HomeMy WebLinkAboutKerry CambyTAFY letter April 2016
Citizens of Port Angeles,
D In
MAY 6 2016 11U)
My husband and I have lived at our home on East 2nd street for 24yrs. I am writing this letter regarding
TAFY located at 711 E 2"d. I am concerned for any vulnerable at -risk youth that may go here. This is the
2nd letter I've written, the first I wrote Nov. 5th 2013 and gave to city council. I have also attended and
spoke at city council meetings regarding TAFY.
Recently I went inside TAFY during open hours. I've been inside several times throughout the years
to talk with Susan Hiligren executive director of TAFY. This time I spent 3Y2hrs. talking (mainly listening)
with a variety of people. I brought some craft supplies to donate and spoke with Pam Fosnes a worker at
TAFY whom has been involved with TAFY since before the doors opened. I asked about a girl I know
that is 18, recently recovering from drug abuse, pregnant, dropped out of school, considering working
towards getting a GED and currently staying at her boyfriend's family's house. I was curious as to what
TAFY could offer. Pam suggested that the girl get insurance and see a doctor. If the girl's family and
friends can't or won't help her, that's when she can go to TAFY.
As like most days, 1 didn't see any youth ages 8-18yrs old present. I did see a wide mixture of people.
Some never done drugs, some high, some few weeks sober, others years sober. It's a hangout place
where free food, clothes, cigarettes, and wifi are available with no questions asked and no discussion
about making life changes. Unless the client brings it up.
One of the volunteers whom has been going there for years, said to me in front of Susan that "people
who donate thinking that TAFY is for kids is stupid because he tells everyone he sees that TAFY is for up
to age 35." Susan chimed in and said "it's written all over." I asked her to show me where. She said it
was written all over on the signs everywhere. She did not show me 1 piece of paper or any item inside
the building to show me proof. Outside the building there is not 1 mention of age on any of the signs.
Also there is no mention of age on the TAFY website.
The way TAFY is being run it is definitely not the answer for youth. Most of the clients I see going
there are in their 20's to upper 30's. A lot are active criminals as some have been arrested inside of the
TAFY building in the last few months. One was from concerned citizens who noticed this person on the
warrant list and contacted police. Another arrest was made from TAFY volunteers contacting police.
There is at least 1 rapist, a 34yr old that TAFY workers are aware of met his 18yr old victim at TAFY. It
was written May 13 2015 in Peninsula Daily News that Port Angeles Police said he admitted to it in a
video -recorded interview, according to the arrest narrative. He is still welcome at TAFY and attends
almost every day that they are open. When 1 asked Susan about him still going there she said he'd been
clean and sober for a while. I'm not sure why she said that, I didn't mention anything about him doing
drugs or alcohol. I'm assuming that she is ignoring the facts and just listening to her client's stories,
which is an ongoing thing at TAFY. There have also been several people whom have been on heroin
seen there regularly over the last few years. I spoke to Susan in Feb. 2016 about one of the gentlemen
(before his 2 recent OD's in the last couple months) and I let her know that I'd heard his name on the
scanner associated with heroin dealings. She told me "he just does pot". She didn't seem too worried
about it. Other people that I see regularly there are known car prowlers, shoplifters, drug users and
sellers. I have seen many drug deals happen in the TAFY parking lot. Some people will pull into the
parking lot and just sit in their vehicle while clients from inside the TAFY building come in and out to hang
out in the vehicle with them. This would go on for hours. Some groups of TAFY clients will walk over to
Jesse Webster park(Tree park)for about 15 min then all come back. Other times I see TAFY clients
walk from TAFY to Swains parking lot where they meet someone in a vehicle for a min. then head back to
TAFY.
I mentioned to Susan that I notice a lot of people going to the side of the building while TAFY is closed
and I suspect that they are using wifi to make drug deals. She said the girls use it for sex deals also. I
was in shock to hear this response. I was unaware that was going on.
It is very upsetting when I see vulnerable at-risk youth there mixed with these people. For the most
part, the youth that I see there are volunteer's children or Susan's grandchild. I feel that she is putting
any kids that go there at risk. The other children that I've seen go in there are client's children. Susan
has been "helping"these clients since they were young and in juvy before she opened TAFY, now they
are having children. TAFY(or shall I say the community)will give them baby showers and weddings.
These are not necessity things. Helping turns to enabling when there is no change after several years.
Susan saw my son at church when he was 11yrs old and asked him to go to TAFY. I find that very
troubling. He was not homeless or an at-risk youth. I'm glad that I know what TAFY is about and did not
let him go. I'm afraid other families are unaware.
There are AA and NA meetings at TAFY nightly. I asked Susan several times what days, times and
who to contact. She told me she would get back to me. The 3`d or 4'"time I asked I wanted her to write
something down so I could show the neighbors. Finally 2-13-2016 she wrote some days and times down.
She said she would get me names of who is in charge of the meetings but never did. I'm not sure if she
knows. A neighbor went during a meeting one night and nobody there had heard of Susan or how to get
ahold of her. There are several different meetings there every night the last one gets over at 11:30pm.
I have volunteered over 15yrs of service to a nonprofit agency helping needy families in our
community. Helping is great, enabling is not. Having the community to foot the bill for her to continue
enabling the same people for years is wrong. Calling the name of this place TAFY so she can get
support from unknowing donors is wrong. TAFY has been misleading and misrepresenting long enough.
There is a petition with over 1,000 signatures for TAFY to change their ways. I hope they do.
Thank you for taking the time to read my letter, Kerry Camby
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