Recap: Youth and Young Adults 11/10/15 meeting: Seattle Public Library Programs and Partnership Opportunties

Big thanks to Shelley Mastalerz and Summer Hayes from the Seattle Central Library’s Children’s and Teen Services for joining us at our YYAC meeting last Tuesday, November 10! At the meeting, Shelley and Summer shared with us some of the current events/opportunities that the Seattle Public Library (SPL) hosts, and some opportunities for developing community partnerships. Every Thursday afternoon, from 3pm-5pm, the Central Library hosts a youth drop-in, put on by a partnership between the Library and New Horizons Ministries. This time was created to fill a gap in time where drop-in hours were not available at New Horizons. SPL is seeking to expand programs such as this, and we enjoyed discussing what this growth could look like. Some of the ideas from the group included advertising the resource by visiting current drop-in centers and passing on the word, creating an easily accessible resource center as part of the Teen Center, diversifying available activities, and offering incentives for youth to visit the Teen Center during Thursday drop-in times. Shelley and Summer hope to form more community partnerships and work with youth and young adult service providers, so please reach out to them with ideas, questions, or to work towards beginning a partnership with them. Contact the Seattle Public Library’s Children’s and Teen Services with teencenter[at]spl[dot]org. Thanks again, Shelley and Summer! Member updates from the meeting: Trevor with Friends of Youth: Drop-in hours at Friends in Youth are changing from the previous time of 11am-2pm to a later time of 2pm-5pm. Matthew with United Way: United Way will be housing a youth Community Resource Exchange on January 28, 2016. Programming and resources for this exchange are being developed. If you have ideas, questions or suggestions, please reach out to Matthew at mridgeway[at]uwkc[dot]org. Coalition updates from the meeting: 2016 will be a  year of case manager trainings: If you’re …

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Homeless and Formerly Homeless Youth Advocacy Summit — Oct 5-6, 2015

A message brought to you by our Youth and Young Adults Committee Co-Chairs, Michael and Emily: Friends! Mark your calendars as the 10th Annual Youth Advocacy Summit – brought to you by the Coalition’s Youth and Young Adults Committee –  will be taking place on October 5 and 6, 2015!  Join us at the next YYA Committee meeting to help solidify the planning of the Summit this Tuesday, September 8 from 10AM-11AM at the Capitol Hill Library Branch (425 Harvard Ave E., Seattle, 98102). We will have color Summit flyers available for you to bring back to your agencies! Please be sure to send a representative from your agency to attend.  Agenda for the YYA Committee Meeting Agency/Program Updates Peer Leaders & Peer Leader Training Thursday, October 11AM-4PM at HEYO Youth Space (1161 11th Ave in Capitol Hill) Role of Peer Leaders Agency Recruitment Youth Participant Recruitment & Transportation ​Who is doing recruitment from each agency What agencies are sending staff? What agencies can help arrange transportation (eg: car pools, bus tickets, etc.) Other recruitment strategies? Food and Other In-Kind Donations ​What business relationships do we already have that we can utilize? What resources do our agencies already have that can be donated? Who can spend some time sending out some letters to secure donations? Other Roles & Responsibilities ​Day of staff / volunteer support Start spreading the word about the Summit . . .  Please help in spreading the word by forwarding this email along to interested youth and young adults and community stakeholders and by posting flyers in your respective youth serving agencies! Adult-identified staff members from youth servicing agencies are welcome to join in supporting the event as well—if you are interested in participating, please reach out! Who: All former or current homeless or unstably housed youth and young adults (ages 13-26) are …

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Recap: Coalition’s Youth & Young Adults Committee Meeting — June 9, 2015

On Tuesday the Youth & Young Adults Committee received training on Hepatitis (HCV) from Chelsea Amato with the Hepatitis Education Project. Besides delivering an incredibly informative training, Chelsea’s given us access to her entire presentation plus additional resources. Best of all, the good folks at Hepatitis Education project are always open to do workshops and testing for agency staff and/or our youth participants — do not hesitate to reach out and continue these conversations back at your respective agencies. Hepatitis_Basic Overview Presentation Hepatitis Support Group*: HEP Monthly Meet-Up Quarter Sheet Fact Sheets from HCV Advocate can be found at www.hcvadvocate.org National Hepatitis Corrections Network (NHCN) –  www.hcvinprison.org *Hepatitis Education Project hosts an evening Monthly Meet-Up (support group) every 1st Thursday of the month. If you’d like to receive email updates about the Meet-Up and any other events, be sure to contact Chelsea (chamato@hepeducation.org;  206-732-0311). She and her colleagues are happy to answer questions, take your referrals, provide testing and training at your agencies. To reach Chelsea and the Hepatitis Education Project Crew: Chelsea L. Amato, BSW HEP Advocate and Educator 911 Western Ave.  #302  ● Seattle, WA 98104 ● 206-732-0311 ● 206-732-0312 (fax) www.hepeducation.org ● www.hcvinprison.org ● Find us on Facebook! Join us next month on July 14 for a training on Naloxone, and to dig into 2015 Homeless Youth Advocacy Summit preparations. See you then!

Youth and Young Adults Committee Recap from August 12, 2014 Meeting — Take Action!

Thanks to all who came to the Youth and Young Adults Committee’s (YYAC) August meeting! Folks from Teen Feed, YouthCare, Youth Undoing Institutional Racism (YUIR), End the Prison Industrial Complex (EPIC), New Horizons, Seattle Youth Ministries (SYM), Youth Housing Connection, Auburn Youth Resources, Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness, and ROOTS joined to discuss and plan the upcoming Youth Advocacy Summit, a project of the YYAC. Be sure to mark your calendar for the Summit: September 22-23, 2014 from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Seattle City Hall’s Bertha Knight Landes room. _________________ About the Youth Advocacy Summit … The Youth Summit was designed to be a meaningful entry into civic engagement for young people who have already experienced disenfranchisement.  The Coalition and YYAC work to make sure that the people who are directly affected by public policies are part of dialogue, debate, and decision-making.  The Youth Summit is an exciting and important way to: Engage young people in expressing their opinions, identifying priorities, and speaking up powerfully Inform local decision-makers who often don’t hear from youth or people who are homeless or struggling to stay housed Support active and informed participation in democracy to make sure that Everyone Counts! TAKE ACTION! As members of Coalition’s Youth & Young Adults Committee, your role is to work with youth participants to shape the summit, and to connect it to on-going advocacy and public education about Seattle and King  County budget processes. As staff, we need your help to recruit and train peer leaders to help with facilitation, and support young people in communicating effectively about their issues to local elected officials and government staff. HELP RECRUIT PEER LEADERS: Download and share the 2014 Youth Summit_Peer Leaders Recruitment Flyer to help recruit peer leaders. HELP RECRUIT PARTICIPANTS: Download and share the 2014 Youth Summit Flyer to help recruit participants and spread the word! Additionally, we need your help to secure food …

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Youth and Young Adults Committee: Recap from July 8, 2014 Meeting

  Thanks to all who came to the Youth and Young Adults Committee’s (YYAC) July meeting! Folks from Lifelong, Farestart, Neighborcare Health – 45th St. Youth Clinic, City of Seattle, New Horizons, and ROOTS joined to discuss and plan the upcoming Youth Advocacy Summit, a project of the YYAC. Be sure to mark your calendar for the Summit: September 22-23, 2014.  About the Youth Advocacy Summit … The Youth Summit was designed to be a meaningful entry into civic engagement for young people who have already experienced disenfranchisement.  The Coalition and YYAC work to make sure that the people who are directly affected by public policies are part of dialogue, debate, and decision-making.  The Youth Summit is an exciting and important way to: Engage young people in expressing their opinions, identifying priorities, and speaking up powerfully Inform local decision-makers who often don’t hear from youth or people who are homeless or struggling to stay housed Support active and informed participation in democracy to make sure that Everyone Counts! TAKE ACTION! As members of Coalition’s Youth & Young Adults Committee, your role is to work with youth participants to shape the summit, and to connect it to on-going advocacy and public education about Seattle and King  County budget processes. As staff, we need your help to recruit and train peer leaders to help with facilitation, and support young people in communicating effectively about their issues to local elected officials and government staff. Download and share the 2014 SKCCH Youth Advocacy Summit Flyer to help recruit and spread the word! Additionally, we need your help to secure food donations and contributions for the two-day event. We’re created this letter template for your use: 2014 Food Donation Solicitation Letter_YouthSummit. Please join us at our next meeting on Tuesday, August 12, 2014 from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Capitol Hill Library.

Youth and Young Adults Committee: Resources from the May 13th meeting

The Youth and Young Adults Committee met for their monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 13th to learn about and discuss The Q Card Project and the 2014 Trans* Resource & Referral Guide. In addition, committee members shared various resources, events, and opportunities. Here’s what’s up: Open Mic night is an event that we hold for the youth and young adults that utilize our drop in center to show off some of their talents. It’s a chance for the youth to share their talents such as poetry, singing, dancing, playing instruments, or whatever their talent may be. It gives them the space to be themselves and share a little about who they are and their struggles and turn it into a positive outlet. Overall our open mic night is something the youth really enjoy and have requested to have again which is very exciting. When: Friday, June 30, 2014 from 7-9:30 p.m. at New Horizons. There will be Food, Music, Open Mic, Live DJ and performance from special guest. Contact Ken Nsimbi (kenn@nhmin.org) for more information. Lifelong is looking for volunteers who are interested in participating in our Seattle Pride events! They are looking for folks who want to walk in the Seattle Pride Parade on Sunday, June 29th. They are also looking for folks who are interested in tabling after the Parade, as well as tabling on Saturday at Capitol Hill Pride. If interested or if you have any questions, please contact Marianna Grady at mariannag@llaa.org or 206-957-1639. Catholic Community Services sent an after-meeting e-mail about their Groundwork Project Wraparound Referral 2014. “The Groundwork Project engages homeless youth and supports them to accomplish their goals, which often include: accessing safe housing, becoming successful in school and reuniting with their families. Our mission is to treat each youth with dignity, efficiently provide them high quality wraparound services and reduce homelessness in …

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