Frequently asked questions

This page addresses many commonly asked questions. You may scroll through the questions or click on a topic to go directly to that section.

Questions about donations

Questions about groups/agencies

Questions about YES kids

Questions about volunteering

How to contact YES

Common Questions about making Donations to YES

Is my contribution to YES tax deductible?

• Yes...youth enrichment services is a 501(c)3 educational institution and is registered with the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office of Public Charities. All donations to YES are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. This includes cash donations as well as sporting goods and pro bono services.

My skiing equipment is more than 4 years old...can I still donate it to YES?

• Unfortunately, no. The technology of skiing equipment has changed dramatically over the years, and improvements in skis, boots and bindings make newer equipment significantly safer to use. For this and insurance liability reasons we are unable to accept older equipment.

What other sporting goods can I donate to YES?

• YES also runs mountain biking, canoeing, hiking and camping trips with kids. We can also use golf, tennis, and sailing equipment.

My office is upgrading its computer systems. Can I donate our old computers to YES?

• Yes...youth enrichment services has a computer training course for kids and a computer network to support our administrative needs. If your company is disposing of network ready, Intel Celeron 1800 (equivalent or better) computers, please consider donating them to YES.

Is there anything else I can donate to YES?

• YES has fundraisers to support our operations. We welcome gift certificates for goods and services that we can use in raffles and silent auctions.

How do I go about delivering my donation to YES?

• Gift certificates and financial donations can be mailed to our main offices at Mass. Ave in Boston. If your donation is one of sporting or office equipment, please call us in advance at 617-267-5877 to schedule a time when we can be sure to have someone on hand to accept your donation.
• If you live in western Massachusetts, you may be able to deliver to our camp at Swann Lodge (Monterey, MA). Please call us in advance at 413-528-3294 to make arrangements.

Can I arrange to have YES pick up my donation?

• If you cannot make it to a YES location with your gift, please call us to see if alternative arrangements can be made. We may have a YES volunteer in your area who can handle the delivery for you.

Common Questions about Agencies using YES' Services

How do I set up a Ski Trip for my group?

1. Ski trips are available from December through March, except between Christmas and New Years Day. Some dates fill up quickly so it is best to reserve three weeks ahead. Most trips leave at 6:00AM and return at 8:00PM. Midweek trips for schools leave at 7AM.
2. A deposit of $100 per trip, $200 if renting a bus through YES, must be paid to reserve a ski date. Deposits are due within seven days after your reservation is made. If payment is not received timely, we will assume that you no longer wish to participate and will therefore cancel the trip.
3. The age limit for the ski program is 7-18. Youth ages 7-9 can only do cross-country skiing. A parent must complete a permission slip for each youth. The permission slip and the balance of the cost are due at the pre-trip orientation.
4. The pre-trip orientation at YES is required for all youth and chaperones going on the trip. Orientations are scheduled no earlier than 3:00PM and up until 8:00PM Tuesday through Thursday.
5. An adult chaperone, over 21, must accompany each group of seven youths at the pre-trip orientation and on the slopes. The chaperones must be the same for both events.
6. Your ski area will be chosen by YES and explained at the orientation. We reserve the right to change your area at the last minute if necessary.
7. Plan your transportation and group size according to the chart below. With large bus groups (over 22 youths) you must provide a private car driven by a chaperone for medical emergencies. School buses are only allowed for local cross-country trips.
   
   

   Number of Youth	Number of Chaperones	Number of YES Staff
   5-7 (minimum)	1	1
   8-14	2	2
   15-21	3	3
   22-28	4	6
   29-35	5	7
   36-42	6	8
   43-49 (maximum)	7	9

   
   
   
8. Your vans must be prepared for winter travel and will be inspected by YES. Seats must be provided for YES staff. Empty seats on your transportation may be requested for additional YES people.
9. For a deposit refund, cancellation is required 21 days prior to the date of your trip. Within 21 days, regretfully, we must withhold your deposit. We are sorry we cannot make exceptions to this policy for any reason, including personal emergencies.
10. Once your group has completed to pre-trip orientation and has paid for the trip in full, there are no refunds. Substituting a no-show with another child is not and will not be permitted.
11. If a chaperone is a no-show on the morning of the trip, your group will be cancelled with no refunds.

How much does a ski trip with YES cost?

• Pricing varies based on many factors including agency eligibility and the mode of transportation for any given trip. Overnight trips also include the cost of meals (excluding lunch). Please call us with the specifics of your trip and we will be happy to provide an estimate.

Common Questions about becoming a YES Kid

How do I enroll my child at YES?

• YES periodically holds Parent Open Houses where more information is available. If you are unable to attend, or none are scheduled for the near future, please call us at 617-267-5877 to schedule a parent-child orientation. Your child must be between ages 7 and 17 and agree to abide by our rules and guidelines.

Common Questions about Volunteering at YES

How do I get an application to volunteer at YES ?

• You can download a volunteer application here at our web site, or you can call us at (617) 267-5877 and ask that one be faxed or mailed to you.

What are the most common reasons people volunteer for YES?

To:

• Give something back
• Provide opportunities for urban youth to enjoy the outdoors
• Meet People
• Ski at low cost with travel provided

Why do people remain volunteers for YES?

• The kids - the satisfaction that comes from helping them enjoy the outdoors and watching them learn a new skill and knowing you had something to do with that.

What is required?

A 5 month time period as follows:

• For the December through April program, YES asks volunteers to commit to 2 Slope days per month and to 1 late afternoon or evening per week at YES headquarters.
• For the May through September program, YES asks volunteers to commit to 1 weekend or 2 weekday trips per month and to help with trip preparation for 3 hours per month.

Note: If you want to volunteer but feel you are unable to give the full amount of time requested, please discuss with the Director of Volunteers what time and talents you can give to the organization.

If I volunteer for the December through April Program am I automatically committed for the May through September Program? Or vice versa?

• YES welcomes your time and talent year round. However, the agency recognizes that people who ski and/or snow board may not hike or bike and that the opposite may also be true. On the other hand, volunteering year round may give you the opportunity to try new outdoor activities, or get back to some you haven't tried for a while.

What if I have no experience as an instructor or trip leader?

No problem! YES provides training.

• For the winter program, YES conducts instructor training programs for new and seasoned volunteers. The down hill ski and snowboard programs are held at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire, Butternut in Western Massachusetts, and Sugarloaf in Maine. New volunteers are paired with seasoned instructors who support their transition to experienced instructors. YES' staff and seasoned volunteers are available to answer questions and help you problem solve. Experienced instructors are asked to serve as co-trip leaders to prepare them for their eventual transition to Trip Leaders. Trip leader manuals and a trip leader training program also help to train you for the job.
• For the spring/summer program, YES conducts weekend training programs at the YES Outdoor Adventure Center in Monterey, MA. YES also runs one day bike training programs at a state park within driving distance of Boston.

When does a day trip begin and end?

• Volunteers are asked to be at YES headquarters ½ hour prior to a trip's beginning.

December through April Program:

• Day down hill ski and snowboard trips begin at 6 AM with trip participants and volunteers loading the equipment onto the buses and/or vans and departing from YES headquarters at 6:30 AM. Depending on the trip's destination, buses and/or vans return between 6:00 and 7:00 PM when trip participants and volunteers unload the equipment. Volunteers are asked to then help put the snowboards, boots, poles and skis away.
• Cross country ski trips begin at 7AM with trip participants and volunteers loading the equipment onto the vans and departing YES headquarters at 7:30 AM Depending on the trip's destination, the vans return between 5:00 and 6:30 PM when participants and volunteers unload the equipment. Volunteers are asked to then to help put the boots, poles and skis away.
• Weekend ski trips to Swann Lodge (also known as the Outdoor Adventure Center) and the Butternut Ski Area depart from YES headquarters at 5:30 PM on Friday evening and return to YES headquarters between 6:00 and 7:00 PM on Sunday evening. Again, volunteers are asked to help put the equipment away.

May through September Program:

• Weekday trips start at 7:00 AM with the participants and volunteers loading the bikes and helmets onto the buses and vans and departing at 7:30 AM. They return at 5:00 PM when participants and volunteers then unload the bikes and helmets from the buses or vans and put them away in the YES headquarters.
• Weekend trips to the Outdoor Adventure Center in Monterey, MA depart from YES headquarters at 5:30 PM on Friday evening and return by 5:00 PM on Sunday. Since all the bikes and camping equipment are at the Monterey Center, no equipment loading on to or unloading from the buses or vans is required.

How will I know when the trips are and where they are going?

• There are volunteer trip sign up sheets for several dates posted monthly at YES. Ski and snowboard trip destinations depend on the weather and snow conditions so are not decided until the morning of the trip. Exception: weekend trips to Swann Lodge and Butternut. The May through October weekend trips also go out to the Outdoor Adventure Center in Monterey. Day trip destinations are decided the day before or the day of the trip.

Who are the urban youth YES serves?

• The kids come from the Boston area and surrounding cities. Most often they sign up for trips as part of a neighborhood, school or church youth group. However, there are kids whose parents sign them up directly with YES and are, therefore, known as YES kids.

How much time do I spend with the kids on a trip?

December through April Program:

• On down hill ski and snowboard trips, you average about 3 hours-1/2 to 1 hour to get the kids settled with their equipment and 2 hours of teaching. When the lesson is over, you may turn the kids over to their chaperone and ski alone or with other instructors for the rest of the day until departure time, or choose to remain with the kids. If you like the idea of spending the entire day with the kids, sign up for the down hill ski and snowboard trips for YES kids or where YES kids are part of the group. In those instances, you are one of the chaperones and therefore responsible for your group for the day.
• On cross country ski trips, you ski with the kids for the entire day.

May through September Program:

• Because of the nature of the outdoor activities, you spend the entire day with the kids.

What is involved in the weekday late afternoon or evening at YES headquarters?

All of the kids visit YES before their trip. There are several volunteer tasks that are required to support successful trips:

• Registration and check in
• Data Entry
• Fitting Equipment
• Equipment repair

Throughout the year, there are many projects where YES could use your help. For example:

• Marketing
• Fundraising
• Building and grounds maintenance
• Administrative tasks
• Mailings
• Support for annual events such as the Masquerade Ball, the Golf Tournament, and similar activities.

What volunteer opportunities are available at YES headquarters on weekends?

• For the December through April program, YES needs assistance on trip send-offs at 5:30 AM and trip returns from 6-8 PM
• In the morning, help is needed to match the equipment with the groups and their destinations and to load it on to the vans and buses. In the evening, help is needed to count the returned equipment and then put it back into the respective storage areas.