Sunday, April 24, 2022 | Special Advertising Section 1 R 56 SPONSORED CONTENT Serving up opportunities, one cup at a time Addressing Seattle’s homelessness crisis is complex, especially when it comes to youth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four people under age 18 has experienced suicidal thoughts, and young people who are homeless experience many of the same issues that adults do, including stress, food insecurity, and a lack of access to resources and opportunities. But as they grow, they also carry the additional burdens of increasing hate-based violence, online bullying, and the effects of climate change. When it comes to tackling young people’s struggles, a holistic approach can help address the many obstacles they face. Housing, education, health care and employment are just some of the tools that can help younger people flourish. “Youth and young adults are greatly impacted by our region’s housing affordability issues,” says Mark Putnam, associate vice president for Social Impact at the YMCA of Greater Seattle. “On any given night, 1,000 adolescents and young adults are experiencing homelessness. Mental health issues for youth, especially BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth, have deepened due to isolation brought on by COVID-19.” Accordingly, the Y’s Social Impact Center expanded its services, from housing to mental health to employment and education support, for young people during the pandemic. In 2021, the Y began partnering with FareStart on the Youth &Young Adult Barista Program for young adults struggling with homelessness to teach on-the-job skills, such as computer literacy and customer service, as well as valuable skills outside the workplace, such as building resilience and developing financial goals. “I really enjoyed the class,” says 23-year-old Markia Arrington, who graduated from the eightweek program this past March. She saw the class as a way to make a change: “I was just trying to figure out how to get back to the old me and didn’t know how to go about it.” She heard about classes through the Y, and the Barista Program The YMCA of Greater Seattle’s mission is to build a community where all people are encouraged to develop their fullest potential in spirit, mind, body. seattleymca.org. FareStart transforms lives, disrupts poverty and nourishes communities through food, life skills, job training. farestart.org. was a chance to try something new. “That’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to get back into customer service and helping people.” Due to the pandemic, Arrington was provided with a laptop, which she got to keep upon graduation from the program, and attended her courses virtually. In particular, the customer service skills interested Arrington, as well as skills beyond the coffee counter: “I also enjoyed the self care parts because, you know, it gives you insight that’s for yourself.” One of Arrington’s main take-aways from the experience was how much she wants to help others, especially other moms like herself, and it made her want to share her own story. “After being in that class, and being able to feel like it’s OK to talk to them [the people involved in the program], it’s like it’s a safe space to speak — that makes you want to continue and do more.” The Barista Program isn’t just for aspiring baristas; the skills that are taught can be utilized in many different ways across jobs in retail, food service, and more. Case in point, beyond the virtual classroom, the program helped provide Arrington with tools and resources for starting an upcoming enterprise —her own eyelash business. Arrington feels encouraged by her job training experience and hopes others who have been in her shoes keep going and don’t give up. She wants other people to know that they are more than the pain they’ve survived. “You are beautiful,” she says, “you’re more than what people have done to you. You’re more than the loss that you PROVIDED BY YMCA OF GREATER SEATTLE Read story online Markia Arrington (Brooke Fitts) have, too. You matter.” Equipped with the skills she has learned, Arrington looks forward to what’s next. “I’m actually very, very excited for my future,” she says. “My goals now, as a person, they’re looking pretty bright.”
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