Every night, there are more than 1,000 youth who are homeless or couch-surfing (unstably housed) in the Seattle and King County area. The statistics are staggering: 

• 34% of kids aging out of foster care become homeless within one year.
• 53% of homeless youth are kids of color.
• King County is about 70% white so the disparity is huge.
• 27% are LGBTQIA who may find that the streets are the one place they are accepted. 

Tyreesha was one of those individuals.  She had a happy upbringing in Vancouver, WA and described her childhood as loving and filled with laughter. After graduating high school, Tyreesha moved to Seattle to pursue a degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies at the University of Washington. 

After college, she went back to Vancouver and began work at a homeless shelter. The work was emotionally exhausting and that toil began to take a toll on Tyreesha’s mental and physical health. In addition to the way the shelter was run, she was also exposed, first hand, to the disproportionate number of people of color experiencing homelessness as the result of systemic racism in housing, education, employment and other areas. 

This stress caused Tyreesha to leave her job, without a plan. It wasn’t long before she found herself bouncing between sleeping outside, on friend’s couches, and in overnight shelters across Seattle for five months. Tyreesha moved into YAIT, the Y’s transitional housing facility downtown which has allowed her to focus on creating art and poetry while she plans her next steps. Tyreesha’s work has been shown at several local galleries. 

“Getting back to art and writing at YAIT—I'm like ok, clarity is coming back. My mindset is shifting.”

-Tyreesha

This is the work that the Y does! Each night, the Y’s Social Impact Center houses 450 youth and young adults who would otherwise be living on the streets. We provide wrap around services including behavioral health, employment training and so much more. In fact, the Y is the largest provider of housing for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness in King County. 

Tyreesha is one of the lucky young people. She got connected to the Y and found housing through YAIT. Her case manager helped her connect to writing as part of her mental health work. This reconnection to the arts helped her in her healing as she moved towards independence again. 

Will you help others like Tyreesha by supporting the Y’s Social Impact Center? All increased gifts will be matched by a generous board member up to $50,000 – doubling the impact of your donations. 

Donate Today 

Here is how your gift could help… 

• $100 doubled to $200 could help with transportation costs such as helping individuals access shelters, job interviews or medical appointments. 
• $250 doubled to $500 could support mental health or medical services, providing access to basic healthcare for young people. 
• $500 doubled to $1000 could support comprehensive case management for several clients, supporting them with personalized action plans, job readiness, mental health referrals and essential resources to help them work toward self-sufficiency. 

Learn more about how the Y is building stronger communities >>