United Way Funds National Safe Place

Over the past year, AYR has partnered with YouthCare and Friends of Youth in providing support for young people in crisis.  Recently, United Way of King County stepped up to support the Safe Place program, funding each agency to provide an on-call youth counselor to respond to youth in need.

The National Safe Place program connects youth in crisis with provider agencies through a network of local businesses designated as “Safe Places.” These services help runaway and homeless youth resolve their crisis and remain in a safe and stable environment.

The King County Safe Place program has partnered the three regional providers of services to runaway and homeless youth (AYR, Friends of Youth and YouthCare) with King County Metro, King County Library System, YMCA of Greater Seattle, Compass Housing Alliance, and over 60 businesses in King County.  When a youth is in crisis, all they need to do is ask for help at any of these locations (or ask for assistance from any Metro bus driver) and he or she will be connected with Safe Place. A Safe Place youth counselor will then meet the youth within 45 minutes and assess his or her needs, helping the young person get to a shelter or return to their guardian if it is safe to do so.

These services are a vital link for runaway and homeless youth that often find themselves in danger living on the streets.  AYR would like to thank all of our partners in this endeavor. If you have a business and would like to become a designated Safe Place location, please contact our Safe Place Coordinator, Claire Petersen, at 253-350-0443, or email her at clairepe@ayr4kids.org.

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Safeco Invests in Youth Drop-In

The Safeco Company has funded the AYR Arcadia youth drop-in program. The program is run in conjunction with the South King County Youth Shelter (SKYS) and provides an after-school drop-in center for at-risk and homeless youth that includes tutoring services, life skills groups, and recreational activities. The goal of the program is to offer young people a safe, supportive and enriching environment that is an alternative to hanging out on the streets.

The tutoring support services are provided through AYR’s Village Tutoring, a volunteer tutoring program which enlists community volunteer tutors to assist students in achieving academic success. The program also provides life skills groups that include worker readiness, resume writing and interviewing skills. Recreational outings are also an important part of the program and offer fun, healthy and educational activities. The program also provides a daily snack.

Arcadia focuses on homeless and at-risk youth, but all youth 12-17 are welcome. The at-risk youth are diverse in demographics, circumstances and needs. Most have had many challenges in their lives from abusive and neglectful parents or family mental health and substance abuse problems. Others are young mothers or pregnant teens. Most of these young people are creative, smart, resourceful and, above all, survivors. There are many faces to the at-risk youth population but they all share a common need for support and an opportunity to lead a healthy and safe existence.

Arcadia employs the best-practice Positive Youth Development Model that promotes positive interactions, builds life skills and provides at-risk youth an opportunity to bond with a caring adult and make positive changes in their lives. The Drop-In Model also allows us to offer a wide variety of other services for youth who visit the program. Through referral services, youth can easily access  AYR’s mental health, substance abuse or shelter services. According to Jim Calderhead, AYR’s Development Director, “The most important and beneficial aspect for AYR is that the drop-in center brings at-risk youth to our door and allows us to form trusting relationships with them. This often leads to more services like counseling, shelter care, substance abuse treatment or family reunification. For many of these kids, building that relationship is vital for positive change to begin. It’s akin to tipping the first domino.”

The SKYS Emergency Shelter was originally launched in 1985 as a response to the Green River Killer and was the first emergency youth shelter in South King County. Through the years the shelter has evolved to meet the needs of the homeless and endangered youth in South King County.  Arcadia is actively recruiting tutors for educational support. If you have questions or would be interested in volunteering to be a tutor, please contact Joe Woolley, Arcadia Program Coordinator at
(253) 735-3582.

AYR is very proud to have Safeco Insurance as a partner in Arcadia. Although drop-in shelters are of great benefit, they are often very difficult to fund. We appreciate their support in providing these needed services and helping us provide a safe, fun and positive place for young people to gather after
school.

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Muckleshoot Indian Tribe Supports Prevention Programs

The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe generously donated $10,000 to AYR and EYFS to provide nicotine prevention in the Sumner School District and outreach services for adolescent outpatient treatment in the Enumclaw School District. We would like to thank the Muckleshoot Nation for their continued support of AYR and EYFS.  Over the past 13 years, the Muckleshoot Foundation has donated grants of  $101,489.

This latest funding is crucial in our attempts to provide substance abuse prevention in South King & North Pierce Counties. 

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16^th Annual AYR-EYFS Golf Tournament a Success

The 16^th Annual AYR-EYFS Golf Tournament was a very successful event raising nearly $50,000 for the children & families of South King and North Pierce Counties. We would like to thank our many sponsors and players for the event especially Universal Refrigeration for returning as our event sponsor. Other sponsors include Propel Insurance, Columbia Bank, Peterson Brothers, Comcast Cable, Miles Sand & Gravel, V. Van Dyke, Lloyd Enterprises, Valley Pontiac Buick GMC, Oldcastle Precast, HBT Insurance, ICON Materials, Spectrum Sign Company, Auburn Mechanical, Dr. Kim Anardi DDS, Utility Vault,  Poe Construction, Service Paper Company, Fitchitt Benedict & Clark, Auburn Regional Medical Center, Starbucks, Valley Bank & Johnson Stone & Pagano.

The tournament was once again played at Washington National Golf Course. After a short early afternoon rainfall the day turned out to beautiful.  This year’s Golf Tournament Championship was won by Jeff Estep’s Transit Plumbing Team. Jeff and his teammates graciously donated their prize money back to AYR and EYFS.

AYR & EYFS want to thank our returning Golf Tournament Co-chairmen Charles Poe and Gary Venn for all of their hard work in putting together another unforgettable event.

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Enumclaw Senior Center Pancake Breakfast Supports EYFS

On Saturday April 30^th,  the Enumclaw Senior Activity Center held a benefit pancake breakfast for Enumclaw Youth & Family Services.  The benefit was held to raise funding for the EYFS Youth Center. The pancake breakfast raised over $850 for the center and the young people of the Plateau. The EYFS Youth Center hosts over 7,500 visits to the center each year. The Youth Center and the Senior Activity Center share a common building on Cole Street which over the years has made for a wonderful blending of generations at the site.

Attendees of the event enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage.  The entertainment for the event was provided by Dan Farr’s Band, Original Recipe.  EYFS is very grateful to all of those who helped with the pancake breakfast. Including Jobyna Nickum and the members and the staff at the Senior Activity Center. We want to thank the Enumclaw Senior Activity Center for all of their support and look forward to next year’s event.

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AYR-EYFS Golf Tournament

The 16th Annual AYR-EYFS Golf Tournament is scheduled for July 21st at Washington National Golf Course. AYR-EYFS would like to thank Universal Refrigeration for their Event Sponsorship. This is Universal Refrigeration’s 12th consecutive year as our event sponsor.

If you are interested in playing in the tournament, or helping to sponsor the event, please contact Charles Poe as cpoe@poeconstruction.com or (253) 833-2400. Sponsorship for the event shows that your business or organization is committed to re-investing in your community and helping AYR-EYFS build a stronger and more vibrant community.

The Golf Tournament offers an opportunity for our supporters to enjoy a day of golfing and having fun while helping us sustain our services for the children and families of South King and North Pierce counties. The golf tournament ensures that AYR and EYFS will not turn any child or family away from services due to a lack of ability to pay for them.

This year’s returning Golf Tournament Co-Chairs are Charles Poe and Gary Venn. Charles Poe, of Poe Construction, helped establish the tournament 16 years ago and Gary Venn, of Utility Vault, has been a co-chair for the past five years. AYR and EYFS are thankful to both of these gentlemen for their hard work and dedication to our agency and their community.

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Jan Torgenrud Recognized as
Supervisor of the Year

AYR’s Clinical Director, Jan Torgenrud, was recognized as the 2011 Supervisor of the Year by the Washington Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. The honor was announced by the organization in January. 

 Jan has had a storied career at AYR beginning as a therapist in 1987. Jan would later become the agency’s Clinical Director in 1993. When asked about the changes she has witnessed at AYR, Jan said, “The biggest change is our facilities. When I started we were all crammed into one small converted house. Today, the agency has the facilities that are capable of meeting the needs of the large number of clients we serve. “

Through the years, Jan has built a highly successful program and has been instrumental in establishing the agency’s core cultural values of competence, dedication and professionalism. The AYR Clinical Counseling Department has been part of the NAVOS Mental Health Consortium for over 20 years. As a subcontractor, AYR is the largest provider of mental health services to children and families within the 17-member consortium. In addition, AYR’s annual performance is either at the top or near the top of all of the providers for on-time reporting, contract compliance and audit scores. AYR would not be the same place nor as successful without Jan’s leadership, guidance and dedication.

When asked how are the services that AYR provides different today from those in the past, Jan stated, “We provide many different and more specialized services today. We provide more services that are targeted to specific clients such as, our Parent Child Interaction Training Program, our Birth to Five Program, and our Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Program. In addition, we are much more involved in partnering with schools in providing services.  

The AYR Clinical Counseling Program employs 12 full-time Master’s level family therapists that provide individual, group and family counseling services. AYR is also an organization dedicated to teaching and instruction. At any one time, AYR will host to up to eight interns enrolled in Master’s level programs from local universities. These interns come to AYR to finely tune their therapeutic skills. Through clinical supervision, students receive invaluable guidance and training. Through her years as a supervisor, Jan has helped teach and shape a generation of local family therapists.

Jan is truly beloved and greatly admired by her Clinical Team.  When asked about what it is like being a part of the AYR Clinical Team, Dana Lundbeck said, “Jan creates an environment that is very open and comfortable for her staff and that environment promotes a feeling of security and makes us more confident in our own abilities. She is also highly supportive and has a lot of faith in us.  When someone has a lot of faith in you, you want to work that much harder.”

Thousands of children and families have sought services at AYR during Jan’s tenure here. When asked if the needs of children and families that come to AYR have changed over the years, Jan responded, “We basically see the same challenges as always, neglected and abused children, poor parenting skills, parents with substance abuse problems, child behavioral problems, poor social skills, and school related problems. AYR offers a safe haven to the children who come here.”     

AYR is fortunate to have had Jan’s leadership over the past 24 years. Her hard work and dedication are unmatched and she has been an integral part of the growth and expansion of the agency’s services to the children and families of South King and North Pierce Counties. 

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Boeing Employees Help Fund
New H Street Annex Site

Thanks to a generous $45,000 grant from the Boeing Employees Fund, AYR has recently opened our new H Street Annex site. The H Street Annex was specifically designed to provide specialized counseling services and increase our capacity to assist more families. The new site offers dedicated rooms for AYR’s new Birth-to-Five Program, our ongoing Art Therapy Services as well as large rooms for groups and family therapy.

AYR’s new Birth-to-Five Program provides comprehensive services for infants, toddlers and parents. The program focuses on promoting the health and development of infants and toddlers. These types of programs have been shown to be effective Interventions to strengthen parenting skills, prevent abuse and neglect and give children a solid foundation for readiness in school and life.

The Art Therapy Program also benefits from a large space set up with art supplies and a clean-up area. The Art Therapy is often used with younger children, many of whom have suffered the trauma of sexual and/or physical abuse or neglect. Art Therapy is often utilized to allow these children to act out internal conflicts, re-establish trust & work through the effects of trauma.

This is all possible thanks to the generosity of the Boeing Employees Fund. We thank them for their gift and for our ability to increase the capacity of our services for the children and families of King and Pierce Counties.

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20th Annual AYR-EYFS Valentine Breakfast 

The 20th Annual Valentine Breakfast was truly a record setting event this year.  We would like to thank all the AYR and EYFS supporters for another tremendously successful Valentine Breakfast! This year we had 91 tables with 726 reserved guests, by far the largest turnout in the history of the event. So far, the event has raised over $65,000.

This year’s event sponsor was the Fleck Family Foundation.  Through their generosity, all of the proceeds of the event go to supporting the at-risk children and families of King & Pierce Counties.

A big thank you to M Street Starbucks who not only provided the coffee for the event, but also had six volunteers help out with the event that morning. As always, a big thank you to John Castle and the crew at Grace Community Church. Your flexibility and assistance is exceptional and greatly appreciated. 

We would also like to thank our Heart of the Community sponsors for the event who include:

 

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Utility Vault
Commitment

We would like to thank Gary Venn and the crew at Utility Vault for their commitment to AYR-EYFS. In preparation for the Valentine Breakfast, Gary challenged the employees of Utility Vault to sell $2,000 of Valentine Raffle Tickets. As an incentive, he told them that if they were successful, he would have his head shaved. The Utility Vault employees responded by selling $2,750 worth of Valentine Raffle Tickets. Some of the Utility Vault employees even went door to door to sell tickets!

Gary and our friends at Utility Vault have been longtime supporters of AYR-EYFS. They also host an annual Thanksgiving Food Drive and support the AYR-EYFS Golf Tournament.  We thank them for their generosity and commitment for our agency and the children and families of King & Pierce Counties.  We are currently seeking other companies who would like to take on Utility Vault at next year’s Valentine Breakfast. We look forward to the competition and will award the 1st Annual Valentine Breakfast Cup to the winner. If you are interested in entering your company in the event, please call Jim at (253) 351-6090.  

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9th Annual Utility Vault Thanksgiving
Breakfast & Food Drive

On Wednesday November 24th, the Utility Vault Company sponsored their 9th Annual Breakfast & Thanksgiving Food Drive. This year’s event set a record by raising over a ton of food — 2050 lbs — over twice as much as last year! The 2050 lbs of food was added to a van full of food purchased by AYR through donations before the event and another full pick-up load of food that Utility Vault employees purchased with cash donations and delivered later in the afternoon. The food donated by the employees of Utility Vault and their vendors was distributed to needy AYR families for Thanksgiving. This year the Thanksgiving food program served over 65 families. The food donations go far beyond providing just a Thanksgiving meal for these families but helps provide food for the entire holiday season.  This year’s event was supported through a donation of a large cargo van by Scarff Ford. AYR is extremely grateful to Gary Venn and the employees of Utility Vault for their kindness and support each year. We are also impressed and inspired by Utility Vault’s commitment to our community.

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AYR Welcomes JanSport as a Partner in
 Providing School Supplies

AYR would like to thank Steve Munn and the employees of JanSport for their donation of 50 backpacks for the Annual AYR Back to School Backpack Program. This year’s program provided 117 low-income AYR clients with backpacks and school supplies. The annual campaign is dedicated to providing needed school  supplies to low-income AYR families. Tiari DeGraw, the AYR Client Event Coordinator, estimates that a backpack full of supplies can cost a family between $48-$75 for each student.  For a low-income single parent family of 4 that may be a challenge to fit into an already tight budget.

Ms. DeGraw coordinates AYR’s Stay In School program, School Backpack Program, Holiday Giving Program, and the Summer Happenings and Recreational Events (SHARE) program.

The Stay-In School Program is designed to help students and families find and utilize resources in their community, in order to facilitate a higher rate of school attendance and a generally increased quality of life. The SHARE program offers weekly structured summer activities for AYR clients.  Outings this year include trips to the Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium and Puget Sound area museums. The Holiday Giving Program provides AYR clients with food, toys and household supplies during the holidays. Thank you for your support!!

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AYR Welcomes FedEx Employees
 for United Way Site Visit

AYR hosted Kurt DeBuck and a team of FedEx Express employees for a tour of  our facilities. The tour was in conjunction with the United Way of King County workplace campaign. If your company or organization would like to take a tour and learn more about our services please contact us at 253-351-6090. We love to share our story and mission with others!

AYR-EYFS is thankful to all local companies that contribute to the United Way Community Campaign and for our generous support through the United Way.