#OneOfMANY: Thoughts on Youth Services from Seattle
MANY is traveling all across the country, meeting with member organizations, talking about their programs, and identifying trends and issues that are happening in the youth services field across the U.S. We had the privilege of sitting down with Joe Woolley – who is the South Seattle Shelter Program Manager at YouthCare – about the work he is doing to help youth experiencing homelessness in Seattle and this is what he had to say:
"Often times we are so caught up in the work WE are doing that we fail to acknowledge the most incredible part of the youth, their resiliency. We believe that our real task in working with youth and young adults who are experiencing homelessness is not so much in the resources we are able to offer, but rather lies in our ability to assist a young person in identifying the skills and abilities inherent in themselves, the resources are our tools. Trauma and adverse experiences distort a young person’s ability to see their own value. Our work at our Jackson Street Program is about restoration. We operate with the understanding that once a young person is able to view their own value, to truly experience it, they will be well on their way. This is our goal."
About YouthCare YouthCare builds confidence and self-sufficiency for youth experiencing homelessness in Seattle by providing a continuum of care that includes outreach, basic services, emergency shelter, housing, counseling, education, and employment training. . You can follow their work on Facebook and Twitter.
To follow the rest of MANY’s road trip around the country, follow the hashtag on Twitter #MANYRoadTrip here and follow the hashtag on Facebook #MANYRoadTrip here.
