The image of 300 homeless kids sleeping under bridges or couch surfing here and there may not register on the radar screens of many hardworking people with a host of other problems to solve. But 300 homeless children a night in Snohomish County should get everyone’s attention.
Fortunately, it got the attention of people at Cocoon House a long time ago. And the nonprofit agency is expanding its services to reach out to troubled street teens who, for whatever reason, have severed virtually all their connections to the community. With our population projected to explode in the coming years, addressing the problem now will not only help these young people and their families today, but the entire community well into the future.
Cocoon workers have known for some time that there are many homeless kids out there, said Elizabeth Fear, program manager of the teen advocate outreach program. Many of the youths they work with come to them as referrals – from schools, the juvenile justice system, law enforcement and other youth agencies.
Many others have simply dropped out of sight. They’ve left their homes, their schools, their churches and all other ties to the community. Others have aged out of the foster care system and live in shelters or under bridges, Fear said. Because of this disconnect, there is no one to refer them to Cocoon House or any other youth agency. One can see how such a desperate situation could lead to desperate behavior – and that has an impact on all of us.
The agency’s new resource center opening next week at 3422 Broadway will not only address kids’ emergency needs but help re-establish some of those lost community connections by pointing them in the right direction for educational and skills programs, too. Even better, advocates will be where groups of disconnected kids tend to congregate to find out who needs help and show them how to get it. And it’s all being paid for by a three-year “street outreach program-specific” grant, Fear said.
It’s not an easy job Cocoon House has taken on. When a youth leaves home for whatever reason, it is an emotional, often agonizing, event.
Just a few years ago, the City of Everett applied for the prestigious title of All-America City. Cocoon House was one of three projects leaders highlighted as proof of the innovative ways people in our community work together. The new teen resource center should continue that legacy.
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