Youth Stories

  • Local Starbucks managers help homeless youth prepare for job interviews

    Learning from the Best: Starbucks' Interview Program

    For nine years, volunteers from Starbucks Coffee Company have been helping us prepare young people for life by conducting mock interviews with students in our Barista Training and Education Program, a partnership between YouthCare and FareStart. Read more

  • Photo of Serena who learned employment skills at YouthCare

    Grande Ambitions: A Barista's Story

    To her customers at Starbucks, Serena is the bubbly, friendly barista who always remembers their usual order. Her coworkers marvel at how many regulars she knows. Every once in a while, she’ll coax one of them into trying, say, a caramel macchiato – just for fun. Read more

  • Safe Place logo

    Jared: Metro Bus Leads to Safety

    At 1:30am on December 31st, 2011, 17 year old Jared was out of options. His chaotic home life led him to realize that he could no longer stay with his family.  He wandered, unsure of where to go.  When he finally got on a King County Metro bus, the driver took one look at him and asked if he needed help. Read more

  • Calvin's photo

    Calvin: Off the Streets and Preparing for College

    Calvin sounds like a typical, if overachieving, college-bound freshman. He graduated last spring with a prestigious four-year Rotary scholarship. He was the captain of his soccer team and counts meeting the owner of the Seattle Storm as one of the highlights of his year. But college, and even high school, were not always in Calvin’s future. Read more

  • Cassy's photo

    Cassy: Employment Leads to Independence

    When Cassy first walked into ISIS House, YouthCare’s transitional living program for LGBTQ youth 18-21, “she looked terrified.” Her home life had been unstable and violent. She was taught few positive life skills and there was certainly no talk of building a future. As a deaf woman, she faced further challenges. Read more