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Here at AYR-EYFS we see success every day. These successes can come in the form of a child being reunited back to a more healthy, loving family, a homeless youth getting off the streets, a youth in substance abuse services committing themselves to leading a life free from the chains of chemicals, or a parent and child meeting their therapeutic goals and deciding they no longer need family therapy services.
We receive a lot of positive letters and messages from our clients, their families and organizational partners. These correspondences depict how AYR-EYFS clients have conquered problems and hurdles and are living successful lives. We thought we would share them with you, our supporters. AYR-EYFS is only able to provide these services because of your continued support. We hope you take pride in the accomplishments of these young people and take pride in helping us build a stronger community.
 A Letter of Thanks
Being a single mom is never the easiest job out there. I had my first child when I was fifteen and then I had my second child when I turned 19. I thought that’s every thing I wanted until things took the wrong turn. I got kicked out of my parent’s house because they couldn’t keep up with me and my responsibilities. They said they had my younger siblings to worry about. So I left with my two kids to stay at a friend’s house from time to time. One day I went to do grocery shopping I seen an ad about helping teens who are homeless to get their lives straighten out. I call the number to AYR and I met up with my case manager. We talk about goals that I wanted to accomplish. I had many goals for a teen mom. I wanted to finish school, get my license, get a car, job and then get a stable home. It took me awhile to get these goals out of the way. It really help me to have support by my side to keep reminding me that I can make a difference if I make the right choices. Through out the years I work with many different case managers. It did a good thing for me because I get to hear different advices from each of them. It wasn’t easy just to take any advice from anyone. I had a hard time trusting people because of my past relationships. Later I realize my goals are being met because the advice that are given I take it and use it. With me making a choice to use the advice from my case manager and friends helped me to get where I’m at now. I am currently at Green River Community College working on getting my AA in teaching and I recently got a scholarship from the National Association for Asian and Pacific American Education. I’m also working at the school. Yes, sometimes its sounds harsh what they are telling us but being a mother we have that sense where we want what is best for us and the kids. All that I am saying is we have a choice to make a difference. I would like to say thank you to all the AYR case managers that I work with for helping me to achieve my goals and helping to be independent and start my family. It was a struggle to start a family but I needed that push you guys gave to me.
Thank You,
M
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 Building a New Life
The following email was sent to our Chemical Dependency Professional Dawn Winkes.
Hey Dawn!
It’s Nicole. I’m sorry I haven’t come and see you or anything. I’ve been super busy. I know it has been forever but I have actually been really great. I’m working like all the time. I’ve been working for like over 3 months now. I might become a manager soon. Just trying to work out a raise you know (lol) and I’m going to be getting an apartment like super soon. Just waiting for the people to get out of the apartment and its $650 a month. I’m still with Peter, things are going good. Peter is working too. He works 13 hours a day but they are going to cut it down though. I’m ok with my parents.
My life is changing so fast. I’m a big girl now and I’m going to finish my high school diploma in the fall and then after that I’m going to college for nursing. I have come so far since the first time I met you and I really want to thank you so much for what you have done for me. You actually saved my life. Just thinking about what I would be if I wouldn’t of come to you. Thanks again Dawn. I will come and visit soon. I hope to hear from you.
Love, Nicole
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 Reversing the Past
A young girl named Andrea came to stay at the South King County Youth Shelter (SKYS) in the fall of 2009, at age 17. At the time, Andrea’s mother was addicted to drugs and alcohol and her father was in prison. Her mother had introduced her into prostitution at a young age to pay for her own drug addiction. Andrea had also fell into addictions because of the environment she lived. Andrea stated that she had finally had enough and decided she wanted to get away from the life style, so she ran from her mother’s home. She stayed with friends off and on for a short period of time but would be asked to leave due to her own addiction problems.
In the fall of 2009, Andrea was picked up off the streets and brought to SKYS as an emergency placement. She was exceptionally successful during her first month – happy to be off the streets and have a safe place as well as a chance to make a positive life change. Andrea remained on the highest level at SKYS and quickly became a role model for the younger residents. The state put her into foster care and found a responsible adult placement for her and Andrea was discharged from SKYS approximately one month before Thanksgiving with the hope of a new life and a new family before the holidays.
On Thanksgiving day, after only about a month in her new placement, Andrea came back to SKYS. Tragedy and sorrow had caught up with her once again and her new hope had been shattered. She was sexually assaulted while in her placement home and had become even more hopeless than the first time she came to SKYS. Andrea felt that life was never going to get better for her. She blamed herself for what had happened and thought she should just go back to her mother’s home and pretend like the last couple of months never happened. She was discouraged and would go in cycles of trying to stay away from drugs and alcohol and make the right decisions, to totally giving up and drinking until she ended up in the hospital.
SKYS encouraged her to enroll in counseling and drug and alcohol treatment as soon as possible. Auburn Youth Resources (AYR) also introduced her to a female mentor, an adult she could relate to. After working very closely with her for months, things started to change in her life once again. In her renewed hope, Andrea began to believe in herself and her ability to overcome what she had been through. In April, 2010, Andrea agreed to a seven day detox, then consented to inpatient treatment for her addictions. She stayed in treatment for approximately two months while still utilizing services with AYR. AYR was also able to help Andreaa to find further housing and other resources. She has now started a new job and is attending Green River Community College. Most successfully, Andrea has been clean and sober since April, 2010.
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 Rewarding
By Mike Nielsen
I recently had lunch with an old friend. He asked me about my work as a child therapist. He said “your job must be fun!” While my job can sometimes be described as fun, I prefer to call the work we do “rewarding.” To illustrate, I told him about my client Timmy. In 2007, I had the privilege of speaking at our annual Valentine’s Breakfast. My colleague Jaime Robbins and I spoke about how art is used in therapy with children. At the breakfast, I told Timmy’s story, about how at age 5 his preschool noticed his odd behaviors, being locked in his own little world and prone to uncontrollable “rampages.” They thought he might be autistic. But that wasn’t it. His home was unsafe, and it affected his entire personality and performance in school.Among other things, there was drug use, domestic violence, child neglect, extreme amounts of yelling — the place he came from was not a place where any of us would want a child to be. A few months into counseling, CPS removed him from this home. And though it rarely works this way, I was able to continue counseling as he made a huge transition into a foster home with new rules, a new school, and a new family.
During that presentation in 2007, I happily reported the significant progress that had been achieved. At that point in time, counseling had become a place where we handled more developmentally appropriate problems, like when it is OK to stomp around, or how his siblings weren’t really all evil. His teachers and parents reported so many positive changes. Since then, we’ve continued to work on goals like getting along with others and doing better in school. As recently as 2 years ago, he had significant problems in school with being disruptive in class, not making friends, and reading well below his grade level.
I am proud to report incredible strides over the past few months. Timmy has now been adopted into his foster home. In a recent session, his mother boasted about his remarkable acceleration in his reading skills. He has not only graduated from the school’s special reading class, but is now one of the very best readers in his grade! His recent reading and math scores are described as “exceptional.” His mother said that he is doing great “across the board.” For the first time, this school year will be spent in 100% mainstream classes! Outside of school, he is making friends. He is involved in his church, scouts, and other activities. And while we work through life’s ups and downs, it is important to take a step back and recognize the incredible progress he has made. He began his school years with serious deficits in many areas. Over time, he has not only caught up with peers, but has moved to the head of his class.
He and his family have been so much fun to work with. In a recent customer satisfaction survey, he called me “helpful, respectfully fair, and a fun game player,” and that he was glad to be in counseling. Timmy’s story is an exceptional one. We like to talk about stories like this as a reminder that good things can and do happen. And while parts of the job are fun, playing a part in these types of stories is best described as rewarding.
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