Rochester Youth Group Launches Mental Health Survey

The Youth Voice One Vision(YVOV) launched a mental health survey calling on their peers to help improve the future of young people in Rochester. “Young people are hurting and healing is needed during these trying times,” said Sarah Adams, a Senior at East High School and YVOV Spokesperson. She explains Rochester can be rough and being a young person in 2024 is not easy, from mental health challenges, to the stress of simply living up to all the standards and just surviving for some. But she and those who are part of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council say they have hope. “There’s too much greatness in Rochester for us to be dying and dealing with all this violence inflicted on us by us,” Adams said.

With the support of Rochester Mayor Malik Evans, and in partnership with the Ralph C. Wilson foundation, YVOV is asking young people to speak candidly about their needs so the group can help provide peer to peer mentoring and other mental health support. Mayor Evans says when he sees these young people it makes him feel good about the future. “Like I said, they’re doing something a lot of adults can’t do. They are connecting with young people,”  The announcement at The Loretta C. Scott Center for Human Services also served as a reminder of the structured youth engagement programs available as summer approaches. Those programs include job opportunities, camps, and other activities for young people to explore careers in a safe environment. A former member of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, Isaiah Santiago is the youngest person elected to serve on the Rochester Board of Education he encouraged young people to take advantage of the opportunities to get involved this summer. To learn more about youth programs and to take the survey, click here.

Source: Rochester First