Washington’s First Lady Trudi Inslee will officially open Friends of Youth’s new Youth Haven at a ribbon-cutting event on June 25.
The newly constructed home will house an established Friends of Youth program. For more than 20 years, this program, Youth Haven, has provided a safe and nurturing home to boys and girls age 11 through 17 who are experiencing a family crisis, have run away or are homeless.
Inslee’s participation reflects her commitment and dedication to supporting social service programs and organizations that provide services for women and children who are victims of sexual assault, homelessness and hunger.
A brief program and remarks from officials and Friends of Youth CEO Terry Pottmeyer will begin the ceremony at 11:30 a.m. The ribbon-cutting, tours of the new building and refreshments will follow.
The new two-story Youth Haven facility is the second project completed at the agency’s new Kirkland campus. It will consolidate two existing sites in Bellevue and Kenmore under one roof and create capacity to serve up to 17 youth, both boys and girls.
Construction of Youth Haven was funded in part by grants from the State of Washington’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, King County and A Regional Coalition for Housing. Additional support came from the Bellevue Rotary and the D.V. and Ida McEachern Charitable Trust.
Friends of Youth continues fundraising for its $7.5 million capital campaign, which also includes construction of the new Homeless Youth Services Center in Redmond that opened last October, and the final phase that will include four transitional housing facilities at the Kirkland campus.
The campus is located at 13116 NE 132nd St., Kirkland. Parking is available across the street at the LDS Church located at 13220 NE 132nd St.; visitors are advised to use the marked crosswalk to access the campus.
Friends of Youth’s diverse programs include:
• Homeless youth services, providing street outreach, overnight shelter, individual case management, employment and transitional housing programs for homeless youth and young adults throughout East and North King County and South Snohomish County;
• Youth and family services, providing mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, school-based prevention education and parenting programs in geographic areas covering the Issaquah, Snoqualmie and Riverview school districts;
• Residential services, providing therapeutic residential services, including foster care and emergency shelter, to youth under 18.
Friends of Youth continues its dedication to delivering a comprehensive range of therapeutic services for youth, young adults and families on the road to self-sufficiency. With more than 60 years of experience, national accreditation and 20 sites serving 17 cities, the agency provides safe places to live and emotional support for youth and families in challenging circumstances.
For more information, visit www.friendsofyouth.org.
