essential for their success.
By equipping justice-involved youth with employable skills and a supportive network, Youth With Faces empowers young people to discover their strengths and recognize the unique value they bring to their communities. Each year, the organization serves more than 350 youth through career education, reentry programs, post-release support, and enrichment events held at partner facilities in Dallas and Collin Counties. Since its founding, Youth With Faces has helped over 2,500 young people build meaningful paths forward.
Community Need
Each year, thousands of young people in Texas enter the juvenile justice system, many of whom face significant barriers to education, employment, and stability. In 2023 alone, juvenile probation departments across the state received more than 53,000 formal referrals involving over 40,000 youth. As the number of referrals continues to grow, so does the opportunity—and responsibility—to support these youth with resources that promote positive development and long-term success.
In Dallas County, trends mirror what’s being seen across the state. Last year, the Dallas County Juvenile Department processed over 4,200 cases, with a sizable portion involving detention and adjudication. Many of these young people benefit from targeted programming that helps them build life skills, develop prosocial relationships, and set goals for the future. However, access to stabilizing supports—such as education, job readiness, and mentorship—can be limited without community partners stepping in.
That’s where Youth With Faces plays a vital role. Through specialized, trauma-informed programming and individualized support, the organization helps young people strengthen protective factors and reduce risk, opening the door to brighter futures for themselves and their communities.
Organization name
Youth With Faces
other names
Youth Village Resources of Dallas, Inc.
Causes
Justice-involved adults or youth
Operating Budget
$500,000 - $999,999
Counties Served
Collin, Dallas
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latinx, Native American
BIPOC Leadership
Board Chair
Address
6333 E. Mockingbird Lane Suite 147-872