History

Youth at Heart (YAH) is a new agency formed by the merger of Destination Discovery and Helping Hands of Tulsa. YAH is a 501c3 United Way Agency. Our mission is to shape, support and encourage Tulsa’s inner city youth.

Helping Hands of Tulsa was founded in October 1984 to provide services to children living in Tulsa’s public housing. Since that time they touched the lives of thousands of families in all public housing complexes. In 1989, Helping Hands began managing the five community centers under contract to the Tulsa Housing Authority (Comanche Park, Riverview, Parkview Terrace, East Central Village and Sandy Park). Helping Hands provided life enrichment activities, youth groups, table games, and organized sports leagues, and for the services of other agencies such as 4-H, Scouting and Family and Children’s Services.

Destination Discovery initially began as a summer program for children at the Colonial Park Apartments in 1976. It grew to serve six apartment sites. These sites include four Tulsa Housing Authority communities (Mohawk Manor, Apache Manor, South Haven Manor and Seminole Hills/Whitlow Townhomes), and two independently operated subsidized housing complexes (Normandy Village and Morning Star Village). Destination Discovery programs provided young people with positive choices to prevent involvement in anti-social, self-destructive activities, and to instill good moral character.