YES AWARD
In 2019, the Canopy Housing Foundation instituted the YES Award to recognize and celebrate the area’s youth who are engaged in improving the quality of life in the region.
Young people who are engaged in service mature into adults who serve the community. This award was established to encourage youth to address a broad spectrum of needs in an effort to build a stronger community. This program has donated $3000 to the recipient’s designated non profit since inception.
2026 Youth Excellence in Service (YES) Award Recipient: Zyan Martin
The Canopy Housing Foundation is proud to recognize Zyan Martin as the recipient of the 2026 Youth Excellence in Service (YES) Award.
Zyan’s journey began while planning his Eagle Scout Service Project. As he searched for a meaningful way to serve his community, he noticed individuals experiencing homelessness sitting along the roadside, visibly cold and in need. That moment inspired him to create Beyond the Bridge, a project dedicated to helping families experiencing housing crises.
Zyan Martin’s Story
What began as a single Eagle Scout project has since grown into an officially incorporated North Carolina nonprofit organization. Beyond the Bridge addresses a critical gap in services by providing support during the first 24 to 72 hours of a housing crisis—often the most traumatic period for families before temporary housing or longer-term assistance becomes available.
As founder and youth leader, Zyan has played a central role in shaping the organization’s mission and expanding its reach. He has coordinated fundraising efforts, developed community partnerships, organized volunteers, led outreach initiatives and helped establish an operational framework capable of delivering immediate assistance to families facing emergency displacement.
To date, Beyond the Bridge has made a significant impact throughout Mecklenburg County by:
- Funding 15 emergency hotel room nights for displaced families.
- Providing food assistance gift cards to families in crisis.
- Distributing more than 500 hygiene and sock bags to individuals and families along the Beatties Ford Road corridor.
- Coordinating multiple outreach efforts for residents at the Charlotte Garden Inn and Suites, including hygiene products, meals, snacks and more than 60 pounds of clothing for individuals of all ages.
Collectively, these efforts have directly impacted well over 200 individuals throughout Mecklenburg County.
Looking ahead, Zyan plans to continue growing Beyond the Bridge throughout college and beyond. His vision is to one day establish a facility that provides temporary housing for families in crisis while connecting them with wraparound support services through strategic community partnerships.
In recognition of his outstanding leadership and service, the Canopy Housing Foundation also presented a $500 donation to MSI Global Campus, the nonprofit selected by Zyan to receive funding in his honor.
The Canopy Housing Foundation congratulates Zyan Martin on receiving the 2026 Youth Excellence in Service Award and looks forward to the continued impact he and Beyond the Bridge will make in the years ahead.
2026 YES Award recipient Zyan Martin, with his family at the 2026 Community Grants and YES Award Celebration, July 22, 2026.
From left to right: 2026 Housing Foundation Committee Chair Shauna Graves; 2026 YES Award recipient Zyan Martin, and 2026 Canopy Realtor® Association, Canopy MLS, and Canopy Housing Foundation President, Joan B. Goode.
