Who We Are

YoungLives Manhattan is committed to empowering young parents with the support, community, and resources they need to thrive. We believe that by supporting young moms and dads we’re shaping generations.

For over 25 years, YoungLives has been a part of Young Life’s global ministry and is dedicated to walking alongside young moms. Through Young Life’s time-tested methods and life-on-life mentoring, young moms are empowered to make positive choices, set and achieve goals, and grow in their faith.

YoungLives Manhattan is a part of the Young Life NYC + LI Region which includes local ministries across all five boroughs and Long Island. The Young Life Manhattan Region launched YoungLives Manhattan in 2019 and each year the ministry continues to grow, serving more than 100 young parents in 2023.

Our Staff

Adriene Perry, YoungLives Regional Coordinator for the Young Life NYC + LI Region: In 2016, Adriene Perry started working as the Regional Admin for Young Life Manhattan and was quickly amazed watching the impact mentors were having on young moms by their willingness to walk alongside them, regardless of their situation. Adriene knew firsthand the difficulty of raising yourself and a child, as she and her sister were often left alone growing up while their mom wrestled a drug addiction. During this time, Adriene’s sister became a teen mom and the two of them raised her child together here in NYC.

Witnessing Young Life’s ministry while working as an admin, Adriene found herself continually thinking about how she wished she and her sister had this support. “I realized I wanted to dedicate my life to walking alongside teen moms and being that mentor I needed,” she said. “I committed to being there for these moms through the good and the bad, modeling what their future can look like and God’s unconditional love for them.” In 2019, Adriene launched YoungLives Manhattan and continues to serve as the Area Director.

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What We Do and Why We Do it

Being a young parent can often translate into a loss of hope for a future and the breakdown of health in a community. Younglives Manhattan offers a tangible lifeline with the hope that life can look different for young parents and their children. We show up for young moms and dads providing the support, community, and resources they need to thrive.

Ways we invest in young parents and make an impact:

  • We spend our weeks meeting with young parents providing one-on-one mentoring and group events.

  • We show up for young moms and dads in tangible ways, dropping off groceries, diapers, toiletries, and encouragement. 

  • We provide practical virtual workshops on topics our parents want to learn more about ranging from personal finance and postpartum exercises to cooking classes and crafts for the kids. 

  • We meet new parents where they are, including routine visits to local shelters, Lyfe Centers (early childcare centers for NYC's student parents), and referrals from other community groups, churches, and non-profits.

  • We use these interactions with young moms and dads as opportunities to share about our Savior and help deepen their faith.

Hear From Our Moms