The City of Burien announced this week that the Burien Police Department will soon be working with Auburn Youth Resources (AYR) to help our city’s homeless youth. Even though it is headquartered in Auburn, AYR’s programs reach throughout South King County, where human services are trying hard to keep up with demand, according to the city. In addition to the Street Outreach program, AYR offers drug and alcohol counseling, GED prep, legal advice (such as helping youth navigate the appeals process of a trespass warning), and even operates a shelter. “When one of our police officers encounters a young person (ages 12-25) who might be in need of AYR services, the officer is encouraged to share AYR information with the youth and help connect them to the service, be it through AYR itself or through another agency,” Katie Whittier Trefry, Communications Officer for the city, told The B-Town Blog. “AYR provided each officer with a pocket-sized card that has a long list of regional contacts – shelters, chemical dependency resources, mental health services, domestic violence referrals, and more. The officer can make the phone call for the youth or share with the youth the contact number.” Here’s a video with more details: [youtube]https://youtu.be/RpKLda24HOE[/youtube] Here’s more info from the city’s announcement:

AYR’s Street Outreach program consists of a team of trained, plain-clothes personnel who spend time (2-6 hours weekly) here in Burien. They work toward establishing relationships with youth who find themselves without resources. They offer food, hygiene products, warmth items, and information on how to find help if they need it. They leave info cards in places like public bathrooms where youth might find them. And, as they come across a young person seeking shelter, they can provide transportation to their Auburn-based youth shelter. On occasion, they are able to provide bus passes. In the hours not covered by AYR’s Outreach team, Burien Police can still access their resources as mentioned above. Burien Police were provided with bracelets with AYR contact information on it, and officers are encouraged to hand them out. If they find a young person looking for shelter, Department leadership has encouraged officers to drive the youth to the shelter in Auburn if circumstances allow. If a youth younger than 18 needs shelter, AYR’s Safe Place program can step in and help 24 hours a day, every day of the year. They strive to meet the youth face-to-face within forty-five minutes of a call for assistance, anywhere in South King County.
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17 replies on “City, Burien Police will work with Auburn Youth Resources for homeless youth”

  1. I am wholeheartedly in support of this resource, especially the free ride to Auburn.

  2. I think it is interesting that the post above this was for jobs at McDonalds. In the America I grew up in, we started out in those kinds of jobs, learned how to work, then went on to different and better jobs.
    We definitely have been transformed into a different kind of country. No arguing that point.

      1. That is quite the exaggeration and a few steps and years from starting at the bottom to earn job experience, for a second there I thought you were saying you went to China/India for your fast food.

      2. Joey, working in fast food was never meant to be a living wage, I don’t think most people young and old a like think fast food is going to be their career choice in life. Also without the business owners (the 1% as you like to call them) we wouldn’t have any jobs including these where most people start out…

        1. I can agree that fast food shouldn’t be a career. However, options are tough out there for most and they’re doing what they need to do to survive. When all you’re doing is getting by there isn’t much time to think about improving yourself.
          You have to remember that the US has shifted from a manufacturing economy to a service based economy. Without customers with money in their pockets to spend it’s the small business owners (Most businesses in Burien are small business) that are the ones that will suffer the most.
          The 1%, heck the .5% are out earning the bottom 40% and eating the middle class in the process (and the cash that they would spend at small businesses). That increases, poverty, homelessness, and so much more.
          The reason most of us are blind to this issue is because we all want the American dream. We hope to be rich someday ourselves.

          1. Had the US Government done what “secure border” means and not blatantly allowed unchecked “illegal” border jumping there would be far more entry level job opportunities for actual legal citizens. As others have said and this applies to me and how I started, the ability and drive to work up from the bottom of the career ladder would be more available as it was before. I am the descendant of immigrants, but they followed the rules of law to enter and stay and I have benefited from their honesty and not taxed the schools and social services

          2. Agreed. And a head of lettuce would cost north of $10 EACH if we could find enough workers to even pick lettuce. That’s one produce item alone. “Illegal border jumpers” like you say (and includes many of my family) do the jobs we Americans REFUSE to do
            To instill how important schooling was, my mom had me run oranges with her in freezing soaked conditions in winter and pick chillies in the summer heat. Getting sweat in the eyes and wiping it out with my hands is always fun.
            No thanks, the “illegal border jumpers” (as you say) can keep those jobs. I’d rather put the starting bar much higher for us Americans. If you’re wondering, my family are all now naturalized citizens or permanent residents.

          3. See what hard work does, but the higher the bar is set the harder it will be to gain skills and move ahead because the entry level jobs will have all been displaced. There has been migratory farm laborers in this Country for most of the last Century, but hand in hand with that was the obvious opportunity for citizens to still have jobs to do that have now been taken by the underground society. Back to the topic of this article, this dilemma obviously hurts the job chances of all youth actually looking for work.

        2. The one per centers did not get rich by providing jobs. They generally did it by manipulating the system and having the power to get the rules written as they want them. Of all the jobs in Burien, can anyone identify one provided by a one per center? I owned my own business and know other owners who provide jobs but I know no one in that income bracket.

      3. Hey Joey,
        Normally I agree with everybody on this blog about your comments and opinions, however, I think we completely agree about how the transfer of wealth between Washington D.C and the wealthy has gotten completely out of control.
        I had much hope that the Junior Senator would come in and expose the corruption that has been legalized over the years and put a stop to it. It has been very disheartening to see that not only has he not stopped it, but it is going full force with more laws in place to make it entrenched and “legal”.
        We all see it, we all complain about, yet we keep electing the same type of people over and over again who perpetuate the system.
        Who would have ever thought that US corporations would get tax benefits for shipping jobs overseas? Who would have ever thought that after reckless Wall Street gambling almost sunk our country, we would be in the exact same place we were in 2007 because of the same type of financial instruments.
        And isn’t it hilarious to see the 1% politicians rail about the 1% donors that support them?

  3. What generous things do they do where they don’t get publicity & pat themselves on the back?
    Smells like PR & propaganda

  4. Addressing homelessness and disenfranchisement requires regional consistency and strong local involvement. This is a small step forward, but Burien and Auburn are not able to be effective alone. We need to get involved in forging a solution and to hold our elected representatives accountable at all levels. Look at Utah’ s Housing First program as an example of the value to our entire community in treating all people with respect.
    https://jobs.utah.gov/housing/scso/documents/homelessness2014.pdf&ved=0CCEQFjAB&usg=AFQjCNGAX3RJ5e9V7mhQp3m4hDf31gQ_Hg&sig2=BacrRHQ5I2ber_9mGAp7zw

  5. Refreshing to hear something positive about helping the homeless persons around here. I believe they would work if they had a stable and safe home, good health and good nutrition.
    Many can’t because of physical, social or mental problems.
    Either through good luck or the Grace of the Supreme Being the rest of us do have our health and a place to live, and have been able to work.
    Joey, you are one of the blessed, as well as I am
    Thanks Scott, for publishing the good word about this team.

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