Teen Feed

TEEN FEED WORKS WITH THE COMMUNITY TO OFFER SUPPORT TO MEET BASIC NEEDS, BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS, AND ALLY WITH HOMELESS YOUTH AS THEY MEET THEIR FUTURE OFF OF THE STREETS.

SERVICE LINKS YOUTH (SLY) - SLY IS A CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM - WE CALL IT "SUPPORT COORDINATION" - DESIGNED TO HELP YOUTH WHO ARE READY TO BEGIN THE TRANSITION TO LIFE OFF THE STREETS. SLY WAS DEVELOPED IN 1998 AFTER TEEN FEED BECAME CONCERNED THAT MANY HOMELESS AND STREET-INVOLVED YOUTH WERE NOT COMFORTABLE ACCESSING TRADITIONAL AGENCY-BASED SERVICES. UNLIKE TRADITIONAL "CASE MENAGEMENT," SLY WAS DESIGNED AS A YOUTH-CENTERED SUPPORT PROGRAM THAT AFFIRMS THE STRENGTHS OF EACH PARTICIPANT AS THEY MEET SELF-IDENTIFIED GOALS. OUR SUPPORT COORDINATOR BUILDS A RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH YOUTH TO LEARN WHAT TYPES OF RESOURCES WILL HELP THEM BEST SUCCEED. SLY IS UNIQUE IN ITS FOCUS ON MEETING YOUTH ON THE STREETS AND IN PROGRAMS, AND IT SERVES A BROADER RANGE OF YOUTH - AGES 13 TO 25 - THAN MOST OTHER PROGRAMS. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021, CASE MANAGERS CONTINUED TO NAVIGATE ALONGSIDE YOUTH TOWARD SAFE, PERMANENT HOUSING WITH GREATER INDEPENDENCE.

TEEN FEED MEAL PROGRAM (TFMP) - TFMP SERVES A HOT, NUTRITIOUS MEAL AT VARIOUS UNIVERSITY DISTRICT MEAL SITES SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. OVER A HEALTHY MEAL, YOUNG PEOPLE CONNECT WITH SPECIALLY TRAINED ADVOCATES AND SUPPORT COORDINATION STAFF TO ACCESS THE RESOURCES AND SERVICES THEY NEED.

STREET TALK OUTREACH PROGRAM (STOP) - STOP IS AIMED AT HIGH-RISK YOUTH WHO AVOID TRADITIONAL SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES. ARMED WITH BACKPACKS, WARM WATER, GRANOLA AND SOUPS, STOP SENDS OUT TEAMS OF STAFF AND PEER OUTREACH WORKERS TO MEET YOUTH IN THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENT - THE STREETS AND ALLEYS WHERE THEY SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021 AND DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, COMBINED STOP AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS MADE OVER 9,000 POSITIVE CONTACTS WITH YOUTH ON THE STREETS, INCREASE FREQUENCY AND ACCESS IN ENCAMPMENTS, AND OFFERING FOOD, SOCKS, REFERRALS TO RESOURCES, AND A RELATIONSHIP WITH CARING ADULTS. FOCUSING ON BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH HOMELESS YOUTH IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT BREAKS DOWN THE RESISTANCE MANY HAVE TO ENGAGING AND WORKING WITH TRUSTING ADULTS. STOP TAKES IT A STEP FURTHER. WE PROVIDE SUPPORT COORDINATION SERVICES (CASE MANAGEMENT) FOR HOMELESS YOUTH AGES 18 - 25 WHO MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR OUR SLY PROGRAM. IN SUPPORT OF THIS WORK, STOP PEER YOUTH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES YOUTH TRANSITIONING OUT OF HOMELESSNESS WITH EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE WHILE SUPPORTING THEIR PEERS. YOUTH INTERNS WORK FOR 10 HOURS PER WEEK AT A RATE OF $15.00 PER HOUR FOR SIX MONTHS OF SERVICE, ASSISTING ON OUTREACH AND SUPPORTING THE TEEN FEED MEAL PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM ENABLES INTERNS TO SAVE FUNDS FOR RENT, PROVIDING VALUABLE EXPERIENCE AND EMPLOYOMENT REFERENCE WHILE BUILDING CONNECTIONS WITH THEIR PEERS.

SERVICE LINKS YOUTH (SLY) - SLY IS A CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM - WE CALL IT "SUPPORT COORDINATION" - DESIGNED TO HELP YOUTH WHO ARE READY TO BEGIN THE TRANSITION TO LIFE OFF THE STREETS. SLY WAS DEVELOPED IN 1998 AFTER TEEN FEED BECAME CONCERNED THAT MANY HOMELESS AND STREET-INVOLVED YOUTH WERE NOT COMFORTABLE ACCESSING TRADITIONAL AGENCY-BASED SERVICES. UNLIKE TRADITIONAL "CASE MENAGEMENT," SLY WAS DESIGNED AS A YOUTH-CENTERED SUPPORT PROGRAM THAT AFFIRMS THE STRENGTHS OF EACH PARTICIPANT AS THEY MEET SELF-IDENTIFIED GOALS. OUR SUPPORT COORDINATOR BUILDS A RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH YOUTH TO LEARN WHAT TYPES OF RESOURCES WILL HELP THEM BEST SUCCEED. SLY IS UNIQUE IN ITS FOCUS ON MEETING YOUTH ON THE STREETS AND IN PROGRAMS, AND IT SERVES A BROADER RANGE OF YOUTH - AGES 13 TO 25 - THAN MOST OTHER PROGRAMS. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021, CASE MANAGERS CONTINUED TO NAVIGATE ALONGSIDE YOUTH TOWARD SAFE, PERMANENT HOUSING WITH GREATER INDEPENDENCE.

TEEN FEED MEAL PROGRAM (TFMP) - TFMP SERVES A HOT, NUTRITIOUS MEAL AT VARIOUS UNIVERSITY DISTRICT MEAL SITES SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. OVER A HEALTHY MEAL, YOUNG PEOPLE CONNECT WITH SPECIALLY TRAINED ADVOCATES AND SUPPORT COORDINATION STAFF TO ACCESS THE RESOURCES AND SERVICES THEY NEED.

STREET TALK OUTREACH PROGRAM (STOP) - STOP IS AIMED AT HIGH-RISK YOUTH WHO AVOID TRADITIONAL SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES. ARMED WITH BACKPACKS, WARM WATER, GRANOLA AND SOUPS, STOP SENDS OUT TEAMS OF STAFF AND PEER OUTREACH WORKERS TO MEET YOUTH IN THEIR OWN ENVIRONMENT - THE STREETS AND ALLEYS WHERE THEY SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME. DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021 AND DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, COMBINED STOP AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS MADE OVER 9,000 POSITIVE CONTACTS WITH YOUTH ON THE STREETS, INCREASE FREQUENCY AND ACCESS IN ENCAMPMENTS, AND OFFERING FOOD, SOCKS, REFERRALS TO RESOURCES, AND A RELATIONSHIP WITH CARING ADULTS. FOCUSING ON BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH HOMELESS YOUTH IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT BREAKS DOWN THE RESISTANCE MANY HAVE TO ENGAGING AND WORKING WITH TRUSTING ADULTS. STOP TAKES IT A STEP FURTHER. WE PROVIDE SUPPORT COORDINATION SERVICES (CASE MANAGEMENT) FOR HOMELESS YOUTH AGES 18 - 25 WHO MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR OUR SLY PROGRAM. IN SUPPORT OF THIS WORK, STOP PEER YOUTH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES YOUTH TRANSITIONING OUT OF HOMELESSNESS WITH EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE WHILE SUPPORTING THEIR PEERS. YOUTH INTERNS WORK FOR 10 HOURS PER WEEK AT A RATE OF $15.00 PER HOUR FOR SIX MONTHS OF SERVICE, ASSISTING ON OUTREACH AND SUPPORTING THE TEEN FEED MEAL PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM ENABLES INTERNS TO SAVE FUNDS FOR RENT, PROVIDING VALUABLE EXPERIENCE AND EMPLOYOMENT REFERENCE WHILE BUILDING CONNECTIONS WITH THEIR PEERS.