Yellow Wolf Advocacy Project, Inc

Yellow Wolf Advocacy Project, Inc, has been working ten years to address critical unmet legal needs in the community with a focus on “Kids at Risk” and veterans, with an emphasis on services and housing.

Hundreds of school aged kids in the area drop out of school, are out on the streets, are functionally homeless and are at great risk of being exposed to crime, drugs and child trafficking. Within the school system minor disciplinary offenses can result in detention, expulsion and referrals to the Juvenile Court system. Some kids who have special needs and act out can be sent home inapproperiately.

Several years ago we developed the basic elements of an in-school Mentoring Project. That evolved to a community-based network of Youth Commissions in order to resolve and improve student behavior, with strong support from the Lycoming County Court and law enforcement.

That concept evolved to developing school-based Youth Courts, staffed by Middle School students who are trained and supervised, potentially benefiting hundreds of students. Technical support is available from the local Intermediate Unit serving the 8 School Districts and 15,000 students in Lycoming County. The Honorable Thomas C. Raup brought us the idea of handling juvenile discipline in alternative ways. 

Many veterans in Lycoming County are in critical need of decent affordable housing, and comprehensive supportive services beyond what local agencies can provide. Blighted neighborhoods present a serious challenge for Williamsport. That is especially true for veterans in substandard rental units. Strategies exist to force landlords to make critically necessary repairs without the risk of eviction. There is also a need for centralized supportive services to veterans (legal, health, job training and the like.) Our goal is to address that need in a comprehensive way by coordinating with veteran advocates and local government entities.