Meet our team
Rita
Executive Director
Rita is our fearless leader here at SYM. You can find her in the office, in Drop-In, running errands for our many programs, catching up with clients and making pots of coffee throughout the day to keep everyone going. She loves coffee, and her go-to order is a simple and strong 2 shots of espresso. She loves working with the clients and having them feel deeply known by herself and her staff. She enjoys walking around Green Lake and isn’t fazed by a classic Seattle rain.
Antonio
Drop-In program Manager
Antonio finds enjoyment in the little things of life. He is passionate about the power of community and connection, especially for youth who are going through a tough time, as he has experienced his own struggles as a kid. Antonio hopes to inspire young people to seek out communities that resonate with their interest, values, or goals, through the community of SYM.
Breana
Part-time site supervisor/Program support
Breana has always carried with her the saying: “Be the person you needed when you were younger.” Having lived experience with homelessness and addiction both personally and within her family, she feels understanding toward where our clients are at in SYM. What drew her to SYM is the chance to help those facing homelessness and build real connections, reminding them that they matter and belong. Outside of work, she loves spending time with family, going to powwows, museums and the waterfront to listen to the ocean and the wind.
Jack
Part-time Program Staff
Jack came to us as a volunteer and served on Coffee Run before becoming a part-time Coffee Run Program Coordinator in the summer. He joined us as an SYM intern in the winter and spring of 2025 and is now with us as a part-time staff member, working mostly in the Breakfast Program and Drop-In! He is a fourth year UW student studying Applied Computational Mathematical Sciences (Scientific Computing and Numerical Algorithms). He originally heard of SYM through his mom, who used to be an SYM staff member! He hopes to have a positive impact in the community surrounding/within SYM. We are so grateful to have him back!
Sam
Part-time Program Staff
Samuel’s lived experience brought him to working at SYM. He takes pride is social service work and feels that he has a lot to contribute to the lives of the young people at SYM due to his own struggles with things such as addiction as a young person. He enjoys attending church, gathering with family, and reading a book every once in a while. He feels grateful to the Lord that his life has led him to this unique opportunity to work with youths experiencing things similar to what he experienced at their ages.
Alyssa
Operations assistant/program coordinator of the breakfast program
Alyssa is a class of 2024 grad from the University of Washington, where she acquired her BA in Spanish and a minor in Dance. She is passionate about social services and using language and other forms of communication as ways to foster connection between people. She enjoys sitting at Saint Bread by the water for a coffee. You can find her at the Breakfast Program, designing posts and content for social media, the newsletter, and the website, and planning fundraisers!
Grace
Case manager/program coordinator of coffee run
Grace is a class of 2024 grad from the University of Washington, where she earned her BA in Public Health-Global Health with a minor in Data Science. She interned with SYM for two quarters during her fourth year of university where she exuded compassion, dedication, and proactive effort and onboarded as a staff member in the fall of 2024! She loves spending time at plant shops and going to the Bins.
Rainier
Site Supervisor/Program Staff
Rainier is a 2025 graduate of the University of Washington who specialized in real estate finance and economics. They are passionate about uplifting the community through advocacy and action paired with equity and inclusion. As a former client at SYM, Rainier understands the importance of connection and how it contributes to healing. They hope to continue the conversations of recovery, perseverance and joy at their time at SYM. In their free time you can find them cooking new vegan recipes, studying for the LSAT or learning a new craft!