You kept youth sheltered, healthy, and safe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
24/7 Shelter
You provided youth with a safe location to “shelter in place” in Kitsap and Pierce County during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the generous support from partners like you, we were able to operate the Bremerton youth shelter and drop-in center 24 hours a day, seven days a week from March 29 – June 15, 2020 in addition to the Serra House youth shelter in Tacoma (which regularly operates 24/7).
You provided youth with safe homes in which to live, learn, and grow.
Host Homes
In 2020, 12 families chose to open their homes to youth and provide life-altering stability, support, and hope through participating in the Host Homes program.
Nelson House
Youth developed a greater sense of responsibility, gained employment, and overall kept their jobs long term. They maintained a city park with pride and learned new skills—including teamwork, taking direction, and time management. And they appreciated the compliments they received from the community. Of the 15 move-ins and 13 move-outs, 12 utilized The Coffee Oasis services outside of the house consistently and participated in case management successfully. Of the 13 move-outs for the year, 3 moved on to other supportive housing or to relatives who reached out. 10 of the 13 youth who moved-out in 2020 moved on to permanent housing.
69 youth connected with permanent housing through The Coffee Oasis youth programs
Thank you for offering youth the safety and security they need as they gain skills to become independent and self-sustaining!
Out of Sight: Reaching out to the hurting, vulnerable, and hidden
You made it possible for us to not only connect with students from Kingston to Tacoma, but to seek out the hidden and vulnerable. We went out into the community and located camps. At times, we were met with hostility. Yet with the patience and care of trained Outreach Workers and Crisis Navigators, we were able to connect with youth who may otherwise have been overlooked. Not only were we able to connect with these youth on a personal level, but we were able to provide physical resources, encourage them, and hear their stories.
Preventing Suicide
In June, a young lady messaged the text line who was fearful that her friend was going to attempt suicide. She shared images of her friend’s social media messages which contained severe suicidal ideations. Through conversation, we were able to determine that the friend had previously lived in Kitsap, but was now living in Seattle. We contacted 911 in Kitsap and were transferred to Seattle’s 911 dispatch center and provided the information that we had available. We were able to get officers out to the youth’s home and intervene in what would have been a completed suicide.
One youth shared their appreciation for the Oasis Line saying…
“I just wanted to say thank you to everyone on the Coffee Oasis text line for helping me get through all of my hardships since March. It’s nice having someone to talk to while I didn’t have a therapist or anyone I could trust at that time and it really means a lot that you guys care for me.”
Overall, in 2020, Crisis Services responded to 408 youth who were in crisis. Roughly 108 of them were self-harming. Thank you for giving these youth the safety net they needed. Thank you for saving lives.
Equipping Youth to Thrive
(137 Kitsap, 72 Pierce, 6 Mason)
Helping youth overcome the barriers they are facing, access the resources they need, and work towards achieving their educational, employment, housing, and personal goals.
A young woman had a mountain of debt weighing on her shoulders. She got teary-eyed as she spoke about the debt. Her boyfriend had recently gotten a better job, so that disqualified him from getting help elsewhere. He made too much now, but they were still left with an overwhelming amount of debt that wasn’t going away. She wasn’t working, had a child needing her care, and mentioned that their relationship wasn’t going to last for much longer anyway. They were splitting up. She worried about what would happen because she had no way to pay for her part of this burden.
Yet through The Coffee Oasis, she was able to meet with a case manager who was able to help her access rental assistance. As her case manager went through the ERAP eligibility questions with her, she noticeably became more relaxed. The burden of thousands of dollars of debt was being lifted from her shoulders and she was starting to see a better future for herself. She told her case manager over and over she was so grateful.
Thank you for offering case management to youth through The Coffee Oasis amidst the challenges of 2020!
Job Preparation Classes & Internships
While the shutdowns from COVID-19 made internships with our community business partners challenging for much of 2020, youth were still able to attend life skills classes, get help with resume building and cover letter writing, and gain employment—even amidst a season that has left many without jobs. When we were able to offer youth the opportunity to participate in internships, 23 youth completed internships and 21 youth were employed within 6 months of participating in our job preparation program in Kitsap County.
Your coffee & cafe purchases at work…
In December, Kyla completed an internship with one of The Coffee Oasis Cafes and was offered a position at the cafe! Throughout the internship, Kyla was completely engulfed in love, care, and acceptance. It gave her a chance to grow and changed her life. She is officially a new employee, and we are excited to see her continue to grow and learn within this new position. The cafe manager shares her perspective saying that…
“Kyla’s graduation day was the highlight of 2020 for me. I am unbelievably proud of my staff and their dedication to Kyla and how much they got to know her story. I have never had the pleasure of managing such a stable and committed staff. My heart is full of joy and I am honored that I had the privilege to witness an intern get treated with such a supportive team and make it to employment.
We were meant to be involved in change, to encourage growth, to stand alongside others in turmoil, and to celebrate in success. Although 2020 has been one of the most interesting years, it has challenged me to grow, change, think outside of the box, cherish moments, and savor times spent in peace.
The Coffee Oasis is truly a beautiful place, with lovely people, a warm hearted mission and a unique and unmatched environment. I am blessed to be a part of the team. I am so proud of my team and our intern—now employee Kyla!!”
Thank you to all our generous partners who made this possible through giving your time and resources. We cannot do this without you. Thank you!
Youth are experiencing homelessness unaccompanied throughout Washington, including here in Pierce, Kitsap, and Mason County.
These youth are alone.
They are vulnerable.
They need your continued support.
Unaccompanied means these students were not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian. These numbers only reflect youth in school. Data provided by Washington OSPI.
Barriers and dangers still facing the youth we serve…
Trauma // Addiction
46% of youth experiencing homelessness were physically abused at their home. [2] About 80% of homeless youth age 12-21 used drugs or alcohol as a means to self-medicate to deal with traumatic experiences and abuse. [3]
Human Trafficking
More than one third of homeless youth engage in survival sex to get resources like food, shelter, or protection. 162,000 homeless youth are estimated to be victims of commercial sexual exploitation in the U.S. [2]
The Housing Crisis
In Washington State, a minimum wage earner ($13.50/hr) would have to work 73 hrs/week to afford a modest 1 bedroom rental home at Fair Market Rent. [1]
Financials
