YSS breaks ground on nature-focused Ember facility near Cambridge
Ronna Faaborg
YSS broke ground Tuesday on its Ember Recovery Campus near Cambridge, an event that “marks one of the most significant days in YSS’s 46-year history,” the organization’s CEO and president, Andrew Allen, said.
“Breaking ground on this project is, no doubt, groundbreaking,” he said.
The $20 million project will be located on more than 50 acres of rural property, rich with prairie and woodland, southwest of Cambridge. It will feature a 70-bed facility that will be an oasis for Iowa youth, offering emergency shelter, crisis stabilization and addiction treatment.
Ember’s design will be trauma-informed, nature-based and experiential, Allen told a large group gathered for the ceremony.
The idea for Ember was sparked while YSS was looking for the next way to serve Iowa's adolescents and young adults. Research pointed to the benefits of natural settings that offer holistic treatment of mind, body and spirit. The property, which was donated by McFarland Clinic's Dr. Jay Brown, seemed perfect for the mission.
When hurting families from across the state make the trip to Ember, they’ll see an environment of healing, Allen said.
“This is hope. This is opportunity,” he said. “This is Ember, a small glowing fragment of fire that will care and nurture and revive.
“Ember reminds families and youth that there is always enough fire in their hearts to overcome life’s challenges.”
Allen is no stranger to these challenges himself. As the leader of YSS, he says his most important title is alumnus.
“YSS saved my life as a troubled teenager, and I’ve committed my life to giving back to the organization that saved me,” he said. “Pushing through the struggle creates the foundation for a new life. Adversity produces perseverance, which produces character, which produces hope, which is our mission at YSS.”
Gov. Kim Reynolds was one of several dignitaries who spoke during the ceremony.
“Your personal experience has made this organization what it is today,” Reynolds said. “And that is truly a beacon of hope, offering young Iowans a path forward. Today's groundbreaking is a testament to that talent and passion and vision.”
YSS’s mission will be enhanced by the Ember Recovery Campus, she said.
“This project will transform the landscape of behavioral health and addiction treatment in Iowa,” Reynolds said. “While YSS currently serves around 10,000 youths per year across all locations around the state, today only about 200 of those youth can access the emergency shelter, crisis stabilization and residential treatment of substance abuse.”
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The Ember facility will more than triple that number to about 750 kids per year, allowing YSS to serve more than 3,500 kids in five years, she said.
“It’s amazing to consider how many more lives will be saved and changed,” Reynolds said.
YSS, formerly known as Youth & Shelter Services, has raised about $15 million of the total project cost, and major donors were honored at Tuesday’s ceremony. Central Iowa Community Services, a regional cooperative effort supporting individuals with mental health and disability services, has committed $10 million to Ember.
“We still have about $5 million to raise to fully build out this campus. It simply can’t wait,” Allen said. “The need today is too great, and the families across Iowa are too far in need.”
Ember will be a multi-building campus, featuring a main building to function as a hub. There will be cabins and many outdoor recreation spaces. RDG Planning & Design and Woodruff Construction are collaborating with YSS on the project.
Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rlawless@gannett.com.