Bainbridge Youth Services is celebrating 50 years of service with a “Voices Heard” Benefit Breakfast later this month at Wing Point Golf & Country Club.

The event is Wednesday, Oct. 29. The keynote speaker is author Ingrid Ricks, who will share her personal journey that resulted in her nationally recognized mentoring program for at-risk teens.

All proceeds from the fundraiser will support BYS’s programs to promote the social and emotional well-being of the young adults in our community through no-cost counseling, diverse outreach, job training and leadership skills.

“We are extremely pleased to be celebrating our longtime service to youth and to honor individuals who have given extraordinary time, talent and treasure to our community,” said Ann Livengood,  a BYS board member.

Check-in begins at 7:30 a.m. at Wing Point Golf & Country Club, and the breakfast program will be from 8 a.m. to

9 a.m. The event is free but donations are encouraged. Organizers note that every $100 donation equals one hour of counseling. Guests who cannot attend but want to donate may visit

www.bainbridgeyouthservices.org.

“We are looking forward to reinforcing the value of who we are, what we do and what we have planned for the future,” said BYS Executive Director Marina Cofer-Wildsmith.

“We are very fortunate to have Ingrid Ricks as our speaker this year,’’ Cofer-Wildsmith said.

Ricks, an author, speaker and teen mentor, will share how she discovered the healing power and validation that comes from personal storytelling.

She will also reveal how writing and publishing can transform students’ lives and foster understanding and change within the school and community using her coming-of-age memoir, “Hippie Boy: A Girl’s Story,” as a catalyst. She recently co-founded WritetoRight.org, a national program that impacts students’ lives through storytelling.