A Louisville-based five-year USDA funded project (CYFAR - Children Youth and Families at Risk) will come to an end this year (summer 2019).  Over the course of the grant period, 483 life skills lessons were provided to nearly 1,300 homeless/unstably housed youth on a number of topics to promote workforce readiness (budgeting, healthy choices, communication, conflict resolution, teamwork, etc.). Throughout this time, we have heard reports of  a number of youth who participating in CYFAR programming at the YMCA's Youth Development Center; several have returned home, found jobs or completed their GEDs as a result of the project. For example, one youth who attended the program for over three years recently returned to the Center to inform the staff that he had obtained his high school diploma. Despite many battles with mental health challenges and substance abuse, he finally accomplished  a goal that is already making a difference in his life.