$1,300 raised by 3 donors
4% complete
$30,000 Goal
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. Your support this North Texas Giving Day fuels this transformation. With your gift, justice-involved youth can discover their strengths, overcome barriers, and realize their potential.
Youth With Faces began in 2001 with a simple mission: to provide clothing and meals to young people in the Dallas County Juvenile Department’s Youth Village. As the needs of youth grew, so did our vision. In 2008, we introduced career readiness and culinary programs that not only taught employable skills but also offered paid work experiences. These “Earn & Learn” opportunities—such as community pop-up dinners—eventually inspired the launch of Café Momentum in 2015.
That same year, our work expanded to multiple Dallas County campuses, and we embraced a new name: Youth With Faces. The name reflects our core belief—that young men and women in the juvenile justice system are more than faceless statistics. They are individuals with talents, dreams, and the capacity to thrive.
In 2022, we extended our programs into Collin County Juvenile Probation Services. By 2023, we launched our first-ever community-based program to serve youth on probation outside facility walls, meeting them where they are and walking alongside them on their journey toward stability and success.
Today, Youth With Faces serves more than 400 young people each year through career education, reentry support, and campus-based programs across five facilities in Dallas and Collin Counties. Since our founding, we have equipped more than 2,800 justice-involved youth with the tools to transform their futures.
Every program we deliver is grounded in three guiding principles:
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 400 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
$1,000,000 - $2,999,999
Counties Served
Collin, Dallas
BIPOC Serving
Black or African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latinx, Native American, Other
BIPOC Leadership
Board Chair
Address
6333 E. Mockingbird Lane Suite 147-872