“The Coffee Oasis is a wonderful place. I ended up in the shelter due to family events and moving states at age 17. Everyone who worked there and stayed there were incredible people. I loved being there. There are many opportunities that they give you and they motivate you to be successful. I’m glad I came across them when I did. I would be in a worse place without that experience.”

Michelle* was depressed, grieving the loss of her mother, when she turned to The Coffee Oasis for shelter in 2019. She was struggling with not only her mental health, but also her physical health. She needed more than just a roof over her head; she needed healthy relationships and encouragement.

Michelle stayed at The Coffee Oasis Tacoma Youth Shelter for about 2 months before turning 18. While at the shelter, she began meeting with a case manager and continued to meet with her case manager for about a year. Her case manager helped her gain access to job services, clothing, hygiene items, state ID, a social security card, a phone, and a food handlers card. Michelle expressed her gratitude for her time at the shelter saying…

“I couldn’t have gotten a better start [into adulthood] then what I got while I was there.”

The Coffee Oasis youth program staff continued to support her and encourage her as she finished up her senior year and graduated from High School. After Michelle turned 18, she moved into a Host Home and lived with them for 6 months.

While she continued to struggle to gain employment and stable housing for some time due to health challenges, as of September of 2021, Michelle has stable housing and employment—she has been working full time now for over 10 months.

*name changed to respect privacy