Youth Stories

Rebecca: The Courage to be Confident

by Melinda Giovengo, PhD

CEO/President

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Tony: Ready to Move Forward

Young people come to YouthCare for many reasons. Some exit foster care without a place to go. Others flee from family abuse or rejection. But many come to us simply because their families are trapped in cycles of poverty—pushed to the margins of our economy and struggling to survive without an adequate safety net to help them bounce back from small or big challenges. Read more
Jessica & Carlos: Searching for Independence

Carlos and Jessica first walked into YouthCare’s University District Youth Center (UDYC) with teeth chattering from the cold. It had snowed the night before, and by the time UDYC opened, their shoes were soaked and their toes frozen. Read more
A Recipe for Success at YouthCare

You might think that growing and cooking with fresh vegetables sounds like something many young people would avoid. But for Thalia, a young woman who sought YouthCare’s support at age 16, this opportunity was life-changing. Though her love of cooking flourished during her time as a kitchen intern at YouthCare’s James W. Read more
Discovering a Path: A Tile Success Story

Before she joined YouthCare’s Tile Project, Melanie had hit rock bottom. She had been working as a nanny, making good money. Then she got really sick. She lost her job, and because she lost her job, she lost her apartment. She didn't know what to do with herself. Read more
Finding Safety Through Safe Place

Recently, YouthCare’s Safe Place Coordinator, Liz Speigel, received a call from one of our school partners in Seattle: Read more
Making Great Strides

LaShawnta first came through the doors of YouthCare’s James W. Ray Orion Center in 2013, interested in the Barista Training and Education Program, as well as GED services. She was homeless and struggling with severe mental health issues as a result of a life filled with trauma. Read more
On the Streets and Preparing for Life

When Mark walked into his first class at Seattle Central Community College, he was still homeless, and convinced he didn’t belong. “I didn’t think I could succeed,” he told us. “I didn’t think school was a place for me. Read more
Putting the Pieces Together: A Tile Success Story

20-year-old Alicia* was living in her car with her partner and her dog, after leaving home because of family conflict exacerbated by economic constraints. Alicia dropped out of school after completing 8th grade and had never held a job. Read more
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
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
Jared: Metro Bus Leads to Safety

At 1:30am on December 31^st, 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: 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: 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