The KFC Foundation has given back to Wheeling-based non-profit Youth Services System, Inc. (YSS) which has been preventing and responding to youth homelessness and well-being since 1974, when a group of citizens came together to address the needs of youth in the community. Brother Ron Mulholland agreed to foster two teen boys, which became the Samaritan House emergency Shelter. Soon after, we opened the Helinski Shelter for girls and the Transitional Living Program for youth aging out of foster care or otherwise are experiencing homelessness. Our programs include prevention services, school-based mental health and suicide prevention in schools; behavioral health services; supervised visitation and parenting classes, granting them $10,000 to make a project on their wish list come true.
Kentucky Fried Wishes is the community giving program of the KFC Foundation that invites non-profit organizations to apply for a grant to fund a project on their wish list. This year the KFC Foundation is funding a million dollars in Kentucky Fried Wishes to 100 non-profit organizations across the country.
YOUTH SERVICES SYSTEM, INC. “We are so grateful to the. KFC Foundation for the $10,000 award, KFC in Moundsville, WV, which is a part of Ampex Brand, for nominating Youth Services System Inc. and Wheeling KFC who assisted in preparing dinner for the staff at YSS. The generous donation from Kentucky Fried Wishes grant will help our organization continue to help youth in need. Many of the youth who are removed from their families end up in our care because they have been abused, neglected or may have lived through numerous traumatic experiences. The Helinski Shelter is an emergency shelter for youth ages 8-17. Our primary goal is to keep youth safe and provide them with a place to go where they will be safe. Since our goal is to keep the youth safe and one way to do that is to upgrade our lighting system and fire safety doors. The building has tall cathedral ceilings and the lighting is soft and needs to be brighter and replacing our fire rated doors to our boiler room and electrical room,” said Tammy Kruse, Director of Development & PR, Youth Services System, Inc.
“Due to the generosity of KFC customers who chose to Round Up their orders to the KFC Foundation, we were able to double the amount of grants awarded to community-based non-profits through Kentucky Fried Wishes this year,” said Emma Horn, Executive Director, KFC Foundation. “This is our biggest award year to date and we’re proud to support these non-profits who are doing meaningful work.”
We live out Mission: Creating better futures for youth, families and the community.
KFC Assistant Manager, Brittany Wilson, was a youth in our Helinski Shelter. Over the years she was in and out of the shelter and eventually aged out of the system and lived in Transitional Living Program. Our agency stepped in and took care of her when she needed a safe place to be and needed help. She has always been grateful that YSS treated her like part of the family, which seems to have made being removed from her home a little bit easier. She said we saw her for who she was, not what was written on a piece of paper. Brittany and General Manager, Trish both said, “send your youth to us, we will work with them and make sure they are given the best chance to be successful, supported and loved”.
Kentucky Fried Wishes is just one way the KFC Foundation supports, empowers and serves joy to KFC restaurant employees and communities. The KFC Foundation also provides programs focused on education accessibility and financial assistance for KFC restaurant employees.
Operating independently from KFC Corporation and led by a board including KFC franchisees, the KFC Foundation receives its financial support from Round Up fundraising and its annual donation program, a voluntary program where KFC franchisees contribute a portion of their restaurant sales of Secret Recipe Fries to engage in and support the Foundation’s initiatives.
About the KFC Foundation
The KFC Foundation, an independent 501c3 organization, has provided over $31 million to support, empower and serve joy to more than 9,300 students, KFC restaurant employees and non-profits. The KFC Foundation’s charitable programs include GED achievement, college scholarships, tuition coverage, community giving, savings matching and financial hardship assistance, all made possible by Round Up donations, purchases of KFC’s Secret Recipe Fries and other donations. For more information, visit kfcfoundation.org.
