What YAAB Events Actually Are (and Why They're Different)

If you’ve never been to a YAAB event before, it’s easy to picture something formal, intimidating, or bureaucratic. The reality is the opposite. YAAB events are built by and for young adults ages 17 to 25 who have experienced homelessness or housing instability — and the whole point is to make sure your voice actually counts. Across Tennessee, from Memphis to Mountain City, these gatherings are where real change starts.

Peer-Led, Not Top-Down

Most meetings about youth homelessness happen without young people in the room. YAAB flips that. Every event — whether it’s a regional meeting, a policy workshop, or a community listening session — is designed and shaped by young adults who have been there themselves. That means the agenda reflects real questions, real barriers, and real solutions, not just what adults think young people need.

When you walk into a YAAB event, you’re not a guest or a case study. You’re a contributor. Members vote on priorities, give feedback on programs, and help draft recommendations that go directly to local Continuum of Care leaders and state officials.

Types of Events YAAB Hosts

• Monthly Regional Meetings: Each of Tennessee’s seven CoC regions holds its own YAAB meeting, typically once a month. These are the core spaces where members connect, share updates, and do the work.
• Statewide Convenings: A few times a year, YAAB members from across Tennessee gather for larger events — think skill-building, cross-region collaboration, and unified advocacy strategy.
• Advocacy Days: Members travel to Nashville or local government offices to meet with lawmakers and present youth-led policy recommendations.
• Training and Leadership Workshops: Covering topics like public speaking, housing rights, financial literacy, and how the CoC system works.
• Community Outreach Events: Resource fairs, peer-to-peer connection events, and collaborative sessions with service providers.

Tennessee's 7 YAAB Regions: Finding Your Local Chapter

Tennessee is a big, diverse state — and YAAB’s structure reflects that. Rather than one centralized organization in Nashville, YAAB operates through seven regional chapters that mirror the state’s Continuum of Care (CoC) system. This means events and meetings happen close to where you actually live, and the issues being discussed are the ones affecting your specific community.

The Seven Continuum of Care Regions

Tennessee’s Continuum of Care (CoC) system is divided into seven regions, and each one has — or is building — its own local YAAB chapter. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• TN-500 (Memphis/Shelby County): The largest urban CoC in the state, covering Memphis and surrounding Shelby County.
• TN-501 (Nashville/Davidson County): Covers Nashville and Davidson County, one of the most active YAAB chapters in the state.
• TN-502 (Knoxville/Knox County): Serving Knoxville and Knox County in East Tennessee.
• TN-503 (Chattanooga/Hamilton County): Covering the Chattanooga metro and Hamilton County.
• TN-504 (Jackson/West Tennessee): Serving Jackson and the broader West Tennessee region.
• TN-506 (Upper Cumberland): A rural region covering Cookeville and surrounding counties.
• TN-507 (Balance of State / Northeast TN): A wide region covering Northeast Tennessee and rural areas statewide.

Why Your Region Matters

Each region has its own housing landscape, service providers, and policy priorities. A young adult navigating homelessness in rural Upper Cumberland faces different barriers than someone in downtown Memphis — and your local YAAB is built to address exactly those regional realities. Getting involved with your region’s chapter means your feedback goes directly to the CoC leaders and funders who make decisions in your area.

Not sure which region you’re in? The local YAABs page has a full list of chapters with contact info and meeting details for each region.

How to Find Upcoming YAAB Events and Meetings

You shouldn’t have to dig through multiple websites or wait for someone to tell you about the next meeting. YAAB makes it straightforward to find events — here’s exactly where to look and how to stay connected so you’re always in the know.

The Official YAAB Events Calendar

The most reliable place to find every upcoming YAAB event — regional meetings, statewide convenings, advocacy days, and workshops — is the official events calendar at yaabtn.org/calendar-events. The calendar is updated regularly and shows events across all seven Tennessee regions. Each listing includes the date, time, location or virtual link, and any registration details you need.

Bookmark that page and check it at the start of each month. Most regional chapters post their upcoming meetings 2 to 4 weeks in advance, and statewide events are typically announced 4 to 6 weeks out.

Other Ways to Stay in the Loop

Beyond the calendar, here are a few other ways to make sure you never miss an event:

• Connect with your local YAAB chapter: Each regional chapter has its own contact point. Reach out once and ask to be added to their mailing list or group chat — most chapters use text or messaging apps to send quick reminders.
• Follow YAAB on social media: Event announcements, last-minute changes, and highlights get posted on YAAB’s social channels. A quick follow keeps you in the loop passively.
• Ask your case manager or service provider: Many CoC-connected service providers in Tennessee receive YAAB event notices directly. If you’re working with a case manager, housing navigator, or youth shelter, ask them to flag upcoming YAAB events for you.
• Check the YAAB resources page: The resources page sometimes features event-related materials and announcements alongside housing and service info.

How to Register for a YAAB Event: Step by Step

Registering for a YAAB event is designed to be as low-barrier as possible — no lengthy applications, no prerequisites, and no gatekeepers. Here’s the simple process from finding an event to walking through the door (or joining the video call).

Step 1 — Find the Event on the Calendar

Head to yaabtn.org/calendar-events and browse upcoming events. Filter by your region if that option is available, or scroll to find events in your city or county. Click on any event listing to see the full details — date, time, format (in-person or virtual), and location address or video link.

Step 2 — Register or RSVP

Some events use a simple online RSVP form linked directly from the calendar listing. Others may ask you to contact your regional YAAB coordinator directly by email or phone to confirm your spot. A few events — especially larger statewide convenings — may use a third-party registration platform like Eventbrite or Google Forms. The event listing will tell you exactly what to do.

Tip: Even if an event says registration isn’t required, RSVPing helps organizers plan for food, materials, and transportation support. If stipends or bus passes are being offered to attendees, you’ll almost always need to register in advance to qualify.

Step 3 — Prepare and Show Up

You don’t need to bring anything special to most YAAB meetings — just yourself and your perspective. For virtual events, make sure you have a working device and internet connection; if that’s a barrier, reach out to your regional coordinator ahead of time, because many chapters can help connect you to resources. For in-person events, note the address and any parking or transit details in the listing. Some chapters offer transportation stipends — ask when you RSVP.

What to Expect at Your First YAAB Meeting

Walking into any new space for the first time can feel uncertain. Here’s an honest picture of what a typical YAAB meeting looks like so you know exactly what you’re stepping into — and can show up feeling ready.

The Vibe and Format

First-timers often say they were surprised by how welcoming and real YAAB meetings feel. There’s no dress code, no need to have your story perfectly polished, and no expectation that you’ll speak up right away if you’re not ready. Most regional meetings run 60 to 90 minutes and follow a loose agenda: introductions or check-ins, updates from the regional CoC, a discussion topic or skill-building activity, and time for open conversation.

Some chapters open with an icebreaker or a grounding activity. Others dive straight into business. Either way, the tone is peer-to-peer — facilitated by young adults, not by adults talking at you.

Participation Looks Different for Everyone

You might be ready to jump in and share your experience on day one. Or you might want to listen for a meeting or two before you feel comfortable speaking. Both are completely valid. YAAB values presence as much as participation — showing up and being in the room is itself a form of engagement.

Over time, members can take on more active roles: facilitating discussions, joining working groups, representing their region at statewide events, or serving as a youth advisor to their local CoC board. There’s no pressure to move faster than you’re ready to.

Stipends, Food, and Practical Support

YAAB recognizes that your time has value. Many regional chapters offer stipends for meeting attendance — typically ranging from $20 to $50 per meeting depending on the chapter and available funding. Some events also provide meals or snacks, transportation reimbursement, or bus passes. These details vary by region and event, so always check the specific event listing or ask your regional coordinator when you register. Stipend availability is one more reason to RSVP in advance rather than just showing up.

Who Can Join YAAB: Eligibility and Membership Basics

YAAB is specifically designed for young adults with lived experience of homelessness or housing instability — and that focus is intentional. It’s what gives YAAB its credibility and its power. Here’s a clear breakdown of who can join and what that looks like in practice.

The Core Eligibility Criteria

YAAB membership is open to young adults who meet the following criteria:

• Age: 17 to 25 years old at the time of joining.
• Lived experience: You have personally experienced homelessness, housing instability, or a related challenge such as aging out of foster care, couch surfing, staying in a shelter, or living in an unsafe situation.
• Tennessee resident: You live in or have a connection to one of Tennessee’s seven CoC regions.

You do not need to currently be experiencing homelessness to join. Many YAAB members are in stable housing now and use their past experience to advocate for others still going through it.

What About Service Providers and Case Managers?

YAAB’s membership is specifically for young adults with lived experience — that’s what makes it powerful. However, service providers, case managers, and CoC partners play an important supporting role. If you work with transition-age youth in Tennessee, you can support YAAB by referring young people to events, sharing the calendar with your clients, and attending community events as an ally. The about YAAB page has more information on how partner organizations can engage without centering adult voices over youth voices.

6 Ways Getting Involved with YAAB Can Change Your Life

Getting involved with YAAB isn’t just about giving back — it’s also about building your own future. Here are six concrete ways that showing up to events and engaging with your regional chapter can create real, tangible change in your own life.

1. Build Real Leadership Skills

YAAB offers hands-on training in public speaking, facilitation, policy analysis, and community organizing — skills that translate directly into jobs, college applications, and career advancement. Members who have gone through YAAB’s leadership development programming report feeling significantly more confident in professional and civic settings.

2. Expand Your Network Across Tennessee

Through regional meetings and statewide convenings, you’ll connect with young adults from Memphis to Kingsport who share your experience and your drive. You’ll also build relationships with CoC leaders, nonprofit directors, and policymakers — the kind of network that opens doors that would otherwise stay closed.

3. Earn Stipends and Resume Experience

Participation in YAAB events often comes with stipends, and active members can take on paid or stipended roles within their regional chapter. Beyond income, YAAB membership is legitimate, impressive resume experience — especially for fields like social work, public policy, nonprofit management, and community health.

4. Access Resources and Referrals

YAAB events regularly feature resource tables, guest speakers from service organizations, and peer referrals to housing, employment, education, and mental health support. Being in the room means you hear about opportunities — rental assistance programs, job training slots, GED pathways — before they fill up.

YAAB Events by Region: A Snapshot of What's Happening Statewide

While every region follows the same core YAAB model, the specific rhythm and format of events varies depending on where you are in Tennessee. Here’s a general picture of what’s happening across the state — and what to expect depending on your region.

Urban Regions: Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga

Tennessee’s four largest metro regions — Memphis/Shelby (TN-500), Nashville/Davidson (TN-501), Knoxville/Knox (TN-502), and Chattanooga/Hamilton (TN-503) — tend to have the most frequent YAAB activity. Monthly meetings are well-established in these regions, and members in these areas often have access to in-person gatherings, local advocacy days, and resource fairs. Nashville’s chapter, for example, has historically been one of the most active in terms of statewide convenings and CoC advisory participation.

Rural and Balance-of-State Regions: Jackson, Upper Cumberland, Northeast TN

The Jackson/West Tennessee (TN-504), Upper Cumberland (TN-506), and Northeast Tennessee/Balance of State (TN-507) regions cover large geographic areas with more dispersed populations. YAAB chapters in these regions are growing and increasingly active, with many events offered in hybrid or fully virtual formats to reduce travel barriers. If you’re in a rural part of Tennessee, virtual participation is a fully legitimate and valued way to engage — and some statewide events offer travel stipends for members who want to attend in person.

YAAB Regional Chapters at a Glance

Here's a quick-reference overview of all seven Tennessee YAAB regions, their primary service areas, and how to connect with each chapter.

Virtual vs. In-Person YAAB Events: What Works for You

YAAB events happen both in person and virtually — and both formats are real, valued ways to participate. Here’s an honest comparison so you can figure out which works best for your situation right now.

Virtual Events: Low Barrier, High Access

Virtual YAAB meetings — typically held over Zoom or Google Meet — remove some of the biggest barriers to participation: transportation, childcare logistics, work schedule conflicts, and geographic distance. If you’re in a rural region, between housing situations, or simply more comfortable engaging from a familiar space, virtual events are a fully valued option. YAAB’s statewide convenings are often hybrid, meaning you can join from anywhere in Tennessee without having to travel.

What you need: A smartphone, tablet, or computer with internet access. If device or data access is a barrier, reach out to your regional coordinator — some chapters can help connect you with resources.

In-Person Events: Community, Energy, and Connection

There’s something that happens in a room full of people who get it that a video call can’t fully replicate. In-person YAAB events tend to generate stronger peer connections, more dynamic conversations, and a clearer sense of collective energy and purpose. They’re also where you’re most likely to encounter resource tables, meet service providers face-to-face, and access on-the-spot referrals.

In-person events are typically held at community centers, libraries, nonprofit offices, or CoC partner facilities. Locations are always listed in the event details on the calendar.

How YAAB Events Connect to Real Policy Change

Every YAAB meeting is a link in a chain that runs from your lived experience all the way to the decisions made by CoC boards, state agencies, and Tennessee legislators. Here’s how that chain actually works — and why showing up to events matters beyond the room you’re sitting in.

From Meeting Room to CoC Decision Table

YAAB isn’t a social club — it’s a formal advisory body within Tennessee’s Continuum of Care system. That means the feedback, recommendations, and priorities that come out of YAAB events actually go somewhere. Regional YAAB representatives sit on or present to local CoC boards, which control how federal McKinney-Vento homeless assistance funding is allocated in their region. When YAAB members say a certain program isn’t working or a certain gap needs to be filled, that input shapes funding decisions that affect thousands of young people across Tennessee.

Statewide Advocacy and Legislative Engagement

Beyond the regional CoC level, YAAB members engage in statewide advocacy — including Advocacy Days in Nashville where youth representatives meet directly with state legislators and agency officials. These aren’t photo opportunities; they’re structured meetings where YAAB members present data, share personal testimony, and push for specific policy changes. Past YAAB advocacy efforts have contributed to improvements in how Tennessee’s CoC system serves transition-age youth, including updates to housing priority criteria and youth-specific programming requirements.

Learn more about YAAB’s advocacy work and how you can get involved at the advocacy page.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of YAAB Events

Showing up is the most important step — but a few small habits before, during, and after a YAAB event can make the experience significantly more valuable for you. Here’s what experienced YAAB members recommend.

Before the Event

• RSVP early: Stipends, meals, and transportation support are often first-come, first-served. Registering early locks in your spot and any available support.
• Know the format: Check whether the event is virtual or in-person, and prepare accordingly. For virtual events, test your audio and video beforehand.
• Think about one thing you want to share or ask: You don’t need a prepared speech, but having one thought ready can help you feel less on the spot if the facilitator opens the floor.

During the Event

• Introduce yourself: Even a quick ‘I’m [name], I’m from [city]’ helps you start building connections.
• Take notes: Resource names, program deadlines, and contact info get shared fast in meetings. A phone note or notebook helps you capture what matters.
• Ask questions: There are no dumb questions in a YAAB space. If something doesn’t make sense — about the CoC, about a program, about how advocacy works — ask. Others probably have the same question.

After the Event

• Follow up on resources: If someone mentioned a program or service that could help you, follow up within 48 hours while the details are fresh.
• Stay connected: Ask to be added to the chapter’s communication channel — text group, email list, or social group — so you hear about the next event without having to search for it.
• Come back: The first meeting is the hardest. The second one is where you start to feel like you belong.

Ready to Show Up? Your Next Step Starts Here

You’ve made it to the end of this guide — which means you already have more information than most people who walk into their first YAAB meeting. The next move is simple: find an event, register, and show up. Here’s exactly how to do that.

Find Your Region and Register Today

Every YAAB chapter in Tennessee is actively welcoming new members — and there’s no application process, no waiting list, and no perfect moment to start. The only requirement is showing up. Head to the YAAB events calendar right now to see what’s coming up in your region, grab the registration details, and put the date in your phone.

If you want to learn more about what YAAB is and how it works before your first event, the about YAAB page has everything you need. And if you’re ready to make it official, the join page walks you through how to become a member.

You Belong in This Room

Here’s the truth: the policies that shape housing, shelter, and services for young people in Tennessee are being made right now. YAAB exists so that young adults with lived experience — people like you — have a real seat at that table. Not as a token voice, not as a story to be told about, but as decision-makers and advocates who shape what happens next.

Whether you’re in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Jackson, the Upper Cumberland, or Northeast Tennessee, there is a YAAB chapter near you and a meeting coming up soon. Your experience matters. Your voice matters. And the room is ready for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find YAAB events near me in Tennessee?

Visit yaabtn.org/calendar-events to see all upcoming YAAB events across Tennessee's seven Continuum of Care regions. Each listing includes date, time, location or virtual link, and registration details. You can also contact your regional YAAB chapter directly to be added to their notification list.

Do I have to currently be homeless to join YAAB?

No. YAAB is open to young adults ages 17 to 25 who have lived experience of homelessness or housing instability at any point — including in the past. Many active YAAB members are now in stable housing and use their experience to advocate for others still going through it.

Do YAAB members get paid for attending events?

Many YAAB chapters offer stipends for meeting attendance, typically ranging from $20 to $50 per event depending on the region and available funding. Some events also provide meals, transportation reimbursement, or bus passes. Stipend availability varies, so check the specific event listing or ask your regional coordinator when you register.

Can I attend YAAB events virtually if I can't travel?

Yes. Many YAAB meetings and all statewide convenings offer virtual participation options via Zoom or Google Meet. Virtual attendance is a fully valued form of participation, especially for members in rural regions like Upper Cumberland or Northeast Tennessee. If device or internet access is a barrier, reach out to your regional coordinator for support.

What is the difference between a regional YAAB meeting and a statewide YAAB event?

Regional meetings happen monthly within one of Tennessee's seven CoC regions and focus on local housing issues, CoC updates, and community connections. Statewide events bring members from all regions together a few times a year for larger skill-building sessions, cross-region collaboration, and unified advocacy strategy — sometimes including Advocacy Days at the state capitol in Nashville.

I'm a case manager or service provider — how can I support YAAB without taking over the space?

The best ways to support YAAB as a service provider are to share event information with your clients, refer eligible young adults to their regional chapter, and attend community events as an ally without dominating the conversation. YAAB's core membership and leadership is intentionally reserved for young adults with lived experience — your role is to amplify youth voices, not replace them.