This Thanksgiving season, Heluna Health’s Youth Development Services (YDS) program brought warmth and support to local families through its annual turkey and ham giveaway. Funded by Heluna Health, the event provided youth and their families participating in YDS—a program focused on gang intervention and violence prevention—with household essentials along with a turkey or ham to help make the holiday special.
“Today we’re having a turkey giveaway for our Heluna Health clients, so all of the youth that are part of our gang intervention program and their families will be stopping by to pick up household item bags and a turkey or ham,” said Johanna Britto, program supervisor.
The giveaway reflects YDS’s broader mission of empowering Los Angeles communities to break cycles of violence. The program, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD), provides safe spaces, mentoring, and resources to support youth and their families.
“The youth that you see here are here practically every day after school,” Britto explained. “They come and do mentoring sessions with the community intervention workers. If they have probation, we help them with probation. If there’s court, we go to court with them. This is a safe zone for them to come and hang out after school, instead of being on the streets.”
YDS combines intervention and prevention strategies to create pathways toward peace and self-sufficiency. In addition to mentoring and case management, the program supports academic growth, job readiness, and personal development. Events like the Thanksgiving giveaway, made possible by Heluna Health’s funding, are just one way YDS builds stronger, healthier communities while spreading holiday cheer.
For more information about YDS and how it supports Los Angeles families, visit https://www.helunahealth.org/news/YDS/
