Full Transparency

In case you ever wonder what we do at SYM, I want you to know that I can very confidently assure you that, in fact we the staff absolutely and certainly…wonder the same thing on a regular basis. What are we doing, what are our goals? How can we be better? As a non-profit serving a population with ever-changing needs, the program is constantly being revamped and recreated to continue to be a place that can effectively connect and partner with the at-risk youth of Seattle while affirming their God-given identities.

Being a small organization, we recognize that SYM will be whatever we make it. Someone had an idea to connect with the neighborhood in a new way, outside of our age restrictions- boom! Coffee Runs were birthed! What we thought was going to be a Summer of Art has now morphed to a whole new space above our offices with a growing collection of musical instruments and art supplies to spur and foster creativity! All aspects of our programs continually evolve to best meet the needs that arise. We are blessed with the freedom to be fluid.

At some point it seems that all of our staff members took on the role of “Case Manager”, in one way or another. Each person who works at SYM right now has such a heart for the individuals we serve that they simply take it upon themselves to fill needs and build relationship wherever opportunity presents itself, whether it seems to align with their title or not. From our Executive Director driving a client to the emergency room in the middle of a work day or our newest drop-in staff taking someone to church with him on a Sunday, this is what we do.

I love the freedom to do whatever needs to be done. I get paid to love people! I even have an SYM credit card to spend where need arises. That was a new thing for me- I’m used to helping out and giving of my own limited resources. And while SYM surely has limited resources as well, I swipe that card to do good for clients with a faith that says money is no obstacle. In the past month, I may have gone over budget. Not carelessly overspending…but let me share my transactions with you. You see, one guy just got out of jail and he came back to visit our office with a renewed relationship with God and hope in his heart. I walked with him down the Ave while he looked at options for work. I bought him lunch at a teriyaki joint where we sat and discussed his plans for the future. His future looks bright! I have two March receipts from mentorship meetings with the beloved miracle of a young woman who is now in a faith-based recovery program and asked me to be her sponsor through it. I love meeting with her and hearing about what God is doing in her over a cup of coffee or at a restaurant. There’s something about food that deepens fellowship, so it is my honor to treat her. On one of these occasions, as we were driving to find a coffee shop, we passed by another one of our clients, hunched over a cardboard sign on the corner. I pulled over, gently shook him awake with a hug and got him some food and drink from the shop he was panhandling in front of. He came into drop-in the next day to access services again after we hadn’t seen him in a few weeks. Maybe he just needed a reminder that there’s a safe place with people who care about him[a lot!]. Other times I have used my SYM credit card in the past month include filling the van with gas to then load it with young people and go to the Seattle Aquarium for an afternoon. We paid for parking downtown, but the aquarium blessed us with tickets so the main event was free, leaving plenty of room for Dick’s burgers afterward! I bought a light rail pass to easily travel down to the King County Courthouse to show support at a hearing for one of our clients who is currently in jail. I bought a book of stamps to be able to send letters to him and others, and we put a little cash on his books. I even bought pregnancy tests when a client had the need.

Those are some real-life examples of how I spent time/money in SYM’s name in a month’s time[and these are things outside of drop-in]. I know that my coworkers act in a similar way- as needs arise. These little things tend to add up by the time we tally at the end of the month, but we see this as the proper stewardship of our resources. You cannot put a price on the impact any one of these small shows of love can have on a young person’s life. That’s why we constantly pray to the Lord for provision- ABUNDANCE EVEN- to continue in the work SYM has been accomplishing for the past 30 years; forever learning how to better serve young people in Seattle, throughout the ebbs and flows of life necessities!

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
2 Corinthians 9:8

Thank you for reading, may you be blessed to bless others, in Jesus’ name.

-Chelsea Araneda

Volunteer Reflection: Bill Hutchinson

I started volunteering at SYM 12 years ago when I saw an announcement at my church (UPC) asking for people willing to serve in SYM’s Drop-in space for young adults experiencing homelessness. I’ve been so blessed over these years to get to know so many committed and caring volunteers, so many gifted and effective staff and, of course, so many amazing youth. My role as a volunteer is to help make drop-in “go” by serving meals, getting youth set up with showers or laundry, playing UNO or just chatting about the day.

Occasionally, I get the opportunity to serve youth outside of the Drop-in space. For example, I’ve taken a youth driving on several occasions to help them practice for driving test and had a youth over for dinner who had aged out of SYM and moved close to my home. It’s all part of building relationships of caring and trust and serving people in our city who I believe God has called me to.

I have two boys, Liam and Micah, who have grown up watching me head off to Drop-in. They have come to know SYM as something I do every week, something that is just part of me. That is why it was such a joy last week to have Liam be able to come alongside me in this calling. Liam is home from his first year at the University of San Francisco and I asked if he would come with Phoebe (our incredible case manager extraordinaire) and me to help one of our SYM clients to get his new apartment set up. This was hard work and required a lot of elbow grease to clean a challenging space. I was so proud of my son for his joyful spirit while serving a fellow young person who needed some help.

Liam came to understand some of the many challenges that exist for young people, even if they are able to gain a roof over their head. For example, the entire time that we were helping clean and organize, Phoebe was listening on hold for someone to pick up and assist with getting our client’s food stamps restored after they had mysteriously lapsed. Ultimately, this phone call was left unanswered after two hours of smooth jazz and fruitless waiting.

Additionally, we were only able to get one load of laundry through (we needed time to do probably three more!) because the apartment facilities required a credit card to operate. Having a credit card to do laundry (what, no quarters!?!) Is not something we knew was a barrier for our friend. These were some of the conversations we had on our way home and I felt I could see Liam’s heart break and grow, all at the same time.

Bill Hutchinson
SYM Volunteer

Personally, I Feel Encouraged

To be honest, I had begun to feel rather discouraged. Amidst a death in the family, personal friends on-again, off-again in their addiction, and heck- the state of the world in general? I just needed to see a win, somewhere in my life. And I didn't feel like I was witnessing it at SYM. I know the power of God- I've experienced it! And I have seen the Lord's hand on people and situations around drop-in, but there came a time where it felt stagnant. With more hopes and ideas than resources and volunteers, progress felt halted and planning almost pointless. Where were the answers to all my prayers?

I even began daydreaming of quitting my position at SYM and going back to retail. However that may sound, it's just that that line of work is so much simpler. The problems are easier to fix, and there's a set way of doing things that works. I can order an item that's not in stock or maybe take an expired coupon- even if the customer has an attitude I can make sure their bread is on top so it doesn't get squished in the bag. But solving the fentanyl crisis? Combating homelessness? Mending broken hearts? That's far more messy and complex and there's no rules handed down from corporate for how to handle your shift.

Even so, myself and the rest of the team showed up faithfully each day, continued to problem solve, and relentlessly loved those we serve. In the past couple weeks I've really seen some of the fruits of our labors! A young person we hadn't seen since she left mid-summer showed up recently. By July, life was chaotic in Seattle and greater prospects awaited her elsewhere, but the last update we'd received was not what anyone had hoped for. Soon after that we lost contact completely. A couple weeks ago she appeared on our doorstep, back to tell us she had accepted Jesus as her God and King and now had several months clean! She shared that as things crashed down around her she remembered the genuine smiles of the staff at SYM and how they always credited it to Jesus. No way, she thought. So she set her heart to see if there was truth to it, and now the light in her eyes says it all: she met Truth. And she came back to share her joy with us! If nothing else ever comes of me working at this place, seeing that young woman redeemed and full of life is more than worth it all.

But that isn't the only wonderful thing we've seen lately! One client who has been struggling with addiction, recently began opioid replacement therapy! Any time someone switches out fentanyl for suboxone it is a huge win and definitely something to celebrate! What's even more encouraging is that through intentional relationship with SYM staff, this young man has begun searching for the Truth in God as well. He admits to seeing a pattern that most often when people around him have truly found freedom from drugs and their way to a better life, they usually claim God has something to do with it, and he feels safe to delve into this with one of our staff. It is an honor and a privilege to be in the vicinity as God works in this guy's heart.

Furthermore, multiple people are on their way to being housed through different avenues! One individual said that they did not meet the specific qualifications for the first building they applied to. Instead of letting this be a setback, they decided to hop online right away and filled out the applications for 3 other options! They're on their way to signing a lease! We've had another young person recently receive their highschool diploma and come in just to tell us, as they have been housed and stabilized for a while now!

Coffee Runs have felt like they are sustaining momentum in the program. It's just good to get out and engage with the community, and commit to doing what's possible. We're building new partnerships with local ministry leaders to see how we can support each other in our varied efforts around the neighborhood. We now set up a canopy with chairs and an ashtray in the church parking lot across from drop-in and somehow it's really added to the community atmosphere. Everyone is happy to help assemble and tear down, bring the chairs in and out. And, passerbys have been more apt to say hello! I've got to say, when someone parks in the lot and walks by with a smile and a wave, or even an audible "how's it going guys?" my heart flips a little. One college aged guy stopped and asked folks for their contact info because they just looked like cool people to skate with. I cannot tell you how ecstatic that made me. It makes all the difference for the people we care so much about to be treated with common courtesy and friendliness rather than avoided like delinquents. Somehow a change has been made. Our dream of the community unified is becoming a reality.

So I gotta say, personally, I'm feeling really encouraged. And I hope when you read these testimonies yourself you feel the glowing weight of each one. God is doing something here. Jesus is changing lives and hearts, bringing people together, and doing a new thing in this city. All the glory goes to God, and man it sure is exciting to be a small part in it and see my own prayers answered. Thank You Jesus!

SYM Art Extended

At the beginning of last season I was dreaming a dream of fostering the many creative talents of our amazing clients through “SYM’s Summer of Art”! We would have tools and materials at the ready in our drop-in center, and any specific desire an individual had for a project we would walk to the art store to pick up items fit for the task! Weekly prompts and varied art supplies available would create a stir on the streets and young people would flock to 4540 15th Ave to build an artistic empire, releasing all their problems and pain into beautiful masterpieces that would then auction off for hundreds of thousands of dollars each, leading to the young Picassos’ escape from the streets as well as funding the ministry that was able to open the door for them! Lives made whole, addiction eradicated, problems solved and they all lived happily ever after!

Okay, okay… I hadn’t set my expectations that high, I promise. But I did hope to help a lot of young people cope and heal and grow through artistic expression. I assumed the whole thing would be a hit. I’d seen so many of our clients’ creativity and I figured that given the space, time, and materials, nearly all would be interested in making art- especially with the potential of showing it off and maybe even profiting financially from it! I ambitiously advertised a coming art show/auction, full of our young people’s creations! Well, thanks to so many of you generously believing in the vision, all this was a real possibility! I am so grateful for the success that our Summer of Art campaign yielded. And I am not saying that it went to waste or didn’t work out- not at all! But if you’ve spent any time in the real world of this funny little planet, you understand that things don’t always go as planned. Even more so in the realm of social services.

What I’m trying to say is that at this time there will be no such art show because SYM’s “Summer of Art” has morphed into a more permanent presence of creative arts within our program, at a pace paralleled to the interest and ability of a population that often just needs to spend the hours of drop-in letting their brains and bodies rest entirely. That being said, we did get into some pretty cool artistic ventures over the summer!

We experimented with different natural dyes!
We had several days of watercoloring!
Oil paints! Spray paint! Clay!

Some creations left the building before we got pics, some are proudly hung on our walls, and one young person fixed up his leather creatively! It has been a joy exploring the arts with the ones who chose to participate. While quantity may have been less than initially anticipated, the quality time we’ve spent has been well worth it all. Thank you so much for your contributions to this endeavor! Check our social media to see what’s next, and scroll through below to see some of the stuff we’ve been up to!

Blessings on blessings on blessings,
Chelsea Araneda
Drop-In Coordinator

Why SYM?

Why do I work at SYM? Well, it’s all I’ve ever wanted since I was born again over 6 years ago.

You see, I struggled greatly as a young person myself. I’ll be honest, I have had some very dark days and I am going to be real in this post. My story may be very similar to that of some of the young people we serve at SYM. Many of their stories are far more horrific than my own. This is just a peek into my experience as a runaway, a criminal, a drug addict, an outcast, a lost kid on the streets. This is my why.

Although I had a relatively normal childhood and had been a pretty happy kid, at the age of 12 genetic mental illness hit me like a freight train. Suddenly I lost all hope and began to feel a deep hatred toward myself. Depression sank in and completely overtook my life. I was admitted to my first psychiatric stay at the age of 12, had my first suicide attempt at only 12… this began a long journey through mental illness and the search for a cure. Medication, therapy, coping skills and diagnoses. In time I was diagnosed with severe depression, rapid cycling bipolar, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, PTSD, and schizoaffective disorder. I was constantly riddled with anxiety and angry at everything around me. I would go through times when I was sky high and awake for days at a time. I couldn’t even enjoy these upswings though because I was morbidly aware of the inevitable crash that would be far lower than any high I reached. I began harming myself, lashing out at my family, acting out in ways I couldn’t control. I was consumed by a violent unrest at the core of my being. I was in a living hell and my family was right there in it with me.

My family is and has always been very supportive and loving(I am very blessed by this; too many kids lack a loving family unit), but there was simply nothing they could do to help. Even after seeking treatment from both outpatient and short-term inpatient therapy and psychiatry, things only got worse. I began to have auditory and visual hallucinations, suicidal and homicidal ideation, and the severe mood swings were unbearable for everyone involved. I was prescribed countless pills and ultimately deemed “medication resistant”. At one point I had such an adverse reaction to a “mood stabilizer” that I recall laughing hysterically until I was also sobbing and begging my mother to make it stop. At a loss, I got on a waitlist for a long-term children’s mental hospital. I spent my entire freshman year of high school in that place- 11 months and 11 days. Alas, they didn’t have the answers either. The routine and structure helped my behavior stabilize some, but I still wanted to die every day. I was still pulling my hair out in response to the anxiety in my veins. I still felt completely out of control.

I eventually wrote a well-worded letter petitioning for my release and it was granted. I just wanted out- this was a year in a no shoe lace, no sharps, fully locked down facility where I regularly saw other patients sedated by force and dragged off to the Quiet Room. But I was far from better. So I returned home to my mom and older brother and went back to school. I began attending the alternative school in town with a 504 plan. This was supposed to offer me more support but in reality I was now just surrounded by the druggies and drop-outs and with less accountability. Naturally, after having no success with any of the prescribed treatments, I began self-medicating.

It began with heavy marijuana use, then I was getting blackout drunk every day and soon experimenting with party drugs and promiscuity. By the time I was 16 I was addicted to IV heroin. The first time I tried it I didn’t bat an eye; nothing mattered so why not? I can’t quite translate the way that I had no aversion to it… so entirely devoid of hope, I dove into anything that might offer some relief to my inner turmoil. I fell in love with opiates. I dropped out of high school although I had been a straight-A student up until my brain caught fire. The drugs gave me a false sense of control- if I wasn’t going to be in my right mind anyway, I thought I’d do it on my terms. I could put a needle in my arm and “nod out” into a state of unconsciousness near enough to death that it fulfilled my fantasies of no longer being, if only for an hour.

I started running away from home for periods of time- from my small town to the big city of Seattle. My affair with heroin became a love triangle with methamphetamine. The weekends turned to week-long stints, and eventually I stopped going home altogether, having accepted my fate as a homeless drug addict at 17. For the following half-decade I spiraled with no end in sight. I shoplifted all my daily needs(and sometimes a little more) and got arrested a couple times. I overdosed more times than I can remember. If you’re wondering about my safety I was more often than not dating a dealer twice my age who usually protected me and loved me the only way they knew how- keeping me very high. But for the innumerable nights I wandered through the city alone at all hours of the night, completely intoxicated, and yet was not kidnapped or murdered- I can only say that heaven above was watching out for me.
I often tried to get clean. I went to rehabs and psych wards; I stopped counting after 17 inpatient stays. Or I would go to my mom’s house to detox, but rarely stayed past sharing the worst of the withdrawals with my family before storming out again, desperate for my fix.

SIDE NOTE: Detoxing is such hell. Your bones feel like glass, your skin is sand paper. Headaches, nausea, vomiting, chills, fevers, all at once. Restless legs, and the restless leg feeling but in your joints and spine!? Dizziness, confusion, anxiety, anger. And your body is depleted of serotonin and the ability to make any more so cue sadness like no other and exhaustion you feel you will never recover from. Plus, the psychological need for your drug. It is no easy feat and I have mad respect for all who have or are currently fighting this beast, either cold turkey or with the help of suboxone/methadone, because you’ve still got to kick that stuff at some point too.

Anyway, I spent 5 years shooting up under a bridge, 10 years of the hell in my mind. But God, right?
Wanna know how I got out? Well, one night diggling around in Eastlake I found a Bible in a dumpster. Yep. And something in me said I want to keep that. I’m gonna read it, if only like a story book, a fairy tale perhaps, I don’t know. And so I did. I kept that dirty black study Bible and began to read it. The thing is, I would shoot up large quantities of meth, smoke a bunch of weed and read the blessed Word of God in these demon-infested trap houses, so as you can imagine things got pretty confused.

It was about an 8 month period of the most intense spiritual warfare where I lost more of my mind than I thought I had left to lose and every day was a different delusion. I thought the man I was dating was Jesus(but sometimes he just forgot). I believed I was a deity myself. I believed that every time it rained[IN SEATTLE] it was judgement day and the earth was being flooded(I hadn’t quite made it to the part about the rainbow). I believed we were all communicating telepathically, but I think I probably just went mute and made funny faces at people. That’s just to name a few.

You see, this was an epic battle for my soul. I was so close to freedom(where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom! 2 Cor 3:17) and the forces of evil were throwing everything at me, twisting every word I read and perverting each interpretation. And although I was reading the Good Book and opening my heart to the possibility of its overwhelming truth, I was still leaving the door wide open for all of hell to have reign in my life through my use of substances and partnership with sin. But in it all THE Lord God revealed Himself to me little by little and I knew that my answer was on those pages and in this man called Jesus.

So I ended up in another mental hospital after breaking into my mom’s house to check on her because the demons behind my friend’s eyes had tipped me off to some evil scheme. I was there for 2 weeks before talking my way out of it(all the experience had really taught me just the words they needed to hear) and was so excited to go tell all my friends about this Jesus that I thought I knew. That led to relapse on meth and I was on the Harborview psych floor within 5 days of leaving the last facility. But this was different. This is where it all changed. Because I was still reading this book, still connecting on some level with the Spirit, still searching for answers. But as I sobered up in the hospital, the depression started sinking in. The first and greatest stronghold that had taken me down at 12 years old. But it just didn’t line up with this God that I was reading about. So I remember looking up to the ceiling of my hospital room, and asking a very honest, completely genuine question. I said aloud, “Jesus, do I have to be depressed?” I was answered with a wave of joy that flooded through my entire body. And its pretty much never left!

From that moment on I knew there was nothing else for me. I had felt the joy of the Lord, the love of the Father, and the power of the Spirit. Everything was different. I was made new. I’m made new daily, even now- that’s the beauty of it. I’ve now embarked on a lifelong journey with the One who created me. From Harborview I ended up going to a year long discipleship program halfway across the state called Ruth’s House of Hope. There I learned how to sleep at night and eat food on a regular basis, but also how to understand the Word of God and to pray and follow Jesus. The hardest part about staying there was not the urge to use(I had none), but I so wanted to return to Seattle to tell everyone I knew about this transformation I’d experienced.

I came to understand that there are steps you have to take before just running back out to the streets to save the world. In fact, after graduating from Ruth’s House, the Lord led me to the Dream Center Leadership School in Los Angeles, California to be trained up in street ministry. I was there for almost 3 years, spending most of my time on skid row and in the projects, just loving people and meeting practical needs. Servant leadership is the DC’s MO. All the while I was crying out for every person who’s name I could remember from the streets. I had a vision for a redeemed Seattle, headed by a revival of the too-far-gones! Because I was one you would have called too far gone. I was the crazy you don’t come back from, one you may see scabbed up, contorted body, talking to themselves in the alley. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is hope for every single person, and I look forward to seeing transformation in this city.

I learned a lot at the Dream Center. After LA, in the midst of the worldwide plague I did a discipleship training school with YWAM, an international missionary organization. While I was in Albania I learned that one of my best friends from back in the day, someone who I’d gone down that dark road with in the beginning but had lost contact with as we’d each chosen our respective paths of addiction, this friend of mine had also found freedom in Christ[HALLELUJAH!] and was working at this place called SYM. When I got back to the states I finally felt the release to put some roots down in Seattle, and quickly joined the team at SYM.

I waited years before the Lord said I was ready to come back and serve my city. To bring hope to people in the same bondage I had been freed from. And now I’m here, doing the blessed thing. And sometimes I’ve got to remind myself of how badly I wanted this and how much I prayed for it, because it doesn’t always look the way I thought it would. Sometimes it just looks like sitting on the couch next to some person in drop-in, saying non-sensical things back and forth, for months before seeing some tiny shade of breakthrough- and then rejoicing over it! It’s loving God and loving people- and I’m dreaming bigger for what we can do with that in the coming future to make more of an impact.

Now I can see the purpose in the pain. I wouldn’t take a day of it back, because now I have a powerful testimony, an overcoming spirit, and I get to represent the Messiah to a dying world with a unique perspective and experience and anointing. I can see the young people who come through our doors at SYM, possibly in the trial of their lifetime and I can see them the way the God of the Universe created them to be, and have bold faith that they will come into this identity; if we just speak it over them hope can spark. And I can see the mob down on 3rd avenue and feel an aching love for their souls because I know that they are lost and hurting. I can go to these people and have compassion on them, empathize with them, and do what I can to meet their needs. Physically/practically, emotionally, and spiritually. Although the latter less often looks like walking up and proselytizing and more often like just forming relationships and walking out the talk. That goes for every Christ follower. You may not be called to street ministry, or to volunteer at SYM’s drop-in, but you know people who need what you have. Whether that’s a coworker who battles anxiety like you used to, or a neighbor who has a hard time loving themself and you know how that feels. Just love God and in turn let His love overflow from you to love the people around you.
And if you are reading this and do not currently follow Jesus, I can tell you that He really is the Way, the Truth, and the Life- a good God who can and will(and wants to!) heal your heart and make you new. He gives beauty for ashes and joy for mourning, He makes all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes(that’s YOU! Isaiah 61:3, Romans 8:28). I am living, breathing, joyful proof!

”I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
1 Timothy1:12-17 NASB

Don't Forget Joy

For a person actively experiencing homelessness and all the heartbreak that goes with it, it can be easy to forget joy. One can barely remember a time when fun was really part of the equation. When the most pressing issues in your life are where am I going to sleep safely tonight? and how will I get my next meal? it’s not likely that you have a lot of time to do things you enjoy just for the pleasure of it. Necessity supersedes recreation, and spending time even with those you’d call friends may not seem like a safe place to let your guard down.

We want to create that safe space for our young people to let down their walls and enjoy life. As the activities coordinator at SYM I am excited to be filling our calendar with opportunities for joy! When I came on staff over the summer, outings and activities had all but ceased due to covid restrictions in the city. With mandates lifting and weather getting better- I’m looking forward to a fun spring and summer to come with our youth! Some of our clients are working hard to make changes in their situations, others are just trying to survive another day. We all deserve a bit of reprieve. Life is tough, no matter who you are. SYM should be a safe haven- a place of community, rest, and resources- within the confines of our drop-in center and office space, as well as wherever we venture to.

The past couple months our activities and outings have been ramping up! We’ve done a Bob Ross painting activity where we painted along with one of Bob’s legendary videos in attempt to recreate his vision in oil paint- each with our own twist! This happened within drop-in. We’ve been on a walk around Greenlake, Whirlyball in Edmonds, hiked Coal Creek, bowling at Spin Alley! This coming month we’ll start going rock climbing on a weekly basis at Edgeworks Seattle, we’re planning an outdoor adventure for Earth Day, and we’re going to plant a tree in a local park on Arbor Day. Those are outings, which include travel- getting away from the same streets- and sometimes out of the city entirely! How important it is to connect with nature every now and then… Activities happen during drop-in, right in the same space people show up to regularly to get basic needs met and have a place to chill. This includes our upcoming chess tournament and the Super Smash Bros. tournament- made possible by the generosity of those who donated to our weekend drive for the new Nintendo Switch!

Which, on that note, may I take a moment to revel in how wonderful a community we have?? I’d like to personally extend a big thank you and say how truly grateful I am to the greater SYM community- those I have met and those I may never see face-to-face(unless you come to the Block Party in May!!). The fact that we can share a need and advertise a weekend drive and then receive nearly double our ask and have the physical fulfillment of that ask the very next week- WOW! That blessed me. Thank you for your generosity.

Because it’s not just about a new video gaming system. It’s about remembering joy. It’s about knowing community. It’s about SYM having the ability to take clients on an adventure, away from the woes that surround them. When young people play Super Smash Bros. or Mario Kart, they’re able to connect on a pure level. It’s just fun. Maybe some trash-talking banter for good measure- but all in GOOD FUN. Activities build trust and mutual respect within our community. Bonding over something amusing. SYM, where you can get a hot meal, charge your phone and take a nap, and make friends, to know and be known while being your truest self. Honestly, being able to walk around without carrying your whole life on your back is a luxury for some folks. Think of that. If you have no home, no safe place guaranteed not to get swept by the cops, rifled through by thieves, or destroyed by the elements, everything you own must go with you everywhere. That’s a heavy weight both physically and emotionally. So when we’re able to offer a time where a person can leave their 50lb backpack behind, safe and secure at SYM and go walk to see a waterfall or go bowling for an afternoon, it means more than you can imagine. A true weight lifted off the shoulders.

I love the work we’re able to do, the people we serve and I love looking for opportunities to make joy happen in their lives.

Sincerely,
Chelsea Araneda
SYM Intern/Activities Coordinator

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Promise of Hope

Hope has looked like the promise of a hot meal in drop-in, clean socks, a housing opportunity, a listening ear, or a bus pass amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that continues to impact how we all live and interact. This hope permeates everything and everyone SYM encounters: youth, staff, volunteers, and community partners in the University District neighborhood. Your support this year has allowed SYM to be a consistent beacon of hope to young people in this neighborhood. Take a look at what else your support has allowed us to do this year!

As 2021 comes to a close, I am reminded of all that the past 2 years has meant for each of us. It has been difficult. The missed milestone events, distance from family and friends and loss has been exhausting amid ever-changing protocols and constant risk assessment.

Young people with already unpredictable lives navigated further complexity with the closure of public restrooms, coffee shops with indoor seating, and social services. SYM's own volunteers needed to stay at home for their own safety.

SYM staff have sought to meet the unique needs of these unhoused young people with tenacity, compassion and care. As restrictions and knowledge of COVID risks changed, so did the services of SYM. From a distance, I saw SYM initiate the mobile outreach program that took supplies and food to encampments during the time that drop-in was closed. When drop-in reopened, a breakfast program ran for 4 months to continue to reach out to those who were unhoused.

I joined SYM as Executive Director in September. It was soon time to move to a new COVID response protocol and welcome volunteers back to Drop-In. SYM staff, volunteers and young people are enjoying outings to Whirlyball, Woodland Park Zoo and Paint the Town.

SYM staff, volunteers and supporters have held hope for each person over the last two years under ever-changing, difficult and exhausting conditions. Each of our lives has been changed by the pandemic. And each of us holds the hope that those that were particularly impacted, unhoused young people, will continue to seek assistance and community – to search for a job, to find housing, to build relationships with people who care about them deeply.

Act justly,

Love mercy,

Walk Humbly with your God.

-         Micah 6:8

Rita Buyco, Executive Director

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As we end 2021, would you consider a gift to SYM?

Your donation could be used to provide rental assistance for a month for a young person, or to fill up a bus pass to be able to get someone to work. This Advent season, may you be encouraged by how your generosity has helped us bring hope into the lives of so many here at SYM. 

To mail a gift:

Street Youth Ministries

4540 15th Ave NE

Seattle, WA 98105

Activities Are Back!

Throughout the pandemic our activities program has been put on hold for everyone’s safety. Pre-covid our young adults were able to look forward to going on fun outings on a regular basis. From museum and aquarium visits to put put golf and pottery painting, our aim with activities is to get these young people away from the street life to engage in fun, sober activities that remind them that life is about more than just surviving. As the new intern/activities coordinator, I am excited to ramp up these events again! (Following all safety precautions and covid regulations, of course)

This week we were able to host our first in-house activity in months. We had a Super Smash Bros. gaming tournament! This is a video game that our young people enjoy playing regularly in their time at drop in so we took it up a notch, created a bracket, and had some prizes available for the winners! We had 8 young people join in this friendly competition. Our first place winner received a $20 Target gift card, while both 2nd and 3rd each got 2 AMC movie tickets! Everyone involved got an hour of entertaining battles and cheering one another on!

This event was just the first of much more excitement to come. We already have Whirlyball scheduled for next month! Looking at all the opportunities we have is encouraging and I am looking forward to taking advantage of all the possibilities! Giving our clients a brief vacation away from their daily struggles encourages hope and may give them that boost they need to keep moving forward. I’m grateful to play a part in it

With all the love,
Chelsea A.

(SYM intern/activities coordinator)

Our new Executive Director

For seventeen years, Rowena Harper has worked tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of young people in the University District through Street Youth Ministries. Her leadership and vision has been a driving force at SYM and she will be greatly missed by the staff, volunteers, clients, alumni and board. It has been such an privilege to watch her lead with enthusiasm, passion, and a heart for Christ. Please join me and the entire Board of Directors in thanking Rowena for her service to SYM and the community. We offer gratitude and thanks for her contribution and direction during her tenure as Executive Director of SYM and wish her every success and blessing in her future endeavors!

After an extensive and rigorous search led by the Board of Directors, we are please and proud to announce that Rita Buyco has accepted the position of Executive Director of SYM. Rita comes with extensive experience in outreach ministries and has demonstrated she has a heart to serve. She has served on staff in various capacities at the University Presbyterian Church for twelve years and at the University of Washington before that. We are confident that Rita’s many talents and leadership skills along with her wide-ranging experience will be an asset to SYM. We are confident Rita is the right leader to work alongside staff, volunteers, the board and the University community as we enter this new phase of transition and vision. Please join us in welcoming Rita to this new position!

-Jan McClintock, Board President

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Here is a little bit about our new Executive Director, Rita Buyco:

Rita has lived in the Seattle area most of her life and loves the easy access to oceans and mountains! Before coming to SYM, Rita held an outreach position at the UW whose goal was to equip middle and high school students from underrepresented groups in higher education to succeed at Washington state 4-year colleges and universities. After that, she took a position at University Presbyterian Church that lasted 15 years working with youth, families and others to serve locally, nationally and internationally as the hands and feet of Christ. The highlight of both of those positions was working alongside amazing staff and to see transformation and power developed in the young people. Rita has been a long time supporter of SYM and has coordinated donations and volunteer opportunities in that support.

Rita is excited about looking toward the future of SYM and growing this essential ministry in the University District. SYM has always operated in a flexible, nimble way to react to situations and conditions in the community effecting our young people. SYM staff is uniquely equipped to meet new challenges and fulfill our mission by connecting, partnering, and affirming Seattle’s Youth.

A Home and Sanctuary

In the day to day of our work at SYM, we often wonder whether our efforts have impact. Every so often however, we are privileged to get a glimpse. This week, I received this from a young woman SYM has known for many years. As I consider the challenging moments of 2020, her testimony provides needed encouragement and hope.

In my life, nothing has ever been stable, or certain. I’ve faced struggles with mental health, addiction, homelessness and often, hopelessness. In that darkness, SYM is the only home and stability I’ve ever known.

I was a difficult person to deal with, but there has been peace, safety, encouragement, and space to be who I am, without judgment- flawed, frustrating, time consuming, and sometimes, wonderful! I have been given space to be myself and room to grow.

While I felt discarded by society, SYM was always there to allow for me to feel what I’m feeling, planting seeds of strength, hope, faith, and love. Slowly, those seeds rooted and from those roots, I’ve found myself enveloped in unconditional love. And then…

…after 22 years of homelessness, mental health issues, abuse, substance use, and unspeakable heartache, I found a call to action. I co-founded a shelter in 2013, and am now a social worker. I’ve turned my wounds into wisdom, and I carry parts of what SYM has done for me into my work within the community.

I have been aged out of SYM for many years now, and as SYM staff and volunteers came and went, with each departure, I had terrible anxiety and concern- would all the support I was getting leave with them? It never left. It is woven into the very structure of SYM.

All these years later, when I find myself overwhelmed or feeling uncertain, I’ll sit near the Drop-in Center, under a beautiful Elm tree that provided shade on many hot days and I breathe a little easier. I know with certainty that if I knock on the office door, someone will answer. If I have needs, or am in danger, I will be met with support, and treated with dignity. SYM is still my safe place, a sanctuary.

My story is not unique- countless people who have engaged with SYM have moved on to become social workers, taking the radical compassion we were shown by SYM and integrating it into our work. There are no words to adequately express the gratitude I have for SYM, or the impact SYM has had, and continues to have, on my life.

Youth Voice: A Poem by Luis.

Thoughts in Words

We ask about ourselves,

searching for a spark,

in a never ending tunnel with many answers,

it turns into wild flames melting confidence,

with all it takes to create a dark field within you,.

We can fill ourselves with joy only through the ground that we claim,

it is only unknown for those making believes of what there is yet to be,

in need of a reminder, trying to create opportunities of succeeding through waves of heat with only what you know.

Searching for the answers of the clues life reflects on the open mind of the humble,

creating success is only the start,

reflecting on your actions, matures your decision,

allowing what you hear be opinions, only to know the outcomes.

Time can slow us down.

We focus on things like these that are only a created idea that become part of what we make with it,

we are not in control but we can appreciate,

making only a stronger thought process, helping life becoming your thoughts.

With all thoughts and appreciation, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to be in your world wide website. I’ve received a lot of hope that has made my mouth shut allowing my free writing to make people reflect on unknown words expressing the existing universe of our thoughts.

Luis H.

An Open Letter to SYM’s Community

The first question I ask myself as I write is, how can I – a biracial, Korean and White woman – possibly speak to not only the murders of Black men and women in recent weeks, but to the oppression that Black people experience on a daily basis?

The truth is, I don’t know that I can. But my second question is this – do I have any choice but to speak?

It is because of my privilege, a privilege that comes from the color of my skin, that I can easily choose to stay silent, to disengage, to move on to other things and away from the complex, heavy, self-incriminating state of our nation today. 

Yes, self-incriminating. Because the recent murders of black men and women are more widely recognized examples of the less noticed, less publicized institutional racism that goes on every day. Those of us with White privilege have historically and systemically been given power and privilege over other people groups. And we with privilege must hold ourselves accountable to this truth - this is about needing to own and, because of the power disproportionally given to us, be the ones to undo that structure. It is incredibly easy for us with privilege to ignore this conversation, but we must choose to see how terribly violent our world is for People of Color because privileged people have repeatedly turned away for generations.

As I write, I know that our readers are many of SYM’s friends and donors who generously support and give to our work – and I also know that the large majority of our readership and donor support comes from people who are White. And so today, I am writing to you – with you, for you, to you. Because I am beside you with my White skin, leaning into the discomfort in the power that my skin gives me and figuring out what to do with it. Ignoring it doesn’t change the fact that I have it; in fact, it is a privilege to be able to ignore the color of my skin, a privilege that others are not afforded – those with Black skin are reminded of it daily as they are pulled over and criminalized without cause, assumed to be dangerous or violent, and killed. 

I write with a bold hope that if you are reading and you feel targeted, frustrated, or defensive by my words – that you would breathe in, sit with that discomfort, and have the courage to keep engaging (and also read this article). 

A White author, Daniel Hill, spoke to this truth about institutional racism and our part in it in his book, White Awake. I heard him speak over a year ago and one statement he made has stuck in my mind ever since:

We have all breathed it in. 

You are not alone in your White privilege. We have all breathed it in - we have all breathed in the fumes from the system that, at its core, produces racism. We cannot pretend that we have somehow escaped the grasp of racism here in America – instead, we must humbly say along with the rest of our nation that we have breathed it in, too. It is in the very framework of our nation, from the moment our ancestors stepped onto this land and killed Indigenous people in order to call it our own - and it has persisted through the systemic evils of slavery, Jim Crow Laws, lynching, the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and police brutality toward Black and Brown people (for more on this history of racism, check out this book).

But we absolutely cannot stop at this knowledge of racism’s existence. We have to act. We have to change. If this last week has told us anything, it is that we are already too late to this fight. So we better get a move on. 

If we will believe that we’ve breathed it in too, that means that we can finally begin the work of breathing it out. But this work isn’t one breath out and it’s gone – it is a continual, self-reflecting, humbling, difficult, and messy process of breathing out the systemic racism that we have all been raised to participate in as well as a commitment to breathe in anti-racist education and formation – which must inherently lead to action.

We must be better. We must do better. And all of that has got to start, not by pointing fingers to the “real racists” over there, but by looking deep within ourselves and understanding our own privilege and participation in the system that oppresses People of Color.

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As an organization, we repent of the many ways in which we have participated and continue to participate in the perpetuation of institutional racism. 

As an individual, I repent of the many ways in which I have personally participated in and continue to participate in the perpetuation of institutional racism. 

Would we have the integrity to stop seeking to defend ourselves as right but look with humility at the ways in which we are still in the wrong. 

Would we not just say the words, but commit to right action, to anti-racist education, and to a lifetime of self-accountability to break the chains of racism in our own lives and in our world. 

On behalf of my organization and the White community, I apologize to the Black community for our ignorance, our inaction, and our violent and harmful actions toward your people. 

My words are not enough.

Would we not ask to be pardoned, but seek to be changed.

Let us be accountable to not just speak, but to move. 

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As a last note, I will emphasize that I am not the expert on this. My work toward anti-racism has only begun. Please don’t let me be the only voice you read from. We must look to the voices of Black, Indigenous and other People of Color as the experts and work to uplift the voices of those who wish to speak into our collective action. Below is a list of books, articles, and organizations that may act as your first, second, or hundredth step in continuing to educate ourselves and hold ourselves accountable to the power we hold. I urge you to listen to what is being asked of us and respond.

Sincerely, 

Emily Bunch 

Interim Program Director 

Books & Articles to Read 

The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander

I’m Still Here, by Austin Channing Brown

Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, by Beverly Daniel Tatum

Just Mercy, by Bryan Stevenson

“What White Allyship Looks Like: An Open Letter” : article by Johnathan S. Perkins

"White Feelings: Racial Dialogue’s Greatest Obstacle": article by Johnathan S. Perkins

"Bryan Stevenson On the Frustration Behind the George Floyd Protests", article from The New Yorker 

White Awake, by Daniel Hill

White Fragility: Why It's So Hard For White People to Talk About Racism, by Robin DeAngelo

Places to Learn From and/or Donate To 

Official George Floyd Memorial Fund: A fund set up to support the family of George Floyd, who was murdered by Minneapolis police officers. 

I Run With Maud: A fund set up to support Ahmaud’s mother, Ms. Wanda Cooper-Jones and her immediate family. Ahmaud was murdered by the McMichaels while out jogging.

Justice for Bre: A petition to hold the police accountable who murdered Breonna Taylor. Breonna was in her home asleep when police broke through the door without warning and fired shots.

BLM Seattle Freedom Fund, by Black Lives Matter, Seattle - King County: A fund to help bail out those who are arrested while protesting the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Manuel Ellis. 

Showing Up For Racial Justice: A national network of groups and individuals working to undermine white supremacy and to work toward racial justice. Through community organizing, mobilizing, and education, SURJ moves white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for justice with passion and accountability. 

The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond: A collective of anti-racist, multi-cultural community organizers and educators dedicated to building an effective movement for social transformation. 

Black Alliance for Just Immigration: An organization that educates and engages African American and black immigrant communities to organize and advocate for racial, social, and economic justice. 

Equal Justice Initiative: An organization committed to ending mass incarceration, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable in our society. 

Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites: A Seattle based group of White anti-racists working for justice.  

Shifting to Virtual Connection during COVID-19

In March, we were beginning to see COVID-19 spread to the United States but were still so unaware of the devastating impact it would have in our community. We were prepared to treat COVID-19 like flu season, asking everyone who came to drop-in to use hand sanitizer and being mindful of our own hygiene practices. 

My position at SYM is a year-long fellowship and our annual Breakfast at Nine fundraiser is my big project. Since January, I have been planning seating arrangements, researching caterers, and purchasing things like table cloths, compostable dinnerware, and even the dress I was going to wear to the event. I knew I was going to be in my element. I dreamed about the day—me running the whole show, making everyone feel special and thought of. 

Then, the stay-at-home order was put in place. Rowena and I spent so many anxious moments at her desk, wondering whether or not the Breakfast could be done. When school was canceled for the entire school year, our fate was sealed—the Breakfast would not happen. For me, this event that I had created and dreamed of just disappeared before my eyes. For Rowena, our most important fundraiser was no more. 

The weight of the loss and disappointment weighed heavy on our shoulders. In the midst of all of this, our work was shifting daily. We were working as a team to do damage control in our community. What was our capacity right now? How comfortable is each staff member with working on the front lines? How can we best support the young people we serve? How will we continue to do this if the support dwindles? 

Personally, I was dealing with grief. I feel silly calling it grief, but it was. I lost this event that was supposed to prove my position on the SYM team. I had been feeling insecure that I was in an administrative position while my coworkers were working on the front lines with young people during this pandemic. My role is supportive, and I was providing all the support I could, but nothing seems like enough when you watch your coworkers (we are more like family with a 6 person staff) work so hard to provide for the underserved in our community. On top of that, I felt guilty for feeling so sad. I am one of the lucky ones. I am privileged, I still have a job, and I am able to work from home most of the time. Then I was inspired by Brene Brown to accept my grief for what it was and not try to ignore it because it wasn’t big enough. She said on her podcast, “Hurt is hurt, and every time we honor our own struggle and the struggles of others by responding with empathy, the healing that results affects all of us.” 

So, I accepted my grief over this event for what it was and began to plan a virtual fundraiser. I’m laughing as I think about the early days of planning. I had no idea what I was doing and most of the day I watched YouTube videos on how to use Zoom. My grief didn’t disappear, but I was distracted by this other goal I was working toward. I had no idea if people would be interested in an online event and decided that even if it was only staff who would be online, that it was still a good learning experience. 

We deployed our table captains from the original fundraiser to continue their plans to host a table, though they would now be virtual. I created a PowerPoint presentation, and we employed a friend of SYM, Tate Busby, to film some videos of our staff and youth. We asked a former pastor of UPC, Courtney Grager to speak—a joy because she now lives in California and would not have been able to if the event hadn’t been online! We used all of the interactive abilities of Zoom so that our participants wouldn’t be bored to death. All of a sudden, people started to register. By the morning of the event there were around 130 individuals joining us! 

The virtual event was a HUGE success. People showed up!

People participated in our activities and wrote thoughtful reflections in our chat box. Some people heard about SYM for the very first time!

Our volunteers got to see the youth that they’ve created relationships with on the video that Tate made. We laughed, we shared our story, and we shared the issues that our youth are facing due to these unprecedented circumstances. 

I’ve been praying Psalm 91 since the beginning of this pandemic. Many times over the past two months, I have cried and shouted and wondered how God could allow this to happen? My heart aches for those without homes during this stay-at-home order. I feel like our systems have failed our young people over and over again. Sometimes, I see the sin in our systems and attribute that to God. But this past weekend, God made good on his promise to me. Through my doubt, I still clung to the truth that God cares for me and cares for our youth. We will not abandon our youth because God will not abandon us. “I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer. I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them salvation.” (Psalm 91: 14-16)

Yesterday, we packed up everything I gathered for the original breakfast— all of the tablecloths and plates and coffee. We plan to use it all when we are safely able to host an event again. I don’t know what the future holds for SYM, but I know that God is on our side.

If you would like to view a condensed version of the event, follow this link

Isolated, but not alone.

COVID-19 is all that the world seems to be talking about these days. As I have been talking with my colleagues, young people at SYM, roommates and friends, there seems to be less fear about the virus itself but more fear surrounding the lack of jobs, lack of food, and lack of open services. My heart has been aching thinking and wondering how this pandemic will increase the homeless population throughout the country. Will the students being kicked out of university dorms be able to find housing? Will the parents who lost their jobs be able to afford rent and food for their kids? Will the young person from the SYM community who just got into housing be able to pay rent, when their main source of income was waiting tables at restaurants? All these questions are overwhelming and out of my control.  I have found myself consumed with worry and not knowing what steps to take next. At SYM we have been caught between two worlds: Trying to honor our government officials' mandates and the CDC’s requests  and trying to make sure that our young people are fed and that their wellbeing is maintained.   

A couple of us on staff at SYM have chosen to take a little bit of time each day to read and pray over Psalm 91. I believe God is working during this time. We as a global society are bonding over this pandemic and we are all experiencing it together. This is a huge opportunity to lean into discomfort and build community. Today I did not go into the office but instead took the time to call and text some of our young people at SYM and see how they were doing. Though we are all segregated and isolated it does not mean we have to be alone. Reach out to old friends and see how they are doing. Reach out to one of the many local non-profits and ask how you can help. This is a time to step back and step up. We will all have to change the way that we think about service and helping others. Maybe instead of having neighbors over for dinner you drop off a premade meal for them. Maybe you offer to babysit your friend’s kids while they have to go to work. Or maybe you ask how you can financially help your neighbors who just got laid off. Maybe instead of volunteering for SYM you fervently pray. You pray for staff’s health, you pray for the health of our community, you pray that no one feels alone during this time and you pray for the end of corona virus. We need you all more than ever and you can help us from the comfort and safety of your home. 

Even though these are unknown and terrifying times I am so excited to see how God will be working within it all. I know that healing and redemption is coming and that is where my hope is found.  

“The first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb, when it comes, find us doing sensible and human things -- praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts -- not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs.” ― C.S. Lewis 

“For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind.” 2Timothy 1:7  

-Hailey, Case Manager at SYM 

The best seat in the place

Dear Friend of Street Youth Ministries (SYM),

At SYM, my desk faces the entrance to our office. I get to observe the comings and goings of youth who visit for various things — IDs, eyeglasses, mail, housing needs, employment help, or to simply sit, have a cup of tea, and chat for a bit. Our staff members greet each young person with warmth, a name, and a sense of being known.  It happens every day, and for me, it’s a joy to witness.

Just like when folks arrived for our monthly cooking class last week. Our dear volunteer, Tracy, had prepared early by making turkey and homemade cranberry sauce. She then taught a group of youth how to mash potatoes, mix stuffing, and create a crispy green bean casserole. Micailah, our volunteer coordinator, shares what happened next:

When all of the dishes were warming in the oven, we decided on a whim to make our Thanksgiving lunch special. We cleaned the table, and then without any prompting, we all set the table. Someone grabbed plates, another cups, forks, knives, and napkins. I ran to the craft closet and grabbed orange paper. Hailey found the gourds leftover from Halloween and some candles.

We brought over the warm thanksgiving meal, and everyone filled their plates. We all sat, taking it all in. Then, out of nowhere, one young person, “Leo,” asked if he could pray.

In a beautiful moment, he said, “Dear Creator of everything, thank you for this food and this time together. Thank you for SYM, for building this community.”

It felt like a holy space — sharing a meal with people from completely different backgrounds and stories. Everyone was thankful for this one organization that brought us together.

I’ve been at SYM for 15 years and believe that this IS a holy space. A space where relationships are built, community is nurtured, work gets done, and change happens.  A mentor once told me that “Jesus is manifest in relationship.” So true! As I consider the manner in which our staff interact and care so intentionally for the youth who enter this space, I can’t help but see Jesus in it all.

It is the Creator of everything who is building this place, the relationships that happen here, and the impact it has on all who enter it.  In 2019, SYM impacted over 500 youth. Your gifts of time, prayer and financial resources made this possible. Thank you!

Will you consider making a generous year-end gift to SYM by December 31?  A group of SYM board members and friends have put together a matching gift of $45,000 which means every gift given between now and December 31st will be doubled! Every gift makes a difference as we care for youth in tangible and meaningful ways each day.

Joy to you this Christmas,

Rowena and the SYM Team

P.S. It’s easy to give using the enclosed envelope or by visiting us online at www.streetyouthministries.org

Carkeek Park by Daniel Boyd

A group of young adults and SYM staff visited the trails and beach of Carkeek Park. We skipped rocks together, gathered pretty beach debris that caught our attention, and walked the trails of the park. It was beautiful and refreshing, something I’ve done with friends in years past. I stayed for a time at a youth home for Native American youth not far from the park. At the time we did what youth do at beaches— we snuck out in the middle of the night when staff were snoozing at the front desk. We rebelled against our circumstances and did what we could to feel free in an otherwise suffocating reality of chronic poverty. It’s been years since that time. I was just barely nineteen years old, fresh out of the brutal experience of high school. Now, as of the time of writing this blog post, I’m twenty six years old. Bits of worn down, broken glass pieces litter the beach. I picked up a piece myself and examined it. I playfully wondered if this might be one of the many pieces of glass from a night of drinking around a bonfire at the beach with friends.

The time we spent at the beach reminded me of the past. I reflected on then, and now— what I’ve learned over time. I thought about the choices I made then in comparison to the choices I make now. The time we spent on this day squatting in a circle and sharing what bits and pieces of beach side knick-knacks seemed so innocent in contrast to the earlier years of my young adulthood. I appreciate the little moments of candid sweetness in a lifetime filled with many other melancholic moment.. Carkeek Park is a reminder of a past of dark nights pierced by bonfires and washed away with ocean waves and beer.

We took our time enjoying rock skipping in the shallow still water on the beach area. a staff member and I learned for the first time how to skip rocks. Flat, somewhat lightweight rocks seem to do best. You throw it like you might toss a playing car, but not like a Frisbee. My own rocks would bounce maybe once, infrequently twice before quickly sinking below the surface of the water. Another young adult I’m acquainted with seemed quite proficient at skipping rocks; once, twice, thrice… seven times or more I would see his rocks skip across the surface of the water. He must have spent a lot of time growing up practicing the activity.

We left that beach feeling happy and refreshed. The day was well spent with light-hearted activities. It was a moment of positive introspection for me. Long gone are the nights of being huddled around a bonfire with drinks and cigarettes in our hands. Sometimes, though, I think back to those nights with fondness. I wonder if I’ll cherish the time I spent today like I did during those desperate younger years. I regret the past, survive the moments of the present, and do my best to be hopeful for the future. My time with SYM makes me think of these moments as precious. Precious moments that offered escapism from everyday reality. Cue Macklemore and Kesha’s song “Good Old Days”.

Is Seattle Dying?

Especially given our line of work at SYM, everyone seems to be wondering what our thoughts are on the documentary. While SYM isn’t taking an official position on an issue as nuanced and complex as the solution to homelessness, we do find it important to address the uncompassionate rhetoric being used for a very human issue and hopefully bring a more human voice to the conversation. The following is an opinion piece by one of our staff. While this does not reflect an official position of SYM, we find it valuable to share this perspective.

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If you’ve been around Seattle the last three months, you have likely been inundated with chatter about how “Seattle is dying.” For those who haven’t seen it, the Seattle is Dying documentary is a KOMO News embodiment of the anger held by many Seattleites toward the persistent issue of homelessness. They take the perspective of affluent, housing-secure Seattleites and tourists who see the city they once found beautiful to be decaying with crime, drugs, rampant litter, and people with mental illnesses tarnishing the serenity. There’s a lot to unpack there, a lot of powerful emotions and assumptions that seem to tell the whole story when isolated from other voices. The documentary does an effective job at communicating the deep-seated ire and fear that many Seattleites bear, but fails to adequately represent any dissenting voice. The people experiencing homelessness who were interviewed were quite evidently cherry picked to insinuate a unanimous agreement on the issue, when they certainly don’t represent the majority of people who are experiencing homelessness or who work with them.

Seattle is Dying begins with shots of homeless encampments with large piles of trash, underscored by the horror film soundtrack that lingers as a thematic backdrop for the entire documentary – textbook fear mongering. To be fair, this is an effective strategy; fear is a powerful human emotion that can take us out of our rational, higher level functioning by driving us into fight or flight mode. In politics and debate, the use of fear is effective in keeping people from considering the larger, more nuanced picture. By doing so, the creators of the documentary can skip the incredibly important and complex context that precedes and circumscribes the issues addressed in their critical look at our city. 

 One of the most frequently overlooked aspects of an issue is context. While jumping straight into dissecting the problem can seem the most direct approach, understanding the cause and the broader social, political, economic, and cultural setting is vital for a comprehensive and balanced understanding of any issue. The historical context of Seattle is one of colonialism and uprooting of indigenous Coast Salish peoples in order to make room for the Western city many take for granted today. One reason why this history of displacement and erasure is so important is because modern Seattle lauds Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, and Starbucks as being its iconic and esteemed “residents.” Because they provide a meaty backbone to our city’s economy, their best interest becomes conflated with our city’s best interest. The rapidly expanding city is accommodating the influx of young tech workers, not its longstanding residents with housing instability. They, the “homeless,” don’t contribute much to the economy. They don’t vote in overwhelming margins. In short, there is very little political or economic incentive to listen to their voice or prioritize their needs. Seattle’s 2015 state of emergency over homelessness likely had less to do with addressing the inhumanity of allowing fellow humans to go without basic needs being met, and far more to do with the discomfort their presence causes to the affluent residents and economic sector of the city. As a result, the city will “throw money” at the problem by clearing camps and putting up fences (which does nothing but threaten the safety of people experiencing homelessness) rather than investing in low-barrier housing, social work support, and accessible treatment programs.

Throughout the documentary, people experiencing homelessness are framed as subhuman and dangerous. They are “lost souls who wander our streets, untethered to home or family or reality.” This could not be further from the truth – Seattle is, for many of them, their strongly held home. Others who share their experience of homelessness or housing instability will often make up a “street family,” having bonds that can run deeper than many families of blood or marriage. And regarding reality: who is more out of touch with reality – the ones suffering from real issues, or the ones who acknowledge the problems around them just enough to be turned off by the presence of suffering people?

The documentary also divides those experiencing homelessness into two categories – those undeserving of their homelessness and those who caused it upon themselves. What this does is justify the dehumanization of those experiencing homelessness and focus on “how deserving” they are of their suffering rather than focusing on the broken systems that let them get there and keep them there. The issue of homelessness is primarily one of systemic failure, not one of personal choice. Roughly 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, meaning that at any given month, if they lose their job or if they face unexpected costs (medical bills, driving infractions and insurance spikes, etc.), they could end up temporarily or perpetually homeless. A central premise of the documentary is that the “bad ones” amongst those experiencing homelessness are the drug users. However, the most recent statistics on illicit drug use amongst Americans show almost one in ten U.S. adults struggle with some level of substance abuse, regardless of housing stability. This number escalates when you include alcohol, of which 27% of U.S. adults reported binge drinking in the past month. Drug use is as big a concern for the entire U.S. as it is for those experiencing homelessness. It is also important to recognize that many people experiencing homelessness who use drugs or alcohol began to do so to dull the pain, physical and/or emotional, of their situation.

Seattle is Dying as a whole effectively communicates a message that people experiencing homelessness are addicted, mentally unstable, violent, and dangerous. As mentioned earlier, the documentary uses fear mongering to brand people experiencing homelessness as the problem, rather than the systems and social structures surrounding them (housing shortages, economic inequality, institutional racism). This is not to say that the entire message of the documentary is invalid, only that it needs to be thoroughly analyzed through a critical lens that understandings the myriad of factors and realities at play. The conclusive suggestion of the documentary was, in essence, to send those experiencing homelessness with illicit substance addictions to a former-prison-now-rehab facility. This quick fix model is notably simplistic. For starters, there are no federal standards for counseling practices or rehab programs. As a result, “the vast majority of people in need of addiction treatment do not receive anything that approximates evidence-based care,” as concluded by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. The private sector of rehab and addiction treatment can be very lucrative, providing the private rehab programs incentive for creating cycles of high recidivism. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the issues with the current system of drug treatment.

Treatment and care for people with drug addictions must be thoughtfully and humanistically done, in line with the current research on drug rehabilitation. Addiction treatment cannot be seen as a quick fix; it is instead one component of a bigger, more holistic solution. The research is clear that the most important facet of individual recovery is connection. It is through meaningful relationship that individuals find the incentive and support to overcome their addiction. Moreover, the focus of any truly comprehensive approach must ultimately be focused on systemic change. While it is always important to provide loving care and support to those currently experiencing addiction and homelessness we need to recognize that they are not the problem themselves, but rather symptoms of a greater issue. The real disease is economic inequality, systemic racism, and white supremacy. These are at the root of the housing “crisis,” the root of homelessness and while there are hundreds of empty apartments and condos, mass poverty when there are more than enough resources to go around, and the reason our nation defunded successful drug rehabilitation programs to make way for more prisons. It needs to be called out as such. Only when we name the root of the problem can we begin to comprehensively dismantle it and move toward change.

So, in the end, as well-intentioned as one may find Seattle is Dying to be, it is pointing us in the opposite direction of where we need to go. We cannot demonize and otherize those experiencing homelessness. That will only ever exacerbate the problem of homelessness. We all must build relationships and engage with those experiencing homelessness, to learn from them and to connect meaningfully with them. We must personally commit to educating ourselves through articles, books, TED talks, and conversations with the true experts of their own homelessness. As we equip ourselves with knowledge and edify ourselves with relationships, we can begin to shift the culture from fear toward compassion. As much as fear divides us, compassion will convict us to change the systems that benefit us into structures that defend the inherent dignity of all people. Those of us in affluence need this as much as our community members experiencing homelessness. I truly believe that we cannot fully love our own humanity until we love the humanity within everyone. A systems change that refuses to deny anyone a life worthy of their humanity will help us all be more human. Indeed, those of us in affluence may be the ones most in need of change.

Interested in learning more? Here are just a few of the many worthwhile resources:

- Evicted: Poverty & Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond

                - https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/scarlet-e-unmasking-americas-eviction-crisis

                - https://www.facebook.com/justiceandpoverty/

- The House I Live In (2012) (documentary on the harms of the war on drugs)

- https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/the-war-on-drugs-how-president-nixon-tied-addiction-to-crime/254319/

- https://crosscut.com/2019/03/man-used-proof-seattle-dying-tells-his-story?utm_source=Crosscut+Daily+-+032819&utm_medium=email+Leah%2C+I%E2%80%99ll+leave+it+to+you+to+share+in+social+media.%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial&utm_source%3Dfacebook-web-button

Transitions

Internally and externally, I have been witnessing a lot of transition recently. We recently lost a legend of a case manager, Emily Bunch, and in October will be losing the other half of the Em & Em dream team. A part of me is weary from the loss of such bright souls and driven advocates for our young people; at the same time, though, I’m witnessing the uprising of new leaders – my talented co-worker Hailey Myers will be transitioning to case manager soon, and we have already welcomed Jorge Gaitan, a man I’m excited to see work passionately with our young people.

On a personal level, I will soon be transitioning out of the city, making my way to Philadelphia for a year-long internship called Mission Year, followed by three years in Princeton Seminary. In the last month I have become intimately familiar with the sorrow of loss, as I say goodbye to the various communities and commitments that have given me joy and fulfillment for many years.

“Life is but a fleeting moment on the horizon of eternity...”

With such major change, I am torn between bittersweet ends and new beginnings. This place of loss and discovery, death and life, past and future, is the nature of life. Life is defined by transition. It’s the essence of time, that a moment passes to make space for the next. Our tendency can be to resist and to attempt to prevent the imminent, but time is like a river. It flows in one direction, carrying you to new sights and landscapes. We’re just along for the ride. If we try to resist, at best we’ll get exhausted swimming upstream and will miss out on the view along the way. At worst, we can drown ourselves in the anxiety and stress of change.

Truthfully, I see this ephemeral flow of constant change as something profoundly spiritual. As a pastor once told me, “We are Easter Sunday people living in a good Friday world.” The evidence of sin and separation from God is evident all around us, yet we have been saved and live as a redeemed people, washed by the blood of Christ and ushered into the Kingdom of God in all its glory. Life is but a fleeting moment on the horizon of eternity, yet God has placed us here. Somehow, this short time on earth matters. It is significant. In the departure from the old and the welcome of the new, there is a Kingdom sound that rings through from the mountaintops through every passing moment. As we say goodbye to what was, we hear the symphony grow louder, a heavenly chorus of eternity like a waterfall at the end of the river of time.

A gorgeous moment from a recent sailing trip with Sail Sandpoint.

It is never easy to say goodbye, this much is clear to me. But in the midst of the heartache and loss, I am drawn to a deeper understanding of how important this season was for me. It is because I am saying goodbye and making amends with the changes going on in my life that I can engage with my complete appreciation of the good of what was. And in doing so, I can prepare room for the good to come. Without ends, there would be no true beginnings. So, as SYM transforms through this season of transition, let us celebrate the growth and evolution of an organization I am proud to work for.