About

The Yellow Ribbon Project Australia (YRPA) is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to empowering women, victims, and young people across Western Australia, especially those facing social disadvantage or the justice system. We encourage those who have overcome challenges to use their lived experience to help others. We have expanded our vision to include children and youth-specific prevention programs, proactive, not reactive because we believe prevention is always better than cure. YRPA is also about building community bridges, bringing the world of advantage to those facing disadvantage so we can help each other along the way. It’s two worlds coming together to create change that continues for generations. Giving back is at the heart of what we do.

Background

The Yellow Ribbon Project Australia was founded in 2004 as Jade Lewis and Friends Inc., with a vision to create communities free from drugs, crime, and violence across Australia. Initially, our organisation focussed on raising awareness about youth drug and alcohol issues, offering prevention, intervention, and recovery strategies for individuals struggling with addiction. Separate to Yellow Ribbon Project, our founder Jade Lewis runs highschool seminars educating young people about risks of drugs, alcohol, vaping, the issue of consent and other important topics such as mental health, resilience and youth leadership.

In 2009, the Yellow Ribbon Project Australia (YRPA) Campaign was officially launched, introducing an innovative approach to rehabilitating young people and women in the justice system, as well as those at risk of offending. Through expert guidance and extensive research, our strategies addressed service gaps, providing fresh, effective, and evidence-based solutions aligned with the Department of Justice.

Our organisation pioneered WA’s first evidence-based, gender-specific mentoring program for female offenders, following the successful awarding of a government contract under Social Innovation. Designed for flexibility, our program can support women on court diversion, women on remand, neurodiverse young people, children in detention, and at-risk youth in schools.

Inspiration

The Yellow Ribbon Project Australia (YRPA) takes its inspiration from the song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon ’Round the Ole Oak Tree.” The song tells the story of an ex-offender seeking forgiveness and a second chance. The yellow ribbon tied around the old oak tree became a symbol of welcome, hope, and community, a message that remains at the heart of what we do today.

Over time, our focus has grown beyond reintegration to include prevention and early intervention. We believe that stronger people and safer communities begin long before a crisis happens. By supporting children, youth, women, and victims through mentoring, education, and community, we’re helping to break cycles of disadvantage and build stronger futures.

Community plays an important part in every part of our work. Through volunteering, mentoring, and understanding, we bring people together, those who have overcome challenges and those willing to help, to create change across Western Australia.

While we operate independently, The Yellow Ribbon Project Australia is part of a global network of Yellow Ribbon Projects. Our programs are tailored for:

  • Children and youth in schools, incl. vulnerable or neurodiverse students in schools

  • Women and youth on remand or court diversion

  • Women and families transitioning from incarceration

  • Victims seeking support, empowerment, and community connection

“The Yellow Ribbon is a symbol of forgiveness, reconciliation, acceptance and second chances.  Without second chances, a released offender will leave the first physical prison and find herself entering into a second social prison.  It is not enough to give an offender a skill, we need to offer her a job.  It is not enough to ask an offender to renounce her gang and her past; her family needs to accept her back, and the community must be ready reintegrate her.  In this regard, Jade Lewis and her team are doing a great job with their programs.  They can’t do this alone.  They need everyone - families, neighbours, faith-based communities, employers, government, etc., to partner with them to bring hope and transformation to lives.”

- Jason Wong, Founder of Yellow Ribbon Project, Singapore