This paper presents a picture of risk and challenge for youth in distressed communities and outlines how these communities can band together to create a continuum of supportive activities to bolster youth's success in school and life. As youth grow and develop, individualized support and exposure to new experiences has a significant impact on their life trajectory. Youth in economically distressed communities deserve to have access to these types of opportunities, which are much more readily available to their peers in other communities. This investment in youth can have a positive effect on academic success, future life earnings, family stability, and the livelihood of the community. This paper may be helpful in guiding a community's thinking about how to get started in creating a sustainable support system for all of its youth. Data from ten communities across the country are used in this paper to highlight the magnitude of the challenges faced by youth growing up in these cities. The ten cities highlighted in this paper are: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Oakland, and Philadelphia. These cities represent both areas of the country traditionally labeled as "distressed," as well as others where problems are more masked because the community appears to be thriving. The statistics in these ten communities show a highly distressing situation for the youth who live there. More than one in three live in poverty--twice the national average. (Contains 5 tables, 2 figures, and 41 endnotes.) [Additional funding for this report was provided by the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative.]