Teen Feed Programs
The Teen Feed meal program serves hot, nutritious dinners seven nights a week at Teen Feed University District, and averages between 50 and 80 guests per night. Over the Teen Feed meal, specially trained volunteer advocates and allies provide build positive relationships and connect youth with support coordination staff and resources they need. Young people come to Teen Feed for a warm, nutritious meal in a safe non- judgmental space, and stay for the supportive connections and resources shared over our meal.
Building on the connections the meal provides, Teen Feed has collaborated with the community to expand its meal program to serve more youth in King County. In partnership with Auburn Youth Resources, Teen Feed Auburn serves meals and provides connections for 20-30 youth, most of whom are under 18, in the Auburn area on Friday nights. In partnership with Seattle Parks and Recreation and Atlantic Street Center, we will be launching Teen Feed South Seattle in July, 2013.
Service Links to Youth (SLY) is a support program designed to help youth who are ready to begin the transition to life off the streets. On a one-to-one basis, we empower youth to self-identify specific goals such as finding transitional or permanent housing or working towards a GED, and we provide guidance to help them obtain these goals.
The Street Talk Outreach Program (STOP) is geared towards youth who avoid traditional social service agencies. STOP team provides outreach services to meet youth in their own environment - the streets, alleys, and shops where they spend their time. The STOP Peer Internship program is a six month internship designed to provide homeless and unstably-housed youth with employment experience through supporting of Teen Feed programs.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
We set very low barriers to participation. When a youth signs in to Teen Feed, we require only three pieces of information: name, age, and whether this is their first Teen Feed meal.
For many youth, Teen Feed is their first contact with a social service agency. We see this first contact as a significant success.
In 2012 Teen Feed meal program:
- opened its doors to 50-80 youth each night
- offered over 15,250 nutritious meals to hungry youth
- connected with over 600 individual youth in need
- worked with over 650 volunteers, who donated over $72,000 in food
- provided meals and connections seven days a week at Teen Feed University District
- provided meals and connections every Friday night at Teen Feed Auburn.
In 2012 SLY and STOP:
- provided case management to 104 youth
- helped 44 youth enter secure housing
- made over 1,400 positive contacts with youth on the street
- 59% of youth achieved 2 or more self-identified goals
In one evening, Count Us In surveyed 320 at-risk young people, 62 of whom were unstably housed or homeless in South Seattle. At present, there is no consistent meal program geared to meet the unique needs of homeless youth and young adults in South Seattle.
In response to this need,
Teen Feed is seeking support to bring meals and supportive connections to young people in South Seattle in July 2013. In collaboration with Atlantic Street Center, Seattle Parks & Recreation and other local service providers, Teen Feed will provide consistent meals at Rainier Community Center every Thursday evening. Teen Feed will provide mealse, basic needs items and a positive safe space for young people ages 13-25. Over the Teen Feed meal, local service providers and specially trained volunteer advocates will build relationships with youth and young and will connect them with the services and resources they need. For more information about Teen Feed programs, please call (206) 522-4366 or email tabitha@teenfeed.org.