Yaks Youth Center

09/25/2026

📣 WE’RE HIRING AT YAKS YOUTH CENTER! 📣

Are you energetic, dependable, and passionate about making a difference in the lives of children? We’d love to meet you! 💛

YAKS Youth Center is looking for caring and enthusiastic individuals to join our team! We’re more than just coworkers—we work together to create a fun, supportive, inclusive environment where our kiddos can learn, play, grow, and feel at home. 🧸🌈

✨ We’re looking for people who are:
• Reliable and ready to show up for our kiddos
• Patient, kind, and energetic
• Comfortable working as part of a team
• Excited to get messy, be silly, and PLAY!
• Passionate about helping children learn and grow

Experience in childcare is a plus, but a big heart, willingness to learn, and commitment to our kiddos go a long way! ❤️

📍 YAKS Youth Center — Oneonta, NY

Interested in joining the YAKS family? Send us a message for more information or to apply!

Please share—we may be looking for someone you know! 🥰

08/31/2026

We have some exciting news to share! 💙

One of our very own Yaks babies, Cooper, has been nominated for Baby of the Year, and voting is officially open!

We would love to see our Yaks community come together and show Cooper some support. Every vote helps, and we’re so excited to cheer him on throughout this amazing opportunity!

🗳️ Cast your vote for Cooper today!

Feel free to share with friends and family and help us spread the word.

Good luck, Cooper! Your Yaks family is cheering you on! 💙🏆

One baby will appear in a national ad campaign with The Honest Company, win $25,000, and be celebrated in Variety Magazine.

08/15/2026

Today is the day!! Come join a community event at the Elks Lodge to support one of our families 😁

08/07/2026

🍋 Cool off with us tomorrow! 🍋

We know this is a little last minute, but our School-Age Lemonade Stand will be happening Friday, August 7th at Yaks Youth Center (158 River Street)!

⏰ Hours:
• 10:00–11:00 AM
• 1:00–4:00 PM

💛 $1 per cup
💗 Pink lemonade will also be available!

If you’re dropping off, picking up, or just driving by, we’d love for you to stop and support our school-age kiddos. Every cup helps make this a fun, hands-on experience for them, and they’ll be so excited to see everyone who comes by!

We hope to see you tomorrow! 🍋😊

07/31/2026

As many of you know, Miss Kyanne’s mom, Darlene Barlow, recently passed away. Her loss has deeply affected our Yaks Youth Center family. Several of our staff members are part of Darlene’s family, while others had the privilege of knowing and loving her for many years.

To help support her family during this incredibly difficult time, a Chinese Auction & Benefit is being held. Proceeds will help ease the financial burden of funeral and family expenses while also helping Darlene’s two adult sons with autism transition into their new homes with their sisters. One of her sons will be living with two of our own staff members, Miss Kyanne and Miss Geni, as they help him begin this new chapter.

We would love for our Yaks families and community to come together and show their support. Every basket donation, raffle ticket purchased, meal enjoyed, or shared post truly makes a difference. If you or a local business would like to donate a basket, gift certificate, or raffle item, please stop by the front desk and speak with Miss Geni or Miss Kyanne for more information.

📅 Saturday, August 15
🕝 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM
📍 Oneonta Elks Club
279 Chestnut St.
Oneonta, NY

Thank you for helping us surround this family with love and support during such a heartbreaking time. We hope to see you there.

07/17/2026

The Yaks Youth Center family is coming together to support one of our own during an incredibly difficult time.

Miss Kyanne’s mom and Miss Geni’s mother-in-law is currently in the ICU as she battles life-threatening heart complications. We know how overwhelming moments like these can be, and we’d love to help support their family during this difficult time.

If you’re able to donate, no amount is too small, and every contribution is greatly appreciated. If you’re unable to donate, sharing the fundraiser is another meaningful way to help.

Thank you for supporting our Yaks family and for keeping Miss Kyanne, Miss Geni, and their family in your thoughts and prayers. ❤️

Help Us Give Back to the Woman Who Has Given Everything If yo… Kyanne Kali Clark needs your support for Help Us Give Back to Our Mom in Her Time of Need

06/21/2026

Happy Father’s Day to all of the dads, grandpas, stepdads, father figures, and mentors who make a difference in the lives of our children every day.

Thank you for the early morning drop-offs, the bedtime stories, the lessons you teach, the support you give, and the unconditional love you show. Whether you’re cheering from the sidelines, helping with homework, or simply being there when your child needs you most, your impact is greater than you know.

Today, we celebrate all the amazing father figures who help shape confident, kind, and resilient children. Thank you for everything you do.

From all of us at Yaks Youth Center, we wish you a very Happy Father’s Day! 💙

06/05/2026

🌈 Happy Pride Month from Yaks Youth Center! 🌈

This Pride Month, we celebrate the strength, courage, and individuality of LGBTQ+ youth in our community and beyond.

At Yaks Youth Center, we believe everyone deserves to be seen, respected, and valued for who they are. Pride is a time to honor the progress that has been made, recognize the work that still lies ahead, and uplift the voices of young people who are helping create a more inclusive future.

Whether you're exploring your identity, supporting a friend, or standing proudly in your truth, know that you belong here.

🏳️‍🌈 You are welcome.
💜 You are valued.
🌟 You are enough.

Join us this month as we celebrate diversity, foster connection, and continue building a community where every young person can thrive.

Happy Pride Month!

🌈✨

05/12/2026

🇺🇸🎨✨ America 250th Kids Design Contest ✨🎨🇺🇸

Calling all young artists ages 0–12!
Crafted Hollow Mercantile is excited to launch our America 250th Design Contest to celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary with creativity, patriotism, and community spirit! 🇺🇸

We want to see your BEST patriotic artwork!

How to Enter

Create a design that:

✨ Includes the words “America 250th”
🖍️ Is either:
A digital drawing
OR
Hand-drawn using markers

🚫 Please do NOT include names on the artwork itself.

📧 Designs can be emailed to:[email protected]

📍 Or dropped off at the shop during business hours.

✅ Please include the child’s name and your contact information in the email or with the submission, just not on the drawing itself.

📅 All entries must be submitted by May 20th.

Voting Rounds:

All submitted designs will be displayed:
📍 In-store at Crafted Hollow Mercantile or
📱 On our page

Friends, family, and our community will get to vote for their favorite designs!

Round One Voting

May 21st – May 24th:
The TOP 4 designs with the most votes will advance to the next round!

Semi-Final Round
May 25th – May 28th:
The TOP 2 designs with the most votes will move on to the final round!

Final Round
May 29th – May 31st:
The final two designs will compete for the winning spot!

Grand Prize
🥇 The winning artwork will be professionally turned into:👕 Shirts☕ Cups🖤 Mugs

These special America 250th items will then be available for purchase at Crafted Hollow Mercantile!

Supporting a Great Cause
❤️ Proceeds from sales will benefit Operation At Ease.

Operation At Ease takes dogs from shelters, pairs them with deserving veterans and first responders, and provides a free guided training program for post-traumatic stress and mobility service dogs. In addition to the service dog training programs, they offer resources such as free therapy dog support, ensuring long-lasting assistance for both our country and community heroes.

https://operationatease.org

We cannot wait to see all the amazing patriotic artwork our community’s young artists create! 🇺🇸

3275 State Highway 205 Hartwick NY 13348

05/05/2026

We are SO excited to share… 🎉

Yaks Youth Center has been named Business of the Month at Community Bank!! 💙

Even more special — our display features artwork created by our amazing kids of ALL ages, from our tiniest learners to our big school-agers. 🖍️✨ Every piece represents creativity, growth, and the joy of learning through play.

If you’re in the area, stop by the Southside branch in Oneonta and check it out — our kiddos would LOVE knowing their art is being seen and celebrated by the community! 🥹❤️

We are so proud of our Yaks family and so grateful for opportunities like this to showcase what makes our center so special.

👉 Be sure to snap a picture if you visit and tag us — we’d love to see!

🎨