Rain Couldn’t Stop the Deakota Ingle Memorial Cruise-In!

Despite the rain, the 2026 Deakota Ingle Memorial Cruise-In was a tremendous success, and the Youth Service Bureau of Jay County (YSB) was incredibly honored to be selected as this year’s beneficiary of the event’s proceeds.

There were some truly impressive vehicles on display, and it was wonderful to see so many people come out to enjoy the evening, support a great cause, and celebrate the memory of Deakota Ingle. Even with Mother Nature providing a little extra challenge, the community’s enthusiasm and generosity certainly didn’t wash away!

Thanks to the incredible support of everyone involved, this year’s event raised more than $1,000 for the YSB. These funds will help us continue our mission of promoting resiliency and assisting children, youth, families, and staff in achieving their greatest potential.

A very special THANK YOU to Brian Taylor for organizing and hosting this wonderful event and for choosing the YSB as this year’s charity beneficiary. We are so grateful for your generosity and commitment to making a difference in our community.

We also want to extend our appreciation to our friends at RU Recovery for their support and involvement, Yergy’s BBQ for generously allowing the event to use their parking lot, and to everyone who brought out a vehicle, attended the cruise-in, made a donation, or simply braved the rain to show their support.

Community support like this means so much to the YSB. Every dollar raised helps us continue providing meaningful services and opportunities to children, youth, and families throughout our community.

Thank you, Brian, RU Recovery, sponsors, the incredible car enthusiasts, and everyone who helped make the 5th Annual Dakota Ingle Memorial Cruise-In a success! We are truly grateful to be part of such a generous and supportive community. 

Photo Gallery

8th Annual Touch the Truck!

The Healthy Families staff proudly represented the Youth Service Bureau at the 8th Annual Touch the Truck event in Randolph County on April 11. The community was welcomed by beautiful weather, and more than 300 attendees throughout the day.

Healthy Families hosted a ball‑toss game for children, offering fun summer‑themed prizes such as goggles, floaties, and water toys. Staff also distributed cups – from a previous donation to the YSB – filled with candy and informational materials about the Healthy Families program.

Throughout the event, staff engaged in one‑on‑one conversations with families, sharing details about the program and the many benefits it provides. Overall, it was a successful and enjoyable day, offering a valuable opportunity to connect with the community and promote the impact of the Healthy Families program.

Happy Valentine’s Day from YSB!

This Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating the heart of our company – our staff! Your energy and collaboration make all the difference. Thank you for all you do!

Some of the staff took time out of their busy schedules to make Valentine Boxes, others passed out Valentine’s goodies. We included our Residential kids by letting them vote on the best staff’s box.

1st Place - Erika Fitzsimmons with her train

2nd Place - Leah Anderson with her Cactus

Today, we’re celebrating love in the truest form – the kind that shows up, holds steady, and believes in second chances.  One of our coworkers is preparing for something far more than roses and dinner reservations. Monday, she will undergo a liver transplant — a surgery that could save her life. #teamMarsi

This Valentine’s Day, I hope you find joy in everything you do!

Residential Care Christmas Celebrations!

It is hard to believe that another holiday season has come and gone, but as always it was so much fun again in our Residential Program! 

It is our tradition to celebrate early and often! We start early in the month with several Christmas themed recreational activities which even included a Christmas light scavenger hunt around the community which was a huge hit with the residents. The favorite, as always, is our Secret Santa activity. Each resident had two staff assigned to them this year. One staff bought them $5 gifts for 2 days while the other bought them $5 gifts for the other 2 days leading up to our big Christmas celebration.  On the night of our Residential Christmas Party, the residents opened their big gift from their Secret Santa’s, which was either 2 $20 gifts or a joint effort of one gift for $40. 

Yvonne Duff and her son, Blaine took the lead preparing the Christmas dinner this year with some help from a number of others. The food was wonderful! A huge thank you to all who helped prepare the meal, the decorations for the dinner, and for preparing the space by setting up tables and chairs. Our residents were a big help with these activities as well. It really is a lot of work to make this event happen each year! 

This year we had our Christmas celebration in our new building “The West Wing”. It was very nice to have the additional room to spread out as attendance was the best it’s been for a while and we would have been very crowded in the Residential Facility. Once everyone was finished with the wonderful food we worked to get everything put away and arrange the seating for gift giving time. As always, the first gifts to be passed out are the Secret Santa gifts. It is so much fun watching the residents open them and then try to guess the staff who bought for them. We had a couple correct guesses but most were wrong and they were very surprised by who their person really was.   

After Secret Santa the residents receive their big bag full of Christmas presents. Each one gets their own large Santa bag filled with gifts for them from their Christmas list. After everyone is done opening we go around the room and have each resident show what they received so that all in attendance can see and hear. This year there were some new shoes, a lot of new clothes, some fingernail stuff, and a guitar to name a few. One resident was preparing to transition out of care and be on their own. This resident received a lot of items to help them out in their new apartment, including a vacuum sweeper.  

Our residents receive really nice name brand items that they often times do not have the opportunity to get outside of care. Every year you see an extra big smile on at least one face as they receive that item on their list that they wanted the most and didn’t really think it would happen. Yvonne does the majority of the Christmas shopping for the residents each year and with her years of experience has developed the ability to excel at picking just the right items for them.  

For several of the residents they are able to go home for at least part of Christmas day and spend time with family or someone special to them. Typically, there are at least one or two who have no place to go for Christmas. When this happens we make sure that they have some additional presents to open Christmas morning along with having a big breakfast and getting to stay in pajamas for most of the day. Staff like this too as they join in and wear their Christmas pajamas during the shift. This year we had two residents who were not able to have a Christmas visit. 

On behalf of myself, the Board of Directors, staff, and most importantly the residents, we would like to thank all of this year’s donors as it is your support that allows us to create these life-long Christmas memories! 

Healthy Families Christmas Parties

This holiday season, Healthy Families was excited to host a festive Christmas party that brought together families, laughter, and plenty of holiday cheer. With around 40 people in attendance, the event was a wonderful way to have everyone come together.

Families were welcomed with pizza, giving everyone a chance to relax and enjoy a meal. The kids were quickly distracted by all the fun activities waiting for them. Cookie decorating was a big hit, as children proudly designed their own sweet holiday treats. Another favorite activity was Christmas tree picture decorating, where kids could show off their artistic skills and take home a festive keepsake. There was also a snow ball toss game where kids tried their luck to win a candy prize. Everyone had a great time together as their children explored and played with one another.

To make the celebration even more special, Healthy Families was honored to give out Christmas baskets to families. These baskets were a small way to share holiday support and spread warmth and kindness throughout our community.

Healthy Families works towards connecting families with resources to help them continue to thrive and grow. We hope these events help our families find each other and find support within their community.

We are so grateful to everyone who attended and helped make this event memorable. We look forward to continuing to support and celebrate our families in the year ahead.

Strikes, Spares, and Team Spirit: A Night of Bowling with Co-Workers at Crown City Lanes in Dunkirk

Team-building activities can sometimes feel forced, but bowling has a way of making everyone loosen up. Maybe it’s the retro vibe, maybe it’s the shared nostalgia, or maybe it’s that none of us are quite as good as we pretend to be. Either way, the awkwardness melted quickly as the first balls rolled down the lanes.

Bowling night opened the door to conversations that rarely happen between meetings. We learned who used to bowl in high school, who secretly hates wearing bowling shoes, and who has a surprising obsession with nacho cheese (spoiler alert, it’s me).

Within minutes, the quietest coworker surprised us with a picture-perfect strike, and suddenly the whole group was cheering like we’d been lifelong teammates. Those personal stories—shared over pizza slices and the sound of pins crashing—helped us connect in a way Slack threads and Zoom calls never could.

By the end of the night, scores were forgotten, but the camaraderie lingered. We left with sore muscles, full stomachs, and a stronger sense of team spirit. Sometimes, all it takes is a lane, a ball, and a few co-workers willing to step outside their daily routines to form memories that make working together even more enjoyable.  When it was time to go, nobody remembered the numbers (thank goodness), but we left with new inside jokes, slightly sore arms, and the kind of chaotic team spirit that can only come from watching your supervisor wear goofy shoes while trying to pick up a spare.

Would we do it again?
Absolutely.
Should we practice first?
Also absolutely.

A Night to Remember: Our Residential kids go to an Indiana Fever playoff Game!

Every so often, the Pacers Foundation gifts us an opportunity to give our kids an unforgettable moment. Our recent trip with a group of Residential kids to an Indiana Fever playoff game was one of those moments—full of joy, connection, and the quiet power of giving children access to experiences they’ve never had before.

As soon as we parked the van and made our way to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, you could feel the energy level rise.  Playoff games (no matter what sport), seem to give off an electric feel, and this one was no different.   As soon as we made our way into the concourse, we could hear some music guaranteed to get you up and dancing.  The thrones of fans wearing red quickly surrounded us as we made our way to our seats.  Waiting on our seats were free red t-shirts to promote the arena wide “red out” for the must win game.

During warmups the kids put their red shirts on over their t-shirts and settled in for the game.  Although there was no Caitlin Clark, we did see Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and a host of other Fever players lock in to win the game and send the series back to Vegas.  We cheered, applauded, and even booed (ok it was mainly me booing a few questionable calls). As the Fever picked up momentum, so did the kids. The excitement is contagious, and before long they were on their feet, yelling, cheering, and completely forgetting their sacred vow of teen coolness.

Why Experiences Matter

     For many of the kids we serve, opportunities like attending a professional basketball game feel out of reach. Families face financial barriers, transportation challenges, and day-to-day responsibilities that push “extras” like games, outings, and entertainment far down the list.

But we believe every child deserves moments of joy.
Moments of escape.
Moments that help them imagine something bigger.

The Fever game gave them all of that—and more.

Looking Ahead

     We hope this is just the beginning. More outings, more shared moments, more opportunities to show these kids that the world is bigger, brighter, and more accessible than they’ve been led to believe.

YSB’s Christmas Tree! – 2025 Christmas Tree Contest Entry

Putting up the Tree! 

It’s that time of year again…decorating for Christmas.  Some of us hate it, but some of us love it!  On Tuesday, November 18, we put up our annual Chamber of Commerce tree at the library.  It started out as quite a challenging endeavor. Upon arriving, and carrying everything in, we discovered we did not have a tree stand. Thank you to Dave, our maintenance man, for quickly finding us a stand.  We again started putting the tree up to find all of the bottom branches broken and would no longer stand out like a regular tree.  We did not give up; this made us more determined! It took us most of the day to get the tree up and decorated, but we did it!  

The following was written by one of the girls, who helped the entire day: 

Today we decorated a Christmas tree at the Jay County Public Library. The theme of our tree is Marvel Comics. It took us about four hours to decorate it. Through our participation we are really hoping to win the $500 for our recreation activities. 

  Today I learned how to fluff a Christmas tree, and how to stand back and figure out what places are bare or need more decoration. For me personally, the whole day was fun, but my favorite part was putting Ironman on the top of the tree. I honestly think it was easier than I thought it would be.  

  I was smiling so, so much today.  All the little kids loved the tree, and one of them said, “Wow look at that tree!”  Seeing the kid’s reaction made me happy, and I think I will sleep really well tonight. 

So, if you get a chance during the month of December, please stop by the library and vote for the YSB tree.  You can’t miss it, look for Ironman on top of it! 

Photo Gallery

YSB Christmas Tree 2025 (1/3)
YSB Christmas Tree 2025 (2/3)
YSB Christmas Tree 2025 (3/3)

Residential Vacation – Holiday World!

Our residential facility puts a lot of importance on our recreational activities as you can tell through other blogs. This year for the first time in 6 years our residents had the opportunity to go on an over-night vacation before school started up. Several factors go into determining if an overnight trip is feasible or not, but the behaviors of the residents around the time of the trip is the ultimate factor. This year we had a very well behaved group who was very excited and grateful for this opportunity.

On Tuesday July 22nd in the early morning, 8 residents along with staff loaded up their bags and began the trip. The first day was meant to be spent going on a cavern boat tour. However, with all the rain the caverns had closed. We were able to plan an alternative and spent a few hours exploring the beautiful Spring Mill State Park. The group had so much fun walking through old houses and shops and reading about those that had inhabited the spaces back in the day. However with the heat the fan favorite was getting to walk alongside the river and seeing the dam while feeling the cold breeze from the water. We finished the night with getting into our pajamas, making s’mores by the fire, and watching a spooky movie before bed, though most of the girls did not make it through the movie as they were exhausted from the day’s activities and chose to go to bed.

Wednesday was an extremely long and hot day spent at Holiday World. The heat index being over 100 degrees the group decided to spend the day in the waterpark. The group split up and spent the day rotating between relaxing in the lazy river, riding water rollercoasters for the first time ever, and simply hanging out in the wave pool because it was too hot to not be in water! Despite the heat and a couple of sunburns, the group had an amazing time. We also discovered the importance of water shoes for concrete at waterparks on the really hot days! There were kids who had never been to a waterpark before and it was amazing to see the excitement of them getting to ride the water rides but also the joy and laughter of them simply trying to keep their head above water in the wave pools.

Thursday we packed up and headed to tour Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall at IU Bloomington before heading home. Many were unsure if they would enjoy this but all left feeling like they had a great time learning about the history while seeing the ins and outs of the facility. Everything from the gym, to the locker rooms, to all the tucked away lounge areas that may cost someone lots of money to enjoy. There was something fascinating for all to see throughout the tour. We even got to speak with some of the members of the girls’ basketball team while we were on our tour.

One of the best things about working in our residential program is getting to experience fun things with our residents for the first time. Honestly, it never gets old! On this trip we had the privilege of being present for so many first times it is hard to count them all. It is truly amazing to be able to give a young person positive memories that they will keep with them for the rest of their life!

A special thanks to Yvonne Duff who worked extremely hard to secure a nice cabin in the woods for everyone to stay in during the trip and for creating our trip itinerary as well.

Supervised Visitation Facility – Grand Opening & Open House

A little over 2 years ago the Youth Service Bureau of Jay County, Inc. (YSB) was fortunate to have the opportunity to apply for funding through the Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana initiative, a Lilly Endowment project. The YSB was selected to receive 100% of the funding that was requested which included funds to help with employee retention and recruitment, basketball court improvements at our Residential Facility, a new van for the Residential Program, a camera system for security and safety, and the creation of our Supervised Visitation Facility.

I am thrilled to announce our Supervised Visitation Facility is finished and ready to start serving our clients! We will be having an open house to celebrate the opening on September 18, 2025 from 12 pm to 5 pm, including a special ribbon cutting ceremony at 1:30 pm. The address for this event is 603 West Arch Street Portland, Indiana which is our main office. Please enter the event through the east doors of the main office. There will be food and refreshments available.

The creation of the Supervised Visitation Facility came about because of the need for safe, private, and adequate space for supervised visitations. Through our community based contract with the Department of Child Services (DCS) we provide a lot of supervised visitations. Many of these are conducted in the community, which while not ideal, is our only option many times. Community locations are often public places like parks and libraries. These spaces are typically great spaces, but do not provide the privacy that families need for these types of visits. Sometimes, conversations must be had in these visits that could be embarrassing to parents if done in public. Sometimes, there are safety concerns around the location. For example; a park close to a busy street where a young child could run into the street or a public space where someone could show up who has been court ordered not to.

Our new facility provides clients with a safe space as the yard is completely fenced in with a 6 foot high privacy fence. This not only provides the much needed privacy for the client, but also keeps the little children contained within the area while keeping any unwanted visitors out. The supervised visit building provides the same opportunity, but for the entire year. Going to the park is an option in the warm months, but when the weather is bad inside places where kids can run around and be kids during a visit is very limited and with no privacy. Our building provides ample space for kids to run around and play during a visit any time of the year.

The outside space consists of a play set with 3 slides and a climbing wall, swings, balance beams, a climbing turtle, a merry-go-around, a small sandbox, picnic tables, a basketball court, and a walking path. Our inside space includes a comfortable seating area, a basic kitchen area, a basketball goal, toys, and a large wide open area to run and play.

We would like to thank Muhlenkamp Construction, Hatzell Bros. Standing Seam Solutions, Moeller Door and Window, Denny’s Door Company, Fullenkamp Drywall, Bryan Sutton Painting, D & D Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning, Wabash Electric, Gabbard Fencing, KBL, and Serendipity Play Systems for helping to make this dream come to life.

We also want to give a very special thanks to the Lilly Endowment for creating this forward thinking, highly needed, initiative to help improve the lives of our youth!

Please stop by on the 18th of September to see the facility in person and let us tell you more about the work we are doing here at the YSB.

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