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Lending a hand

Nonprofit helps kids participate in the activities they love

By Rachel Foor 6 min read

ROARING SPRING -- A Cove-based nonprofit is trying to ensure that local kids are able to participate in their favorite sports or hobbies, regardless of cost.

Originally called Cove Adoptive Families, YES to Kids was founded by Holly Keller in 2009, about three years after she and husband Paul adopted their daughter Araya from Pittsburgh. It served as a support group for families with adopted children in the Cove and surrounding areas, but once participation in the group dwindled, Keller looked for other ways to use her organization's 501(c)(3) status.

The transformation of YES to Kids began in early 2023 when Keller teamed with the Central Pennsylvania Community Foundation to offer two annual scholarships to adopted students for post-secondary education.

It was around this time that Keller said she was approached by a few people and businesses that told her about kids dropping out of after-school activities because they couldn't afford to participate.

With her nonprofit, Keller told those who had approached her that she could raise funds for the children in need.

"This is just another way to help disadvantaged kids," Keller said. "It's not that families don't want to provide this for their kids. They want to, but the cost of everything is higher. So paying for uniforms and paying for the fun stuff you want your kid to do -- you can't always do it. And how difficult is that, as a parent, to say no."

Helping all children

Keller stressed that, although her organization was originally a support group for families with adopted children, its mission is to help all children.

"I definitely want to impact as many kids as I can," Keller said.

Two of those children are Kiki and Mikaela, whose story Keller shared with their family's permission. At one year old, Kiki became very ill with what was later determined to be lead poisoning, Keller said. The lead was found in their 100-year-old home, and Kiki's family had to do major abatement and renovations to make it livable.

Keller said that this, along with their mother giving birth to their fourth sibling, has put the family in a difficult financial situation.

"Mom is unable to work right now, so the family is relying on one income to make ends meet," Keller said. "Kiki, now 4 years old, sees how much Mikaela, age 6, loves cheer, and she would love to cheer, too, but with only one income, they are already struggling."

The family told Keller that without the help of YES to Kids, Mikaela would have had to drop out of cheering, and Kiki wouldn't have gotten the chance to follow in her older sister's footsteps.

Since its switch from support group to nonprofit, YES to Kids has provided over $4,000 in assistance to children enrolled in extracurricular activities in Blair and Bedford counties.

While many of the extracurricular activities that children participate in are sports, Keller said that she is open to helping those who want to participate in art or music programs.

Costs going up

With her daughter Araya working and competing as a gymnast at the Garver YMCA in Roaring Spring, Keller thought that would be a natural starting point for YES to Kids.

Keller said she had Araya mention the nonprofit at one of their booster meetings, and that if they knew anyone having trouble paying for their leotards or classes, YES to Kids might be able to help.

Bethany Hile Kensinger, the head gymnastics coach at Garver, said that she had several kids have to quit, "especially in the last couple of months."

"It's just because everything is going up, so they have to drop something," Kensinger said.

Garver gymnastics has three teams that compete at different levels, which collectively include about 65 kids, Kensinger said, and they need new leotards.

She said the leotards they bought two or three years ago were $192 apiece, and now she's "looking at ones that are very similar that are about $250."

"And that's cheap -- they've gone up a lot in the last two years," Kensinger said. "Some of those college leotards I know are probably $500."

Costs also vary depending on which gymnastic level a student is at and whether a student is a member of a team or just taking classes.

There has to be a way

Partnering for YES to Kids is a win-win for any business owner, especially those who own smaller mom-and-pop studios, Keller said.

Chelsy Hart, owner of Hart in Motion Dance & Baton in New Enterprise, has partnered with YES to Kids since the nonprofit was formed.

Hart said she realizes some families can't afford to pay for activities and said she first partnered with YES to Kids because some parents were apologizing for having unexpected expenses and pulling their kids out of her studio.

"Money shouldn't be an issue when it comes to a child participating in any kind of activity," Hart said. "If they can or can't afford it, there has to be a way."

Once she had partnered with YES to Kids, Hart began working on compiling the costs for baton, tuition, classes, costumes, equipment, dance shoes and putting together different levels for people that might need assistance.

"Then (Keller) was able to take that info and run with that," Hart said. "It really grew from there, the excitement and willingness to help these kids realize a talent that they otherwise may have never known because they wouldn't have been able to afford it."

Hart spoke of a family that was going to have to pull its two daughters from the studio because the father had surgery and the mother's work had changed to part time. However, Hart said that they were able to keep attending because of YES to Kids.

Costs for the studio vary depending on the classes in which families enroll their children. They then need to pay for the costumes for each class, as well.

Keller said she knows how important it is for kids to have outlets outside of school, and YES to Kids aims to make sure they have that opportunity.

"We know that they're not doing drugs," Keller said. "They're not doing things they shouldn't be doing if they're engaged in extracurricular activities. You know, they improve their mind, body and soul."

She also said that the cost of the activity shouldn't deter families from reaching out for help because "every child deserves a chance to do what they're good at and work hard."

To get into contact with Keller at YES to Kids, go to yes2kids.org, email youthempowermentscholarships@gmail.com or call (814) 502-4435. The organization can also be found on Facebook. According to a recent post on its page, the general scholarship form on its website has been updated to reflect 2024.

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