CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – You Are Important. That’s a message so many people need to hear, and it’s the basis for the work of YAIPak Outreach, which has accomplished some amazing things in Clarksville.

The YAI in YAIPak, of course, stands for “you are important,” and since 2016 they have been helping to impact the homeless, not to just give them free stuff but to help them change their life.

“We get an opportunity every day to impact somebody’s life through recovery, restoration and healing – that’s what we do. Together, we can make a difference,” said Sherry Nicholson, founder and CEO.

Now, after collecting enough votes in Clarksville’s Best, YAIPak is in a fundraiser competition to be named Best Nonprofit, and they need your help.

How YAIPak works

While serving the homeless is their most visible outreach, YAIPak actually has four major programs.

  • Be the Hope with community outreach for the homeless.
  • Project Foster Hope, which helps children impacted by trauma.
  • Project Patriot Hope, which identifies and befriends homeless veterans.
  • Project Rebuild Hope to offer support and offer relief for people affected by disaster.

One of the things that sets YAIPak apart is they take the resources to where the people are, where it is needed.

“We are a mobile outreach, not a standalone closet or a standalone food bank. There are plenty of other phenomenal organizations that do that. We fill our trailers and our vehicles, and we take it to where they are – where we need to go to make an impact,” Nicholson said.

YAIPak is also reaching out to help those in need outside Montgomery County. The organization recently shared their support with victims of the flooding in Waverly, Tennessee.

“We were able to walk into their trauma and help bring them hope. We took in chainsaws, rakes and shovels – everything that was needed to start mucking out the houses and help those people start picking up their lives and start rebuilding,” Nicholson said.

“We invite everyone to please stop by the warehouse at 211 S. Second St. and take a tour. We are open for the public to see the impact our community is making by volunteering or donating, because we feel like we are doing this together. It’s not just a YAIPak thing, it’s a community thing,” Nicholson said.

Help them win Clarksville’s Best

YAIPak is one of two finalist charities in a weeklong fundraiser competition to be named Clarksville’s Best Nonprofit, and you can help them by making a donation at YAIPak’s GoFundMe page.

Each nonprofit will keep what they raise, of course, but the one who raises the most will be the Gold winner and receive $24,000 in free advertising from 5 Star Media Group. The Silver winner will get $12,000 in free advertising.

The fundraiser competition will end on Friday, Oct. 8, at 5 p.m., and the winner and runner up results will be announced on Nov. 18, along with all the other winners from the Clarksville’s Best contest.

To donate, go to the YAIPak Outreach GoFundMe page.

For more about YAIPak, go to YAIOutreach.org or email info@yaioutreach.org. For business questions, call 615-559-7710. To report someone who needs help, call 615-559-8272.

Chris Smith contributed to this report.