Yes Pa has been assisting young people and adults in developing character since 2002 by
Born on May 16, 1926, Fred Sarkis is a WWII vet, dedicated to helping kids be all they can be. In Yes Pa, he shares the same lessons that transformed his life when he was a poor child with a bad attitude, who was bullied because his skin was darker than his peers.
Fred became a millionaire because of the lessons of personal responsibility that he learned from his father. Once he embraced three simple messages, he began to excel in school, obtaining his high school degree at age 16. At 17, Fred bought his mother a house. He joined the Navy at age 18. Being the oldest boy of 10 children, at 24, Fred became the head of the family when his Pa passed away at the age of 54. He earned his first million at age 34. Fred built a major ski area and lake village, lost it all, and recovered.
Retiring at the age of 65, Fred became an author and motivational speaker, and has been giving back to the community ever since. The not-for-profit, Yes Pa Foundation, is based on his autobiography,
In the summer of 1938, three major events changed the life of Fred Sarkis forever. These three, 5-minute lessons are the basis of the Yes Pa program.
By selling strawberries door-to-door in the summer, Fred learned the power of enthusiasm. He also learned the importance of an education and the golden rule. A talk with his Pa made Fred realize that only he was responsible for where he would go with the rest of his life. Fred turned the truck into a study center, and at night, Fred studied under a kerosene lamp. He thought, "Abe Lincoln did it, why can't I? And he became president of the U.S."
The Yes Pa curriculum is based on Fred's book, Prisoner of the Truck, and the real lessons he learned from his father as a child. This true story starts with Fred's perception of a childhood prison on his immigrant Lebanese father's fruit and vegetable truck. It was a 6-day, 100-hour-a-week job as Fred's Pa went door-to-door selling the fresh fruits and vegetables he'd purchased from farmers.
At age 8, in the summer, while other kids were playing on the sidewalks and streets of Rochester, NY, Fred had to work on the truck. During school months, Fred especially hated work on Saturdays. It was 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., the last call being at a bar.
In school, Fred didn't like being called a pigeon-toed, bow-legged, knock-kneed, or dark-skinned boy. He hated school and did poorly. He sulked from age 8 to 12. The only communication he had with his father was answering "Yes, Pa" when his father ordered him around. At age 12, three 5-minute talks with his father changed Fred's attitude and life.
