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is a community of more than 50 local citizens, students, working and retired people, and social service professionals working to develop a new model to prevent adult homelessness by addressing the issues of youth homelessness.
We're actively involved with and supported by the Mayor and City Council of Berkeley, the Berkeley Homeless Commission as well as local youth agencies.
Staff
Sharon Hawkins Leyden, LCSW
The executive director and one of 
's founders, Sharon has worked for the past 20 years with low-income families and youth around the issues of poverty, abuse and neglect, substance abuse, mental illness and homelessness.
Jaclyn Grant, MSW
Jaclyn is the associate director at and is a 2011 MSW graduate of UC Berkeley, where she studied management and planning. Jaclyn has been working in shelter and street-based outreach programs with youth and families experiencing homelessness since 2005.
Letteria Fletcher
Letteria is the case manager and supervisor for and graduated from Holy Names College in 2008 with an MFT.
Michelle Mason
Michelle is the shelter manager and peer counselor for . Michelle graduated in 2008 from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash.
William Shain
The volunteer coordinator for , William graduated from Davidson University 2010 with a BA in Classics. He comes to this position through the Lutheran Volunteer Corp.
Board Members
Susan Halpern, MSW, Chair
A writer, Susan previously worked as a social worker with homeless mentally-ill adults in New York City.
Natalie Leimkuhler, MA, Secretary
Photographer and long time volunteer with homeless youth in Berkeley, Natalie is one of 's founders.
Maxim Schrogin, Treasurer
Maxim has been a contractor and architectural designer and is currently a real estate investor with Shrogin/Baar Investments in Berkeley. In addition, he is on the boards of these organizations: the Jewish Community Center of the East Bay, BOCA- (Berkeley Organizing Congregations for Action) and the Berkeley Rotary and Chamber of Commerce as well as YEAH!
Brigitte McKenzie
A teacher recently retired to Berkeley after 30 years of teaching around the world, Brigitte is a tutor in Richmond schools.
Joseph Sanousi
A alumnus, Joseph is on our outreach team.
Minh Dang
Minh is a MSW/PhD student at UC Berkeley studying child abuse recovery and healing. She co-facilitates Adult Survivors of Child Abuse meetings in Berkeley and is an advocate for survivors of child abuse and commercial sexual exploitation.
Ray Lifchez
Ray is a Professor of Architecture at UC Berkeley. He is the author of 'The Dervish Lodge: Architecture, Art, and Sufism in Ottoman Turkey', and numerous additional publications on accessible design, the social history of architecture, and architectural design pedagogy.
Maryam Rostami
Trained as an architect, Maryam first worked with YEAH as a researcher and facilitator for a feasibility study about the future of the
organization. Maryam is a designer and performance artist based in San Francisco, and is honored to contribute to the evolution and growth of
Robert Ayasse LCSW, PPSC
Robert is a professor in the School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley. As a school social worker, he established a comprehensive program of school based social support services for foster children. He is a consultant to schools throughout northern California.
Bonnie Bell, MA, M.Div.
A former social worker and mental health counselor, Bonnie is a career coach and life planning consultant with Bell Investment Advisors, Inc. She is the former board president of the Berkeley Ecumenical Chaplaincy to the Homeless.