Billy Yarbrough is the founder and CEO of RAFT (Reaching America’s Future Today), Inc. This non-profit organization was founded in Eastman GA in July of 2010. RAFT, Inc. promotes the educational, career, civic and social development of disadvantaged and at risk youth and their families in Georgia through the delivery of comprehensive and culturally relevant wrap around services.
Services and programs are available for youth throughout the state of Georgia, but the foundation headed by Mr. Yarbrough has placed an emphasis on the youth in rural communities where social support services are limited or even non-existent. The program has launched four premier programs.
Programs
JOURNEYMEN: Rite of Passage program for young men between the ages of 12 and 16. This program associates the transition from boyhood into manhood with positive social, cultural, ethical, civic and moral values. This program provides for a communal celebration of the transition and instills a sense of accountability within its participants. Visit the program online at www.JourneymenROP.org.
You-Turn Program: Initially designed for the young men and women returning to their communities from one of the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice Youth Development Campuses. Its initial intent was to serve as a bridge between the gates of the state’s youth development campuses and the gates of the state’s college campuses. Enrollment in this program has since expanded to include young people attending alternative schools, those considering Job Corps, high school drop-outs needing to get their GED, and those referred simply because they are at risk of becoming involved with the state’s legal system. The mission of the You-Turn Program is to encourage the youth to further their education. This is accomplished through mentoring and exposing the youth to various educational options (i.e. college campus visits). Visit the You-Turn Program online at www.You-Turn-Program.org.
DADs (Developing Adolescent Dads): A program for young fathers This initiative does not encourage teen fatherhood, but it does face the harsh reality that it does exist. Young men are provided with information on a variety of topics to empower them to be an integral part of their child’s life. They are also paired with mentors who are fathers themselves to provide additional support to the young father.
ReSell Therapy: This is a thrift store located in Eastman GA. Through this effort we provide work opportunities for many youth in the central Georgia area. Young men and women are given the opportunity to work in a retail establishment and play central roles. They provide the input for the layout of the store, the pricing of merchandise, receiving of donated items, creating sales and promotions, marketing and advertising, customer service and store management. This program is significant in that Georgia has the highest teen unemployment rate in the country. You can visit ReSell Therapy online at www.Reselltherapy.org.
Billy is a true mentoring, all youth enrolled with any of our programs are paired with a mentor. “I applaud the efforts of such groups as Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America. However, in many of the smaller rural communities organizations such as this do not operate. This is why special attention to these underserved areas.” We applaud Mr.Billy Yarbrough on his effort to create change in rural communities through his creative programing!
