On my fourth day as a new YouthCare staff member, I visited the University District Youth Center (UDYC), YouthCare’s engagement center located in the University District. I didn’t know what to expect, but from the moment I stepped inside I felt a sweetness and comfort in the air. I walked in, seeing beautiful and bright… Read More of “Living In Joy: The Beauty Behind The University District Youth Center”
Happy Week 7 of 15 of Washington State’s legislative session! YouthCare is participating this week in the coalition Balance Our Tax Code’s Revenue Week of Action, which aims to raise awareness of, and advocacy surrounding, progressive revenue reform in Washington State. This week’s efforts hope to amplify youth voices and raise awareness about progressive revenue.… Read More of “Let’s talk Progressive Revenue!”
Over the past four years, residents of Lake Forest Park and Shoreline have been working to address a critical need in their community: the lack of resources for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. Year after year, community members analyzed the results from their annual point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness as well as data… Read More of “YouthCare expands to Lake Forest Park and Shoreline: Announcing YouthCare’s Youth Resource Center”
YouthCare and the Y Social Impact Center have launched a new partnership to help youth and young adults pay back rent due to COVID. The two organizations worked together on a joint application made available through federal CARES funding and administered by the Washington State Department of Commerce, successfully securing a grant of $3.2 million… Read More of “New Rental Assistance Funds Available For Youth”
But youth service providers not included For more than 20 years, Seattle and King County have struggled to respond to the city’s homelessness crisis, which has grown to include more than 11,700 unsheltered people. A new government entity promises a fresh approach that has many advocates optimistic, but has left youth housing providers worried it may… Read More of “Seattle-Area New Homelessness Authority Centers Lived Experience”
Shelters in the Puget Sound area work to find answers to help homeless kids keep up in a time of remote learning. It’s nearing the end of another day of online school, and the fourth grader has pulled the headphones off his mop of light brown curls. His computer screen can’t compete with a nearby window on… Read More of “How WA youth shelters are handling online learning”
All across YouthCare programs, young people’s interest in skateboarding continues to rise. And it’s no wonder: skateboarding is a great form of exercise. It helps youth get where they need to go, relieves stress, and connects them to their peers in the community. Eugene, Case Manager at YouthCare’s Orion Center, said: “After working with young… Read More of “The Skateboard Community Steps Up For Youth”
This Wednesday we witnessed an attempted coup on the U.S. Capitol and a violent attack on our democracy. YouthCare vehemently condemns Wednesday’s attack and shares the anger, sadness, and pain felt across our communities and the nation. This pain runs particularly deep among our Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, including many of YouthCare’s… Read More of “YouthCare Stands Against Domestic Terrorism & White Supremacy”
A bit of history: Six years ago, Seattle’s former mayor declared a State of Emergency on Homelessness and released additional funding to address the city’s rising rates of homelessness. Recognizing the limited resources for young adults experiencing homelessness in South Seattle, YouthCare received emergency funding to open a temporary shelter for young adults—Jackson Street—on the… Read More of “After six years, South Seattle Shelter finally has a permanent home!”
Briana walked into the community room at YouthCare’s University District Youth Center (UDYC) with a smile across her face, holding Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower in one hand and a bag of food for her dog, Stinka, in the other. As a staff member at UDYC, Briana leads The Healing Pages, a bi-weekly book… Read More of “Briana: Finding Community and Healing at YouthCare”