YES to Youth feeds bodies and souls with its fundraising breakfast at Truluck’s

THE WOODLANDS, TX – A maximum capacity of 200 people showed up at Truluck’s Restaurant in Hughes Landing, braving the rain and tornado warnings for a good cause; the YES to Youth Breakfast at Truluck’s fundraising event.

“The breakfast this morning helps feed the kids at our shelter, “ said YES to Youth’s chief executive officer Dannette Suding. “We currently have 30 kids in our shelter at one time, and as you know teenagers eat a lot as they’re growing. We’re just excited that people are helping us out to feed our children.”

Truluck’s has been host of the breakfast for five years now, including the previous breakfast event put up only six months ago. “Truluck’s is always a first-class event and we’re grateful they are doing this for us,” said Suding.

Amber Scheer, the special events coordinator for Truluck’s, conveyed the passion and dedication the restaurant has for the community.

“Our mission statement is to make good things happen for other people, so we’re involved with several nonprofits, YES to Youth being one of the big ones,” she said. “I have children so obviously we feel what they do is super important to us. We go out to the shelter and cook for the kids once a month – we had to stop during COVID but we got to pick it back up. We host this breakfast, volunteer at the golf tournament, and sponsor the gala for this great organization. Everyone who works there is so gracious and what they do for the kids is amazing.”

Conroe Mayor Jody Czajkoski was one of the attendees of the event that was standing room only. Organizations like YES to Youth – and the fundraising events they put on – are to him vital for the good of the community.

“The youth of America, our kids, are all that matters right now,” he said. “What we need to be concerned with right now is what this country looks like twenty years down the road, and the more we can do, the more brilliant minds we can put together, the better we can help our kids.” When asked how people could help YES to Youth and other organizations, he said, “Get the word out, always look for volunteer opportunities, and assist where you can with funding. What YES to Youth needs is love, money, volunteers, sweat, and equity for sure.”

Dannette Suding is excited at the growth opportunities that her organization has enjoyed. “We recently expanded; we have a separate boys’ shelter and a girls’ shelter. The kids come to us from terrible situations – being beaten, battered, abused, sex trafficked, neglected or homeless. They come to us and we create a home environment. We take them to doctors and dentists and get them glasses and enroll them in school because many of them haven’t been in school for years, so we get them back in and then we work with tutors to get them caught up to their grade level.”

Besides the breakfast, YES to Youth has other events throughout the year, including a gala in August and a golf tournament in November. To learn more, visit their website at www.sayyestoyouth.org.