Program on the Environment

Homelessness is one of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century. In King County, roughly 1,100 unaccompanied young adults are homeless on any given night (King County Regional Homelessness Authority, n.d.). Teen Feed is an organization that works with the community to meet basic needs, build strong relationships, and ally with homeless youth as they meet their future off the streets. Stable housing and employment are strongly interlinked. The purpose of my study was to 1) identify systemic barriers to employment for unhoused youth, and 2) research ways Teen Feed could be a more effective bridge between youth and employment resources. Through an Internship with Teen Feed, I attended weekly dinners, breakfasts, and In-Reach services, and focused on forming deep relationship with guests. I conducted nine in-person interviews with youth and two interviews with leaders of similar non-profit organizations, as well as analyzed literature. After analysis of my research, I made recommendations to Teen Feed rooted in guest feedback, compiled into a final formal report. My findings suggest that youth may benefit from an overall more robust and structured support system, such as intentional mentorship from staff, consistent follow up on goals and increased promotion of relevant resources effectively bridging employment gaps. This research is significant because a deeper understanding of employment barriers can inform how Teen Feed can tailor its services to the needs of guests. Receiving firsthand feedback from guests can be a lesson to all organizations conducting similar research – before pouring money into services, we must ask the youth what they will actually use.