Youth Villages is pleased to announce its 2026 Volunteer and Mentor of the
Year Award recipients from the Atlanta area:

Jennifer Rogers, owner of Extreme Images in Douglasville, was named Mentor of the Year, and Bruce Hein, a sales executive with Fufeng Group, received Volunteer of the Year, celebrating both executives’ commitment to making a difference in the lives of children facing serious behavioral and emotional challenges.

Rogers has mentored youth at Youth Villages’ Inner Harbour residential campus in Douglasville since 2023, demonstrating unwavering dedication to her mentees. Even while managing personal health challenges, she has never missed a visit, consistently showing up for her mentees and helping each of the three young women she has served make meaningful progress.

“Jennifer is quiet in her advocacy,” said Katrina Word, mentor program manager for Youth Villages. “If she finds somebody in need, she finds a way to meet that need, without drawing attention to herself. She is a dedicated and inspiring mentor who understands what it means to connect with the children and bring a consistent and caring heart to her volunteerism.”

Hein, a Youth Villages Georgia Advisory Board Member in his third three-year term, has an unmatched passion for Youth Villages’ mission and never misses an opportunity to advocate for support of the organization. His genuine belief in Youth Villages’ work has led him to connect many individuals and groups with our organization. Hein has been a consistent champion for Youth Villages from the very beginning, bringing optimism, building company partnerships, mentoring, supporting staff during COVID and sharing the mission through efforts like Holiday Heroes and Backpack Heroes.

“My nickname for Bruce is ‘The Connector,’” said Tanya Anderson, executive director of Youth Villages in Georgia. “He connects us with resources, to people and in his own way, through his purpose of being a connector. He is brave, bold and unapologetic in his love for Youth Villages.”

Both Rogers and Hein were honored recently at the organization’s annual mentor and volunteer appreciation dinner, which had its biggest turnout yet.

Volunteering with Youth Villages offers individuals and groups meaningful ways to support young people, including event assistance, residential campus support, life and job skills training, donation drives and one-on-one mentoring.

For more information about volunteering with Youth Villages, go to: Volunteer - Youth Villages.

To become a mentor with Youth Villages, visit Youth Mentoring Programs | Youth Villages.