One year ago this month, we began an adventure called the University District Youth Center (UDYC) Collective. This collective is supported by a grant from UW Doorway Project with primary neighborhood partners being Street Youth Ministries, Teen Feed, Ryther and ROOTS. And along the way others have joined us - Harborview Medical Center Youth Clinic, SPS Inter-Agency School, Y Social Impact. Street Youth Ministries manages the site and hosts two programs along with case management in the collective. Together, all partners have been doing amazing work together to provide a community of care for youth and young adults in the University District. University Congregational Church of Christ generally leases the building (UDYC) to SYM, and University Presbyterian Church (UPC) hosts the SYM Drop-in Center. 

We are now hosting Breakfast Program at UCUCC! With a rapid increase in client participation, continuing to host the program at UDYC wasn't making sense. We are so grateful for our partnership with UCUCC and Teen Feed which made this transition possible!

Thank you to Meal Team volunteer, Keri, for connecting us with our newest meal donors from Aegis Living! Consistent lunch donations to our Drop-In center help ensure our team can focus on the other needs of our clients! If you know someone or a group who enjoys cooking, please send us an email!

Thank you for filling the gap this June! We've entered a new fiscal year and are reflecting on the abundance we experience from donors like you!

Thank you to Jeanie for sharing her reflections on the time she spent with us at SYM this Spring as a Social Work intern!

Chelsea: Chelsea is an avid gamer and enjoys hanging out with her son and their bunnies at the parks nearby. She came to SYM through the YWCA as a steppingstone to starting over and is very happy to be here. At SYM, Chelsea assists with administrative tasks like data entry and is one of our Site Supervisor assistants.

Raven: “The thing that made me wanna join SYM is the community here that’s full of genuine people who want to be the change they want to see. I love being amongst like-minded people heading towards the same communal goal. I’m grateful to be able to contribute to SYM. When I’m not working, I love to write as much as I can. It’s my passion and I also love music. I spend most of my days listening to music and visiting the record shops to buy as much of my favorite physical media as I can.” 

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"I don't know exactly what a prayer is. 

I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down

into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,

how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,

which is what I have been doing all day."

- Mary Oliver, The Summer Day