Teen Feed Benefits – Rotary Discovery Wine and Food Truck Event This Saturday March 18 – Thanks Edrington and Kaffeeklatsche
Travel with us. Every backpack team changes lives. You can too. Join us 5pm to 9pm Saturday and
follow hashtag #DebutsAndDiscoveries. University Sunrise Rotary sponsors the latest local beverage creations at historic Sandpoint Naval Air Station Hangar 30 in Magnuson Park to benefit Teen Feed youth. Enjoy hot bites from the newest local food trucks. Purchase bottles of the beverages that you like best.
Get tickets and directions HERE. Visit the Event Facebook site HERE.
Visit the chosen charity booth for TEEN FEED sponsored by Edrington’s International Giving More Fund and get your amazing free fresh (and so yummy) pretzel knots from local german baker Kaffeeklatsch Seattle. Any Questions? Write to info@teenfeed.org. We will see you there!
Now is the Time for Courage. Give.
Becau$e. Now more than ever warm socks, nutritious meals, healthcare copays, first-time housing, GED fees and birth certificates for these incredible kids all cost dollars – and all are essential first steps to a life off the streets.
Because. After 30 years Teen Feed stands strong and vital, a hallmark low barrier organization respecting diversity with proven results. Teen Feed continues to get it right, creating the trusting relationships with youth that prevent permanent homelessness irrespective of gender preference, race or situation. We meet them where they are.
Becau$e You Share our Mission. Don’t stand by idle. Individual donors like you will partner with us to accomplish this vital work by giving from $15 to $5,000. Any amount is put to work.
Teen Feed created over 3,000 positive contacts with street youth moving more than 400 of these young adults into services in 2016 – with respect for their stories, goals and dreams, and with your contribution$.
Because you know that compassion is a stronger solution than fear, we challenge you to care. Travel with us in 2017 at every meal, in every outreach backpack, under every bridge, and with every future with alter. Give generously. Give monthly. Give joyfully. We’re on the streets taking the first steps. With you beside us, WE’VE GOT THIS.
WINTER is Here! Host a Sock & Basic Needs Drive at Your Office or Work
Teen Feed works to offer basic needs items and daily essential to help homeless youth care for themselves. We distribute basic needs items to youth at the nightly meal program, during street outreach, and in our office as youth access support coordination.
We rely on you, our community to provide basic needs items to the youth. Consider collecting coats and sleeping bags at your office, home or social group, or sending an email to friends requesting travel toiletries. Whatever a supply drive may look like to you, know you are providing youth the daily essentials they desperately need. Below we have provided downloadable signage and resources to help you with with your Sock or Basic Needs Drives.
Basic Needs Drive Resources:
- Basic Needs List & Drop-off Schedule (see below). Can’t make night drop offs? Call us for appt.
- Sock Drive Sign
- Basic Needs Drive Sign
- Basic Needs Drive Handouts
Basic Needs Items for Youth:
Toiletries:
Travel Sized toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream
Combs and brushes
Full-sized Toothbrushes
Deodorant
Razors
Dental Floss
Hand Sanitizer
Tampons & pads
Nail Clippers
African American (POC) hair products
Clothing:
Hooded sweatshirts (L to XXXL, dark colors)
Warm coats
New underwear/boxers
Bras – all sizes, feminine underwear
New Socks – all sizes, wool please (warm when wet)
Gloves, hats, scarves
Disposable hand and toe warmers
Other necessities:
Sleeping bags
Backpacks
Batteries – AA, AAA
Blankets
Travel-sized sewing kits
Flashlights
Personal Journals (in gallon ziplock bags)
Warm pants
Work boots
Bus tickets
Headphones
Dry dog and cat food
Hot Cocoa
Instant Oatmeal
High-Protein Nutritious snacks like Kind bars, nuts and fruit leather
Donation Drop-Off Schedule
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:30pm to 6:15pm, University Congregation Church – 4515 16thAve NE (@NE 45th), prior to the Teen Feed meal program. Donation contact: Janine at info@teenfeed.org. *call ahead to let the nightly teams know you’re coming. T: 206.229.0813
Need help? We are happy to create something custom for your group, or update you on the latest personal requests for our youth in their jobs, going to school or working for us toward stability as interns! Please reach Janine Kennedy at janine@teenfeed.org or 206.409.1202 for more information
OPEN: Support Coordinator/Case Manager for SLY – Filled!
Our Support Coordinator/Case Manager provides structured support to street-involved youth alongside the STOP (Street Talk Outreach) Coordinator and to young adults to help them make positive choices, address barriers to stability, and support wrap-around care and housing transition advisement. We welcome inquiries for this empowering position with our Teen Feed Family. Candidates with language skills, non-traditional diversity component and/or contacts within the LGBTQ community encouraged to apply. Find us on idealist HERE.
Service Links for Youth (SLY) Support Coordinator Job Description
Essential Duties
Support Coordination (95%)
- Serve as the primary staff liaison for youth enrolled in SLY. Provide individual counseling and assistance in finding shelter and permanent housing, employment, educational opportunities, healthcare, and mental health/chemical dependency support. Offer support and resources to youth for achieving self identified goals. Work collectively and proactively with Teen Feed complementary program coordinators to promote best practice and youth-first focus.
- Enroll youth in the SLY program. Proactively and creatively help define the role of Support Coordinator with the changing needs of youth. With minimal supervision, coordinate all aspects of Service Links for Youth (SLY) program and evaluate program performance.
- Maintain an active presence at the Teen Feed Meal Program (2) nights per week and connect at the ROOTS young adult shelter (2) two nights per week in rotation with STOP coordinator staff to serve as a resource and engage with homeless youth to self identify goals towards housing and self-sufficiency.
- Maintain administrative responsibility for Salesforce metrics and HMIS data entry, monthly board and end year reports. Enter Safe Harbors data.
- Maintain monthly invoicing, Monitor monthly spending and income. Determine how to meet contract goals alongside Executive Director and support the process of annual contract renewal. Proactively encourage a relationship with the City’s contract monitor and maintain awareness of ongoing contractual and legal requirements.
- Maintain weekly contact with actively enrolled youth, follow-up on unstated needs. Actively strategize with STOP colleagues to provide resources and services for youth as they develop and change. Maintain a file for each enrolled youth including enrollment paperwork, documentation of important interactions. Manage 6 month reviews, close and follow up on closed files properly. Work closely with Street Talk Outreach Program (STOP) staff to foster multiple contacts with same clients to meet wrap-around needs .
- Be willing to become certified as an In-Person Assister through the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. Consider healthcare and housing enrollment, particularly in Expanded Medicaid, a goal for all youth enrolled in SLY support coordination.
- Maintain statistics on the SLY program for use in monthly reports to the Executive Director and Board of Directors. Contribute articles, program updates or social media to the Director of Community Engagement upon request.
- Maintain supplies and information for Teen Feed’s needle exchange program. Conduct needle exchange with youth in a safe, positive, and confidential manner, including while on outreach. Connect with youth that exchange to find opportunities to reduce harm.
- Attend bimonthly clinical supervision, weekly supervision with the Executive Director, and all weekly staff and case staffing meetings promoting resiliency. Attend monthly UDSPA service provider team meetings, semi-annual Teen Feed Board/Staff retreats, and community meetings with network partners as recommended by the Executive Director.
- Be an active, contributing team player. Maintain frequent communication regarding use issues and questions that arise during program. Be willing to participate in all-organization cross-trainings to better understand the scope of the Teen Feed organization, our role in the USDP community and the educational needs of the staff.
- Locate, suggest, share and actively participate in educational trainings supporting youth on relevant topics, i.e. youth self-determination, LGBT youth support, sex and dating relationships and exploitation and others. Make recommendations to the Teen Feed team as we collectively create awareness and sensitivity to the youth we serve. Support all staff in balance, awareness of youth issues, and appropriate boundaries.
Community Outreach & Leadership
- Represent Teen Feed at various outreach events, community meetings, advocacy opportunities, and donor events; share Teen Feed services and missions with the community. Contribute stories to grant proposals and social media. Collect best practices from community partners that work for Teen Feed and prevent redundancy and educate the staff on how to best serve selected groups.
- Represent and organize youth voices in organizational operational and strategic planning
- Maintain partnerships with Street Youth Legal Advocates of Washington (SYLAW) of Washington. Coordinate drop-in schedules with SYLAW volunteers, update and maintain SYLAW binder as necessary, refer youth to SYLAW, and ensure community is aware of the resource.Desired Skills & Attributes
- Knowledge of social service systems and clinical issues pertinent to homeless youth.
- Ability to partner effectively with diverse local service providers at their sites and demonstrate respect for all service providers’ philosophies and missions.
- Demonstrate an initiative to learn and enhance skills that actively promote anti-racism, anti-oppression, cultural competency and an understanding of oppression and its impact.
- Ability to empathize with homeless youth and on some level to relate with their unique experiences.
- Knowledge of private and public health insurance options available in Washington State, or demonstrated willingness to train.
- Clear understanding of appropriate professional boundaries when working with youth.
- Ability to perform all services in a culturally respectful manner, honoring homeless and street-involved young people as valued individuals.
- Ability to use language and behavior that demonstrates a basic respect for the dignity and value of those served, as well as coworkers and colleagues in a professional setting.
- Knowledge and ability to use us harm reduction model in providing all services.
- Ability to take initiative and be self-motivated, working with minimal supervision.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to follow all agency policies including, but not limited to, Teen Feed & NASW code of ethics, confidentiality, and personnel policies, including keeping private any privileged information relating to other employees or those served.
- Commitment to youth empowerment.
- Background helpful in Harm Reduction, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-informed Care
- Sense of humor.
Qualifications
- Undergraduate degree helpful, MSW not required but useful; or six years of direct social service experience. Appreciation given for those already working in the youth service community.
- One year of experience with homeless or at-risk youth and young adults.
- Demonstrated ability to work well with diverse populations, including youth of color and LGBTQ youth.
- Physically able to travel bus distances, tolerate weather conditions, and carry up to 30lbs; ability to work routine evening shifts and occasional weekends.
- Preference for bilingual, multilingual and non-traditional candidates
- Position is 40 hours weekly (benefits optional)
- Starting salary commiserate with experience
Interested candidates should send an email to Teen Feed’s Community Engagement Director Janine Kennedy at janine@teenfeed.org with a current resume and either a cover letter or email message explaining why you are interested in working with Teen Feed, subject: SLY
TEEN FEED IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Hiring: STOP Outreach Coordinator
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 the streets. Teen Feed responds to the most basic needs of homeless youth with three (3) integrated programs: Teen Feed Meal Program, Street Talk Outreach Program (STOP), and Service Links for Youth (SLY). No longer a stand-alone program, Youth Access to Care is now imbedded deeply into all core support programming. See the Idealist.org listing HERE.
Summary:
The Street Talk Outreach Program (STOP) is a program of Teen Feed aimed at meeting the needs of high-risk youth who avoid traditional social service agencies. STOP sends out teams of staff, community volunteers, youth continuum partners, and peer outreach workers to meet youth in their own environment—the streets and alleys where they spend most of their time. The STOP Support Coordinator plays an integral role on this team, leading in partnership with the STOP Outreach boots on the ground to supervise and support peer interns, collect metrics for trend analysis, and lead the charge for health and housing referrals and homelessness prevention. STOP meets youth “where they are.”
STOP Support Coordinator essential job duties include:
- Upholding the Teen Feed mission to meet the basic needs of homeless youth
- Continually developing STOP program capacity to better serve its target populations within communities of color, LGBTQ youth, former foster youth and subpopulations ages 13-25 who are homeless or in imminent risk of being so
- Network, build and manage teams of USDP support groups and community partnerships from the 40+ legacy groups supporting Teen Feed in healthcare, education and housing referrals to continually improve capacity of STOP
- Build diverse volunteer staff base for street outreach with development staff. Serve as a resource for trainings and best practice modeling for outreach volunteers
- Maintain outreach supplies and steward donors in support of development officer for in-kind donations and financial support
- Work closely with the Service Links for Youth (SLY) position to optimize client experience and success
- Maintain office hours conducive the largest traffic of youth need including meal times, IN-reach drop-in and individual appointments
- Manage the STOP budget
- Coordinate intentional and rotating outreach teams referring youth to appropriate resources and Teen Feed services and monitor progress, solicit feedback and adjust for a youth-first approach
- Directly supervise intake, review, planning and exit interviews for two (2) peer interns in cohorts of six months in length. Model behaviors and hold interns accountable for ethical and professional practice. Evaluate the internship’s organizational framework by conducting meaningful intern performance evaluations and programs needs assessments and make suggestions for necessary improvements. Assist in supporting interns’ aspirations and self-identified goals, with a focus on long term planning beyond their internship. Hold interns accountable to represent Teen Feed in an ethical and professional manner
- Represent Teen Feed at various outreach events, community meetings, King County learning circles, advocacy opportunities and donor events, and share enthusiasm for Teen Feed’s services and mission
Qualifications
- Four-year degree in social sciences preferred but related experience considered
- A minimum of one year of experience with homeless youth and young adults with the demonstrated ability to empathize with their unique experiences
- Organized communicator with a positive attitude, collaborative work ethic, creativity and flexibility
- Some knowledge of social service systems and clinical issues pertinent to homeless youth
- Experience with zero-based budget management or willingness to learn
- Partners effectively with diverse local service providers
- Knowledge and ability to use a harm reduction model in supporting and providing all services.
- Demonstrate an initiative to learn and enhance skills that promote anti-racism and anti-oppression and an understanding of oppression and its impact
- Willingness to be cross-trained to support the Teen Feed organization in other areas
- Perform regular database entry into HMIS/HPMIS, and Salesforce
- Demonstrate willingness to trained in cultural competency, LBGTQ awareness, and a progressive care service model
- Clear understanding of appropriate professional boundaries when working in close proximity to youth served
- Ability to perform all services in a culturally respectful manner, honoring homeless and street-involved young people as valued individuals
- Position may travel locally (limited) to serve nomadic populations and increase continuum of care, including one Outreach shift per week with team for training, observation, feedback and support
- Position is 32 Hours per week
To apply please submit a resume, cover letter or any questions to Tom Rembiesa at tom@teenfeed.org. Please include the position title “STOP Applicant” and your name in the subject line of your email.
Teen Feed Seeking Passionate Volunteers to Support Youth
Want to make a difference? Then Teen Feed is looking for you. You’re a skilled office talent (administrative or technology), a social media guru, a grant prospector or successful people manager. You care about youth. You’re a Volunteer Lead with housing-insecure young people. You’re a Meal Team Organizer, an Advocate (over 18) or Ally (under 18) once a week or once a month. We want you.
Teen Feed is dependent on our gifted volunteer corps to be successful. Raise awareness for community issues and social change. Develop skills and professional networks. Make friends, have a blast. College interns in study fields such as social justice, advocacy, management, healthcare and nutrition especially encouraged to apply. Email Janine at info@teenfeed.org
Thank You Teen Feed Donors – We Made the Goal for Kids in 2016
There is a warm feeling as we come together to do something good, and recently with #GIVEBIG we did that – $25,000.00 later we stand together with the ability to do more, dream more, and allow our kids the freedom to choose life off the streets with the resources to support them.
On behalf of the staff, meal teams, board members and dozens and dozens of volunteers that made the gears of the two days work, we say “thank you.” Thanks for the generous monetary gifts, the data entry, the phone trees, Seattle Community College Social Justice students for the amazing social media spams and Starbucks, for hot coffee cups. Thanks to the Seattle Foundation who in the face of adversity rose to an enormous challenge and extended giving times. All of you went above and beyond, and we thank you from our hearts. — Teen Feed