Brand It Blue

Since 1996, The Express Employment Professionals Companies have partnered with local community organizations to serve and bring hope to the Greater Grand Rapids community.The Brand It Blue initiative was born out of this desire to serve and partner with local nonprofit organizations to make a difference and provide hope. Every year, we invite local employers to partner with us through Brand It Blue by acting as a collection site for a month-long donation drive collecting much needed items in support of a nonprofit who is making a big impact in West Michigan. This year, we are proud to partner with AYA Youth Collective.

About AYA Youth Collective

AYA Youth Collective is a Grand Rapids-based nonprofit whose mission is to create communities, rooted in belonging, for youth experiencing instability to own their future. They do this by serving youth aged 14 – 24 who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability.

The need is significant — as of last school year, Grand Rapids and Kentwood Public Schools ranked among the top 10 districts in Michigan with the greatest number of reported students experiencing homelessness.

AYA offers comprehensive programs, including:

The AYA Drop-In Center where 800 youth a year access essentials like meals, clothing, and showers, as well as wrap-around services from over 35 community partners that range from medical and mental health care to recovering vital documents and career-readiness.
AYA Housing bridges the gap between homelessness and long-term stability. With 12 duplexes housing up to 35 youth, participants live alongside mentors who support their journey, 90% of which exit into continued stability.

AYA emphasizes authenticity, inclusion, community, and agency. All their programs are co-designed, based on youth feedback to ensure relevance and effectiveness.

Learn More About AYA

Make an Impact — Join Us!

Click to download this year's flyer and wish lists.

We are looking for companies to partner with us in supporting AYA Youth Collective by hosting a donation collection site at their business for one month, July 14 - August 13, 2025. This is a great way to engage your entire team in a charitable initiative that will make an impact in our community, and we will handle all of the details!

To make it as easy as possible to get involved, Express will:

Provide donation collection bins and deliver them to your location.
Supply a wish list of a variety of items your team can donate.
Pick-up all donations you've collected and deliver them to AYA.

To get involved, please contact Casey Jankoska, Director of Client Relations, at Casey.Jankoska@ExpressPros.com, by Thursday, July 10.

AYA Youth Collective Wish Lists

AYA offers a variety of options to support the youth in their care. Pick one wish list and collect items to stock their basic needs collection, welcome baskets for new youth in their program, back packs for those waiting for stable housing options, or the pantry to ensure meals are available for everyone they serve. You can also select items from all four lists.

A fun way to engage your teams would be to assign teams a different packing list each and have them compete for the most items donated on their list. The choice is yours — however you do it, you will make a big impact on the lives of youth in our community! Click the images below to download the individual lists or download all lists here.

Brand It Blue Impact Through The Years

The Express Employment Professionals Companies in Grand Rapids believe that with hope anything is possible. That is why we have been supporting the work of nonprofit organizations in our community for nearly 30 years in a variety of ways. Through the Brand It Blue Initiative, we have most recently partnered with organizations like Kids Food Basket, Helen Devos Children's Hospital, SECOM Resource Center, American Cancer Society, and Wedgwood Christian Services. Check out the videos below to see the impact participating businesses and their teams have made on these organizations and the individuals they support.