Copyright syracuse.com
Growing up on the South Side, Yolanda Seegars was exposed to a different side of Syracuse. Her father was largely absent from her life, often dabbling in drugs and showing her things no child should ever see. One day, Seegars saw him shoot up heroin in front of her. “You’re hurt for the first time from the one man who was supposed to love you,” she said. At the two Syracuse school districts she attended, her academic and social life suffered. But the exposure to trauma didn’t stop there. Later, as her two daughters grew up in inner-city Syracuse, she said gunshots would often occur in her neighborhood at night. “Gunshots were the lullabies,” she said. “Because that’s how often we would hear them.” Because of the ongoing gun violence in her neighborhood, Seegars decided to move to Nedrow for the safety of her two daughters. That memory remains in her mind as she now works as the director for Project RISE, a Central New York program that supports families affected by gun violence. Project RISE coordinates services like counseling and transition support. Seegars said the program, in its third year of operation, currently works with 160 at-risk youth. The program provides community giveaways to support families unable to support themselves, she said. As SNAP benefits are set to expire Nov. 1 due to the ongoing shutdown, one of the things Seegars is planning is a community giveaway with local organization Fearless Queens to support families during Thanksgiving. “We’re creating a resource list so our families in the area know what food banks are operating,” she said. Part of Seegars’ job involves identifying community holes where support is needed through data, which allows her to choose how to effectively carry out funding to local community organizations. Through her work, she developed meaningful relationships with court officials, including judges and probation officers. These efforts, she said, create an “ecosystem of support” and overcome systemic barriers in the justice system. “Credible messengers,” or youths with experience in Syracuse’s criminal justice system, are part of that ecosystem. “The same support we give to the community, we have to give to these young men who are coming out of incarceration, back into their same environment, to do the work they said they wanted to do,” Seegars said. Seegars, a Syracuse City School District graduate, works closely with the district through the organizations to transition those affected back into the school system. But she’s concerned that more strategies and effective coordination are needed for reform. “I’m seeing some of our kids sometimes being recycled through the system, and it’s unfortunate,” she said. “More preventative strategies are needed here in Syracuse.” Seegars will continue to help families with her “boots on the ground” approach to community service. She recalled a 14-year-old girl with a history of stolen vehicles and fighting successfully reintegrating into the school system with support from Project RISE. Seegars maintained close contact through visits with her and her family. “It’s a passion, although you don’t see that many wins all the time,” she said. “[But] when you do see them, it just fills your heart and keeps you going.” Seegars’ advice to other trailblazers: “Keep going, whatever your passion is, strengthen your passion, and make sure that you’re focused. Don’t let anyone deter you from that,” she said. ”Develop your grit. And don’t let people tell you what you shouldn’t do. Do what you know is right for you.” Do you know a CNY Trailblazer or Trendsetter? Throughout 2025, Syracuse.com invites readers to identify “Trailblazers and Trendsetters,” a wide-ranging group of local entrepreneurs, professionals, artists and advocates — leaders committed to uplifting their communities, inspiring change and working to make a difference in Central New York. If you’d like to suggest someone to be featured next in our series, email Katrina Tulloch at ktulloch@syracuse.com. Meet all our 2025 Syracuse Trailblazers • September: Brenda Mims • August: Charles Madlock • July: Gabrielle Lloyd • June: Sayir Moussa • May: Tahirah Abdul-Qadir • April: Mary Homer • March: Sora Kasuga • February: Amanda Eke
