photograph by Wes Hale
Youth Villages CEO Patrick Lawler at Bill’s Place, a multipurpose facility named in honor of Lawler’s parents.
Upon your first visit to the bucolic Dogwood campus of Youth Villages, you'll find it hard to leave. Nine cottages serve as residence halls for boys and girls (and Youth Villages staff), but they are nestled among multiple ball fields, a swimming pool, a school house, and an activities center that includes a drum room, basketball court, pickleball court, movie theater, climbing wall, and — get this — a hair salon.
You can't walk the campus without feeling young, and that seems to be the point. The years that form us are critical. And as Youth Villages turns 40 in 2026, those years matter more than ever. For adulthood awaits. A small sign as you exit the campus could serve as a two-word mission statement for an organization that now reaches 29 states and more than 40,000 kids nationwide: "Buckle seatbelt."
Patrick Lawler has served as Youth Villages’ CEO since its inception in 1986. Following a merger of two youth-services organizations (Dogwood Villages and Memphis Boys Town), 88 kids found themselves under the care of Lawler and the hope that a single nonprofit could find traction where two smaller entities had struggled. And traction they found. Today, Youth Villages employs more than 1,500 locally, serving 110 kids on the Dogwood campus in Arlington, 300 on its 82-acre campus in Bartlett, and hundreds more through its community outreach programs.
Patrick Lawler was only 24 years old when he was appointed administrator of a small residential program that became Youth Villages, pictured here with an early program participant.
Reflecting on the early stages of his career at Dogwood Villages, Lawler chuckles and says, “I’m not young enough to know everything anymore.” A graduate of Bishop Byrne High School and the University of Memphis, Lawler knew nothing in 1980 about licenses, boards, budgets … essentials for a nonprofit to survive, let alone thrive.
“We had nine staff and 25 kids,” says Lawler. “Nineteen boys and six girls. Six brick cottages and an administration building. We had a capital campaign in 1984 led by Spence Wilson and we raised $1.6 million.” From a pre-merger budget of $150,000, Youth Villages has grown to a national budget over $600 million, with a Memphis budget of $200 million.
Eight of the nine Dogwood cottages are home to 11 or 12 children. (The newest will house 20.) They are same-sex residences and the children are housed among their age groups, 12 to 17. Youth Villages assigns administrators and a psychiatrist to each cottage, providing 24/7 access and support. The kids attend school together, eat meals together, and enjoy a variety of extracurricular activities as a group. They become a community within the larger Youth Villages community, a family of peers.
“Most of the kids who come here,” explains Lawler, “are in the custody of the child-welfare system. They’ve been removed from their families. Abuse. Neglect. Emotional problems. [Youth Villages] is for kids with the greatest needs. They’ve been in foster care, in and out of psychiatric hospitals. Every transition is difficult. We want kids to feel like this is a very special place. They’ve had terrible lives before they come here, for the most part.”
“We’re looking to building confidence in kids. Some kids may not play pickleball, but they love arts and crafts, or music. We want to give the kids as many opportunities to be successful as we can. It brings them joy, and provides them with something to look forward to.” — Patrick Lawler
Lawler likes to emphasize the Youth Villages slogan: “A force for families.” When a child moves onto one of the campuses, he or she receives an individual tour, ideally with an adult family member. The mission is to transform a harmful environment into one that’s enriching. That goes for entire families.
“We’re looking to build confidence in kids,” says Lawler. “Some kids may not play pickleball, but they love arts and crafts, or music. We want to give the kids as many opportunities to be successful as we can. It brings them joy, and provides them something to look forward to.” He emphasizes that the confidence-building starts with addressing past trauma, overcoming that trauma, then reinforcing good behavior.
“Problems are addressed by talking about it,” says Lawler. “Being around people who care about you makes a difference. And help others. They’ll see you as a leader. They take ownership of group activities.”
photograph courtesy youth villages
Many still think of Youth Villages as a residential program, but most of the organization’s work is done through in-home and community-based programs. The backbone of Youth Village’s work and its largest program is Intercept, intensive in-home services.
“When Ethan [now 10] was in 2nd grade, it was about naming the emotions he was feeling. This second time [with Youth Villages] has been more impactful because he’s built a relationship with the worker he has. Ethan’s our oldest of five kids, and it’s impacted our whole family. My husband and I are involved; sometimes just the two of us will meet with the counselor. Other times, all of our boys are involved, to help navigate relationships.
“[Youth Villages] has given me more strategies to try, or they’ve encouraged me on the strategies I’m already trying. Having a third party to talk to, in an unbiased way has been beneficial. It’s helpful to have someone who’s not emotionally involved [in an argument or discussion]. Just go straight to the strategies.
“Ethan has taken more ownership of his behavior and emotions. When his brothers are having a hard time, he’s able to coach them. The strategies he’s learned, he’s able to teach his brothers.” — Kaley adopted Ethan at age 3 and has twice been part of the Youth Villages Intercept program.
Patrick Lawler (second from right) and new chairman, Mike Bruns, with program participants.
Almost a decade into its mission, Youth Villages pivoted dramatically. Having served primarily as a residential transition from foster care, the organization identified a need to expand focus to the families of at-risk children. What good would nurturing a child do if that child were to return to the same trauma after Youth Villages? With considerable funding from the Plough Foundation, the Intercept program was born. Trained Youth Villages staff would now enter the homes of children suffering abuse and open a dialogue aimed at nurturing the environment — starting with the caregivers — of the children in need.
“Kids are a reflection of who they’re with, and what [those people] are doing,” notes Lawler. “In the early Nineties, half of the kids were not doing well after going home. And we had hundreds of kids on a waiting list. We determined that the best way to help a child was to try and keep him with his family. We started everything over, every policy procedure. Kids used to bring ten pairs of tennis shoes. We told them to bring one. The reason for being here is to get you home sooner and have an effective return to your family.” A heart-squeezing part of the Youth Villages equation: No matter how comfortable and therapeutic campus life may be, nearly every child wants to get back home, and soon.
A specialist with Intercept will manage four or five cases at a time, visiting the home of a child at least three days a week. Together, a family-management plan is built. Are bills getting paid? Healthy food on the table? Access to medicine? “There are three principle problems,” explains Lawler. “There’s conflict in the home, people just not getting along. They’re failing in school, not going to class. The last one is the most important: peer pressure. Doing things they shouldn’t be doing.” The specialist will bring trigger locks and lock boxes for any guns in the household. More supervision and more structure go a long way. But it’s more caring — both from Youth Villages and family — that achieves the greatest goals.
“Whatever situation I’m in, I’m going to try and make the best of it. One thing I’ve learned: Keep going. There have been hard times. Overall, you grow with those times. There are brighter days ahead.” — Jamal Wright, entering a master’s program at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville this fall.
photograph courtesy youth villages
Intercept participants, Kayden and mother Jasmin
Near the turn of the century, Lawler and Youth Villages administrators discovered a troubling trend. A large percentage of Youth Villages alumni — now young adults — were struggling to find their way. Early, unplanned pregnancy. Prison. Or worse. Philanthropist Clarence Day invited Lawler to a meeting, and Day insisted the conversation focus on those Youth Villages was not helping. If Lawler could raise $1.5 million in state funds, Day’s foundation would match it for new programming. Lawler answered the challenge, and LifeSet entered the Youth Villages universe, a program aimed at young adults (ages 17-23) and the management of life skills. Finding a job, managing a budget, and steering clear of damaging decisions.
“A specialist has a case load of eight to ten [individuals],” explains Lawler. “The job is to help the young person transition successfully into adulthood. Some of them have children, so you also have daycare, public assistance. The program is seven to ten months. There’s also a scholarship program to help kids in LifeSet get to college. It’s become a national model.”
“Mentorship was the biggest thing for me. And the LifeSet program. A lot of us have the potential and want to go to college but don’t have the resources. I was valedictorian of my high school, but going to college, you may not have the same level of support as your peers. Having counselors who come in and support every aspect of your life … that really stood out.
“There are so many aspects of Youth Villages, and the leadership. After I first met Pat [Lawler], he remembered my name. He drove down to my home in Mississippi. [Youth Villages] helped me get my teeth fixed. They cared about me holistically. It helped my self-confidence, the way I speak. They saw me as a person and not a number.” — Fred Burns, national board member for Youth Villages.
photograph by Terrance Raper
Antonio Dowdy, an outreach specialist for the SWITCH (Support with Intention to Create Hope) program, developed by Memphis Allies, hopes to identify, connect, and transform the lives of youth and young adults at highest risk of being involved in gun violence.
In 2022, emerging from the pandemic, Lawler began losing sleep over the amount of gun violence in Memphis. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) reported 307 murders in Memphis in 2021, the vast majority from gunfire. With Memphis youth in the crossfire, Lawler wondered, how could Youth Villages not get involved. From that uncomfortable musing was born Memphis Allies, a program tasked with reducing gun violence in the region, even if it’s one weapon at a time.
“We started off with no money and no plan,” notes Lawler, “but we couldn’t stay on the sidelines anymore. I read books about stopping gun violence with intervention work. I called business leaders all over the city. No one was doing anything, but everyone was concerned. This wasn’t kids [doing the killing]. The average age [of murderers] was 28. What if we put our resources toward slowing this down? We traveled to five cities that first summer. We’ve served 1,609 people since 2022 and 90 percent of them have not had a new gun charge.”
photograph by Terrance Raper
Ruddy (left) attends the annual Youth Villages Scholars Orientation, which brings students from across the country to Memphis each year for a week of sessions on time management, technology, and resume building.
Staffed in part by survivors of street violence, Memphis Allies seeks discussion in an environment that thrives on dispute. Counselors speak the language a gang member recognizes, and from a vantage point the gangster may want to occupy himself in a less-violent future. The TBI reported 184 murders in 2025 with shooting incidents down almost 40 percent. Youth Villages played a role.
In caring for at-risk children in a country bountiful with guns, crises will hit. In April 2025, gunmen opened fire on a Memphis Allies gathering in Hickory Hill (one of its seven locations in the city) and a young man was killed. Others were injured, but based on the damage to the facility, Lawler is amazed that only one person died. Youth Villages has the legal, financial, and insurance resources to manage a calamity like this, all the while taking steps to make them less likely. A brick wall now stands in front of the building shattered by bullets 15 months ago.
“We do everything possible to make this a safe place,” says Lawler. “There are cameras in every [Youth Villages] building [though not in bedrooms]. There is one staff member for every three kids. There are conflicts every day, but our staff is trained [to resolve disputes].
“It’s a life mission. I love this work, helping young people and families. It’s all I’ve ever known. We have great staff, great volunteers, a great board of directors. You need to get up every day thinking you can make life better for somebody. All of our staff is this way.” — Patrick Lawler
“Memphis Allies has 225 people on staff, working with some of the most violent people in the city. You build a certain level of trust. Once they’re enrolled in stage one, they get access to group therapy, a case manager, whatever they need. While Intercept is a four- to six-month program, Memphis Allies is usually 12 months to two years. It’s cognitive behavior therapy. By stage three, they’re doing volunteer work in the community.”
Nationwide, Youth Villages received more than $47 million in donations and pledges in 2025, and with a modest marketing budget. (Think about the last time you saw a Youth Villages TV spot.) That figure is merely 9 percent of total revenue. Lawler emphasizes that Tennessee’s state government is among the country’s most generous when it comes to the child welfare system ($180 million for Youth Villages in 2025 and an additional $25 million from TennCare).
One prominent Youth Villages partner is rock legend Steven Tyler. The Aerosmith frontman founded Janie’s Fund in 2015 to aid girls who have been victimized by domestic abuse. (The name derives from their 1989 hit, “Janie’s Got a Gun.”) The newest girls’ cottage on the Dogwood campus — a two-story facility with a prominent patio — is called Janie’s House.
Every Youth Villages facility has one thing in common: large windows. “Everyone likes a view,” notes Lawler. “We try very hard not to look institutional.” Natural light has long been recognized as a contributor to strong mental health. The cottages and activities center are also equipped with heavy, rounded furniture (harder to injure oneself or someone else). The intentional architecture and interior design are born from the same nurturing philosophy that reduces the number of TV screens and cell phones. Active children engaged with other active children, it turns out, are healthier both inside and out.
As for Lawler, 40 years aren’t enough. An ideal world — no child at risk of trauma or abuse — would put Youth Villages out of business. But that’s the stuff of fantasy. Ambitious but grounded, the organization enters its fifth decade knowing the next child, and next challenge, may live in your neighborhood today.
“It’s a life mission,” says Lawler. “I love this work, helping young people and families. It’s all I’ve ever known. We have great staff, great volunteers, a great board of directors. You need to get up every day thinking you can make life better for somebody. All of our staff is this way.”
As for how Youth Villages is different today than it was 40 years ago, Lawler doesn’t hesitate. “In 1986, we thought we were a residential program for kids,” he says. “That’s all we thought about until 1993. I’m hopeful we’ll continue to grow and expand our services. I’d like to see Memphis as one of the most safe cities in America ten years from now. I’d like to see Intercept and LifeSet in every state in the country. Come visit our programs. Learn about our work. I’m tired of being the best-kept secret in Memphis.”
