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Home My WebLink AboutThe Answer for YouthPO BOX 633, Port Angeles, WA 98 theanswer0outh.org 360.670-4363 Port Angeles City Council City Hall 321 E 511 St. Port Angeles, WA 98362 3 MAY 17 2016 ILS PORT May 17, 2016 Honorable Mayor and Councilpersons, The Answer for Youth is a barrier free nonprofit 501C3 privately funded organization that has provided services for almost 7 years at no cost to the city for homeless and at risk in Port Angeles. 'We embrace youth and young families up to age 35, nutritionally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally throughout our community' which is our printed mission statement. In 2009, our board of directors decided to help people, with or without children, up the age of 35. Over the past 7 years we have helped well over 850 unique individuals, in addition 100 children under age 10 in our community. We are aware that there are people in our town who have been voicing judgements and would like to unilaterally make changes to what we have been doing and how we are serving our community. We do not agree with judgements based on assumptions, hearsay, rumors, chitchats, gossip, speculations, allegations, unconfirmed reports, innuendo and supposed details that are simply not true. The following realities should help to set the record straight. • TAFY does a nationally recognized model of harm reduction. • TAFY does one on one mentoring; staff interacts continually with clients and when any type of anti -social or illegal behavior is exhibited we confront it immediately. TAFY staff recently contacted the PA Police Department and Cody Seaman was taken into custody on TAFY property. • TAFY has no contracts which limit the ages we have chosen to serve. • TAFY creates FAMILY for clients, which teaches them a social norm, and how to get their needs met in aosp itive way. • TAFY uses the healthy family model that was created in the 1970's by Virginia Satir. There is a lot of efficacy and proof that this model is successful. • No one is having sex on site at TAFY, no one is ever alone. Everyone is monitored by staff at all times. • TAFY was told by the Chief of police in the beginning that we were not to report to them when clients came in with active warrants. (On any given day there are at least 1500 people with warrants in Port Angeles). • TAFY serves the same people that walk into Salvation Army, Serenity House, Safeway, etc. They don't ask for a urine test to walk in and be served and we don't either. • TAFY never discriminates and is barrier free, which means we can serve without requiring identification, address, or income verification. • TAFY does not make negative assumptions based on how clients are dressed, types of tattoo's, or hairstyles. • TAFY does enable clients to live life better; we feed warm meals, provide a hot soapy shower, and allow them to brush their teeth, give them a fresh set of clothing and clean pair of socks. This is the enabling we do. Sincerely, Susan Hillgren and Pam Fosness, Founders ID MAY 1 2016 niNGE L DEFINITION OF YOUTH ......"the United Nations, for statistical ( purposes, defines those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 as youth without prejudice to other definitions by Member States. "thee United Nations, for statistical purposes, ) defines those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 as youth without prejudice to other definitions by Member 5tates.i2 i ..."In 1995, the world youth population - defined by the United Nations as the age cohort 15-24 - is estimated to be 1.03 billion, or 18 per cent of the total world population. f W 0 0 ` YOUTH is best understood as a period of transition from the dependence of childhood to adulthood's independence. That's why, as a category, youth is more fluid than other fixed age -groups. Yet, age is the easiest way to define this group, particularly in relation to education and employment, because 'youth' is often referred to a person between the ages of leaving compulsory education, and finding their first job. What does the Nations -.. Secretary-General also recognized that, apart from that statistical definition, the meaning of the term 'youth' varies in different societies around the world. When the General Assembly, by its resolution 50/81 in 1995, adopted the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and beyond, it reiterated that the United Nations defined youth as the age cohort of 15-24. The General Secretary -General's Report to the General Assembly, A/36/215, 1981 Secretary -General's Report to the General Assembly, A/40/256, 1985 3 General Assembly Resolution, A/RES/50/81, 1995 4 General Assembly Resolutions, A/RES/56/117, 2002 s General Assembly Resolutions, A/RES/62/126, 2008 r> Commission for Social Development Resolutions, E/2007/26 & E/CN.5/2007/, 2007 http://undesadspd.org/Youth.aspx facebook,com/1,11\14Youth € twitter.com/UN4Youth approximately half of new human The United Nations, for statistical immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections are in i I purposes, defines youth', as those youth aged 15 to 24 years and that no fewer j persons between the ages of 15 and 24 than 6,500 young people are infected by the years, without prejudice to other virus each day... Y••• I definitions by Member States. The ( � ... "where a striking 76 per cent of young Secretary-General first referred to the people (aged 15 to 24 years old) living with HIV current definition of youth in 1981 in his are female." 06 report to the General Assembly on International Youth Year (A/36/215, para. 8 of the annex) and endorsed it in ensuing reports (A/40/256, para. 19 of the annex). However, in both the reports, the Secretary-General also recognized that, apart from that statistical definition, the meaning of the term 'youth' varies in different societies around the world. When the General Assembly, by its resolution 50/81 in 1995, adopted the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and beyond, it reiterated that the United Nations defined youth as the age cohort of 15-24. The General Secretary -General's Report to the General Assembly, A/36/215, 1981 Secretary -General's Report to the General Assembly, A/40/256, 1985 3 General Assembly Resolution, A/RES/50/81, 1995 4 General Assembly Resolutions, A/RES/56/117, 2002 s General Assembly Resolutions, A/RES/62/126, 2008 r> Commission for Social Development Resolutions, E/2007/26 & E/CN.5/2007/, 2007 http://undesadspd.org/Youth.aspx facebook,com/1,11\14Youth € twitter.com/UN4Youth 0) no Cu 0- Definition of Youth _ v World Programme of Action for Youth http://undesadSDd.org/Youth/WorldProgrammeofActionforYouth aspx UN General Assembly Resolutions http.:/Iwww..un.org/"`documents/resga.htm Youth Resolutions lits undesadspd.org/Youth/ResourcesandPublications/Youthresolutions aspx This fact Sheet was prepared by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). This is part of a collaborativeeffort of the United Nations Inter -Agency Network on Youth Development, coordinated by the Focal Pointon Youth, UNDESA. http://undesadspd.org/Youth.aspx facebook.com/UN4Youth 11131 twitter.com/UN4Youth