By Pam Rosener , President, YMSL | Guest Contributor
For many individuals and families transitioning from homelessness or other difficult circumstances, receiving the keys to a home often means walking into an empty space. Young Men’s Service League (YMSL), an organization of high-school aged boys and their mothers, are working to change that. The organization has launched the House to Home Initiative in partnership with Bed Start. The program mobilizes YMSL chapters, volunteers, donors, and community partners to furnish homes for those rebuilding their lives.
Founded in Plano, Texas in 2001, YMSL has grown into a national nonprofit with 220 chapters and more than 36,000 young men and mothers who are actively serving communities across the country, united by a shared mission.
In honor of YMSL’s 25th anniversary, the House to Home initiative will support broader 2026 impact objectives by outfitting homes for individuals and families who have secured housing but lack the basic furnishings that make it livable.
“House to Home is about more than furniture,” said Pam Rosener, Founder of Young Men’s Service League. “It’s about restoring dignity. A bed gives a child a place to sleep. A dining table gives a family a place to gather around. A furnished home gives people the opportunity to truly begin again.”
The program partner Bed Start was one of the organization’s first philanthropy partners, so it’s fitting that in this banner year, the organizations are partnering for large-scale impact. Bed Start partners with all in poverty, crisis or need, requiring furnishings and other household items. Having gotten its start in 1995, Bed Start now delivers approximately $950,000 in donated household items annually. Jackson Baker, a rising senior from the Frisco chapter said “my favorite part is that it exposes you to the need that hides in communities” His mother, Becca, went on to add that “working these shifts is a great way to give back to the community in a meaningful way.”
YMSL chapters in the DFW metroplex are looking for support. Donors and community sponsors can “adopt a household” to provide the essentials that transform a house into a home. Donations support furniture transportation, warehouse operations, and purchasing other essential items like mattresses that cannot be donated, allowing Bed Start and YMSL volunteers to respond quickly when program recipients receive permanent housing.
“A furnished home gives people the opportunity to truly begin again.”
- Pam Rosener, Founder of Young Men’s Service League
House to Home also relies on donations of new and lightly used furniture, including sofas, coffee tables, nightstands, dining sets, dressers, lamps, and other household essentials for the young men and their moms to deliver and set up in the recipients’ homes alongside other volunteers from Bed Start. Community members, businesses, churches, and corporate partners are invited to support the initiative by making financial contributions to sponsor these home installations or donating their own gently-loved furniture pieces. Arrangements can be made to pick up items in the month of August.
As one of YMSL’s signature service initiatives marking the 25th anniversary year, House to Home reflects the organization’s mission of mothers and sons serving side by side to strengthen communities through meaningful volunteerism and philanthropy. YMSL believes that together, this project can provide more than furnishings, they aim to provide hope, stability, and a fresh start across North Texas.
More information on how to sponsor, donate, or volunteer is available at ymsl.org/housetohome
About Young Men’s Service League (YMSL), National
The Young Men’s Service League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit national organization. Members of YMSL are moms and their teenage sons who volunteer together to serve their local communities during his four years of high school. YMSL currently represents over 19,000 moms and 17,000 young men as part of 220 chapters across 24 states. YMSL offers moms service opportunities and time together with her son(s) to grow their relationship and to instill in him a heart of service to last a lifetime. In addition to service, as part of its four-year comprehensive program, YMSL teaches leadership and life skills to develop young men to become capable, confident and compassionate leaders of tomorrow.