EVERYONE COUNTS

“Everybody counts, everybody deserves a chance, everybody has a responsible role to play and we all do better when we work together,”
–Bill Clinton.

 

Tonight Friends of youth will be hosting an overnight One Night Count to bring Eastside youth and young adults, ages 18-24, in from off the streets, away from the rain and cold, and provide them with a warm meal and a safe place to sleep. Our employees will be working hard to help the Seattle/King County Coalition of Homelessness (SKCCH ) ensure that every person who is homeless or in unstable housing is counted.

What is the One Night Count?

The One Night Count (ONC) is an annual event to count the number of people in King County without a stable place to live. Hundreds of volunteers and non-profit organizations, like Friends of Youth, go out in teams all over the county to count people who are sleeping outside, in cars, or other places not meant for habitation.  King County has one of the nation’s best-established point-in-time counts of homeless people. The One Night Count remains the largest community-organized count in the United States. Since 1980, SKCCH and Operation Nightwatch have organized the One Night Count of people who are without shelter. Through last year’s “Family Turn Away Survey,” the One Night Count was able to show that at least 253 children and 177 of their adult family members — that’s 141 households — tried unsuccessfully to find shelter in a single day and night.

Why do we do the Count?

We carry out the One Night Count for two reasons: to document the nature and extent of homelessness in King County, and to build public engagement and action around the issue. It is a solemn and eye-opening opportunity to witness the survival struggles of our neighbors who are homeless. The Count helps to inform progress on the community’s Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, as well as provide insight into the dynamics of homelessness and inform strategies for solving it.

Where will the Friends of Youth’s One Night Count be?

At Lake Washington United Methodist Church, 7525 132^nd Ave. NE, Kirkland, WA 98033 (Bus Route: 245 & 265).

When does the count itself actually take place?

Guests are welcome to arrive at 8:00pm Thursday January 26^th  2012 and stay until Friday morning at 7:00a.m. The count actually takes place early Friday morning, January 27^th, from 2am – 5am so guests must be at our indoor location to be counted.

For more information, please contact our Outreach Coordinator,
Melissa King, at melissak@friendsofyouth.org  or  206-310-3579.

*Most of the material on this page was taken from http://www.homelessinfo.org/one_night_count/

Thanksgiving Thanks!

Friends of Youth began a Thanksgiving food drive in late October and placed decorated boxes in 4 different Gold’s Gym locations and in front of our offices in Redmond.  As other businesses, groups and individuals learned of the need, we started getting calls asking how they could help, too.

We went to pick up some of the food and the truck was stuffed to the gills with the abundance of so much food!

On Sunday, November 19^th the Sammamish Chapter of National Charity League helped put together over 95 Thanksgiving bags and baskets to give to the clients and families served in our programs.

This food went to foster homes, Transitional Living Programs, Emergency Shelters, The Landing and Supportive Housing to help so many have a happy Thanksgiving day.

So, to all of you who helped make this Thanksgiving a loving memory for others, especially: Dynamic  Language, Mettler-Toledo, Channel Services Group/Open Line/Blue Roads, Global Business Solutions, Gold’s Gym, Girl Scouts, Suzy Q and National Charity League-Sammamish Chapter and many individuals, families and groups, we say THANK YOU and we hope you had a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Coat Drive at Carolann Joy Salon in Redmond!

As the rainy and cold winter approaches, Carolann Joy Salon, a local boutique salon located in Redmond, has generously offered to help the youth we serve, for the second year in a row, by holding a “Give Warmth Coat Drive.” The salon will be accepting donations of new and gently used coats through December 3rd. “Your donated coats don’t have to be brand new; gently used coats are welcome. Other types of outwear are acceptable and appreciated, like sweaters, jackets and sweatshirts. Even blankets, hats or gloves could help someone stay warm this season.”

November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month; this drive couldn’t come at a better time. We are so grateful for the involvement and support of local businesses like Carolann Joy Salon and thank them for their generosity.

 

If you have warm clothing or coats to donate, Carolann Joy Salon is located at 8366 164^th Ave. NE, Redmond, WA 98052. They are open seven days a week but their hours vary depending on appointments made. However, they will leave a large plastic bin outside their door if you happen to stop by while they are on their break.

 

Check out their blog for more information! And if you have any questions or want to make sure they will be there when you can drop off your items you can reach them at 425-577-6232 or hair@carolannjoy.com

 

Share-A-Bowl

Do you have some free time on Wednesday November 2^nd from 5:30pm – 7:00pm? Would you like to have a warm soup dinner to compliment the changing seasons? Are you interested in learning about new ways you can help homeless youth who are not provided the luxury of a hot meal every night?

 

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, we’ve got just the thing for you! On November 2^nd Friends of Youth is pairing up with Faith Lutheran Church in Redmond to have our first ever “Share-A-Bowl” event. From 5:30pm – 7:00pm we will serve a variety of soups and bread, and take this opportunity to talk about how to become a dinner donor at The Landing Shelter in Bellevue.

 

Partnering with the Bellevue Family YMCA and the local faith community, The Landing is the only overnight shelter for homeless youth, ages 18-24 on the Eastside. Every night of the week up to 15 homeless youth take shelter at The Landing, and your support gives these youth a chance to connect with caring, knowledgeable staff and begin the process of changing their lives.

 

A dinner donor is a person; group or organization delivers fully cooked, healthy meals to the youth at the Landing. So, if you are looking for a way to help youth in our community this is one very important way you can fill a pressing need.

Please join us Wednesday night, November 22, 2011 at 5:30pm.

RSVP by October 28^th to Cheryl Schnelle at Cheryl@friendsofyouth.org or 425-869-6490 x309.

Microsoft Month of Thanks

Microsoft has designated November as “Month of Thanks” which means Friends of Youth has the chance to receive between $2,000 and $10,000 in software for our programs.

How does this work?  Two ways, first, we  use social media and word or mouth to get people to the Microsoft Store Facebook page and “like” the Microsoft Store.  When they “like” the MS store, they will then be able to go into the Facebook page and vote for Friends of Youth as a recipient agency of “Month of Thanks.”  Each vote is worth $20 and everyone can vote multiple times! Second, we will have an “in store event” at the Bellevue Square  Microsoft Store on Sunday,  November 6^th from 3:30 pm – 5:30 pm.

This event will involve having our guests come to the store in Bellevue Square where the Microsoft staff will be 1) facilitating a Kinect tournament of up to 30 people in the back of the store and 2) the MS staff will get a scavenger hunt going to find specific things around the store.  While at the event, guests can also sign onto their Facebook pages and vote for Friends of Youth.  This is not an exclusive event, so regular customers will also be in the store and we can get them to vote for us, too!

Gently New & Used Halloween Costume Drive a Success!!

They came in as children of the Duvall community and left as super heroes, fairies, queen of hearts and more…. Friends of Youth’s First Annual Youth and Family Services Halloween Party proved to be a hauntingly fun affair for the 38 youth who attended.

In addition to selecting a costume, each child was able to ‘trick or treat’ from activity to activity, participating in Halloween bingo, pin the tail on the black cat, and the cupcake walk.

Children and families were treated to a ghastly array of refreshments before heading home with a bag of treats and their very own custom painted pumpkin (courtesy of the Friends of Youth Staff).

Some Recent Activities!

Shmuel Rubinstein, a school teacher at a Friends of Youth Residential program, shares some of the different, fun activities clients have had the chance to enjoy.  Some articles are written by clients.

SEPTEMBER 16, 2011

Well, this week we did lots of fun things. On Tuesday, we went on a field trip to Seward Park with the Audubon Society. We all really enjoyed it cause we were learning about the nature and life of things in the forest. On Monday, we started making piñatas because we wanted to have them ready for Thursday to celebrate the Independence Day of Central America and Mexico. We got to work on them throughout the week and were able to finish them on Thursday. We then broke them after lunch. We all had candy, which was the best part of it – eating sugar. On Friday, we went to the Starfire Sports Complex after lunch to go and play soccer. We enjoyed this because we also got to see the Seattle Sounders who were there practicing and getting ready for their game this weekend. We enjoyed this week because we were able to spend time with the teacher and with our peers. (submitted by Nestor)

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

This week, as part of school, we went to the waters of the Puget Sound for a school field trip to work with the Sound Experience (http://www.soundexp.org/) group’s sailing program for youth. We got to put up the sails on their huge sail boat, The Adventuress,  and it was a lot of fun! Also, we got to see crabs, planktons and starfish. This was one of the best trips we have done all year! We spent three hours in the Puget Sound learning about science and the environment and how to sail a ship. Later in the week we made a song that we thought Captain Daniel and his crew would enjoy. It was one of the best weeks! (Submitted by Jose)

OCTOBER 14, 2011

This week we went to the Starfire Sports Complex, in Tukwila. We went there to play on their incredible indoor field, like we do every week. It was really fun because we get to improve our soccer skills, and at the same time have fun playing soccer. This is a sport that most all of us LOVE – so it is a special thing for us to get to play at such a great place like Starfire. We also did some fun art classes in school this week. I am learning to draw in different ways, and I like that. (Submitted by Edgar)

We are so lucky to be able to offer entertaining experiences for these special young adults. Thank you to all who make such things possible. If you or anyone you know would like to host an excursion for our clients, you can contact us at info@friendsofyouth.org or call  425-869-6490 x317.

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Dentist

In response to a posting Friends of Youth made requesting donations of school supplies for our homeless youth and those in need, I received an e-mail from Redmond Family and Cosmetic  Dentistry asking for our most pressing needs. A few days later, I received another e-mail saying there was a donation ready for pick up. I googled Redmond Family Dentistry and headed out.

I bounced into the office and announced to the 2 awaiting receptionists who I was and why I was there…only to find out that I was at Redmond Family Dentistry – the wrong Dentist office!  As I was apologizing for the intrusion and preparing to leave, I was told to wait right there and off went one of the receptionists returning with a box full of toothbrushes and toothpaste.

What a very thoughtful gift to an intruder who just barged into their office!

I finally arrived at my initial destination (Redmond Family and Cosmetic Denistry) and was given a box full of binders, calculators and backpacks, items we were in desperate need of!

Within a matter of 15 minutes I had meet two fabulous and supportive dentists and their front line staff. Yes…Dentists can give you a lot to smile about! Thank you both for your help and donations!

Submitted by Cheryl Schnelle, Volunteer Coordinator

TRANSITIONS

After 22 years of service with Friends of Youth, our Chief Executive Officer, Joan Campbell, has retired. While we are saddened to lose Joan and her extensive experience providing services to at-risk and homeless youth in King County, we are equally excited to inform you that we have promoted our present Chief Operating Officer, Terry Pottmeyer, to the position of CEO effective August 1, 2011.

Terry joined Friends of Youth in early 2010 and has held two high-profile positions within the organization: Chief Program Officer and Chief Operating Officer. Our Board of Directors considered carefully the qualifications necessary for the CEO position, including our new strategic plan for 2011 – 2015, and determined that Terry had the experience and knowledge to provide the best possible leadership for Friends of Youth going forward. The Board’s decision to promote from within Friends of Youth will ensure a smooth transition of executive leadership, allowing the organization to focus on serving youth and young adults in challenging circumstances, while providing new leadership for our new strategic plan that will strengthen the agency’s work.

A retirement party to celebrate Joan’s years of service to Friends of Youth and to youth in need throughout King County will be held on August 18^th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Bellevue Hyatt.  If you are interested in attending please RSVP to Kami Dockery at 425-869-6490 x300. We’d love to have you on hand to wish Joan well!

If you have a fond memory involving Joan at Friends of Youth over the past 22 years of her service, we invite you to reminisce with us by posting below.

Breakfast Buddies Cereal Drive

In a matter of 5 days, students from Wilder Elementary School were able to collect 71 boxes of cereal for Friends of Youth through their annual Breakfast Buddies Cereal Drive. The student’s compassion and efforts on behalf of homeless youth on the eastside has given new meaning to the “Breakfast of Champions.”   Friends of Youth has just expanded one of its shelters, The Landing, from 5 nights of shelter to 7  nights of shelter. Dinner donors (volunteers who cook hot meals for the youth) provide a stable evening meal; however, there is no formal breakfast program at this time and the breakfast buddies will ensure that the youth start the morning on the right foot!

 

Written by: Cheryl Schnelle (Volunteer Coordinator, Friends of Youth)