By Dr. Jeff Bird—
MUNCIE, IN—Jeff Helm serves youth as the chief executive officer of the Youth Opportunity Center. He assumed the leadership of the YOC in 2023 culminating a 23 year journey at the facility. I was fortunate to sit with Jeff and discuss his life’s journey and his passion for helping troubled, hurting children.
Jeff is a lifelong resident of Delaware County, growing up in the Selma area and attended Wapahani High School. He is married to his wife Tammy and has 2 adult children. Jeff graduated from Ball State University with a degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology with intentions of attending law school and becoming a prosecuting attorney. At Ball State he had an opportunity to intern with the Delaware Prosecutors Office and realized this wasn’t the career path that fit with his goals. He then enrolled in a Masters program at BSU in the Center for Informatics and Communication.
After graduation, Jeff embarked on his career with several very interesting jobs including with the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library system, then spent time as an entrepreneur starting and owning his own start up informatics company. Jeff was a faculty member for Ivy Tech for a few years and still has a love of teaching. He eventually sought a job that could use his IT skills and find fulfillment helping others. A perfect job opened up at the Youth Opportunity Center as the director of information technology and facilities. Several years later his responsibilities expanded and he became the chief information officer. His 23 years culminating in being named CEO in 2023. His time at the YOC has given him great personal satisfaction and brings him great joy in helping others.
In addition to his leadership role at the YOC, Jeff has been very active in volunteerism in our community. He has served on the board of directors at Hillcroft and currently serves as chair of the board at the Ross Community Center. He is also active in Whitney Lodge #229 as a Freemason.
The YOC serves East Central Indiana and often has clients from all over the state. Its mission is: We help kids who have experienced complex trauma lead healthier and happier lives. Jeff oversees over 15 specific programs at the Youth Opportunity Center.
Jeff said, “When kids first come to YOC, they often use bad behavior to mask pain that they don’t have the tools to deal with. Many of our kids have been kicked around by life in ways that are hard to imagine. When they learn how to manage emotions and understand how their experiences are connected to how they feel, it can be transformative.”
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