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Extending a Lifeline: The Campaign for Eastside Kids
*Kresge Challenge Grant Met in early 2009
Youth Eastside Services’ $10.7 million capital and program expansion campaign was undertaken to provide a manageable, proactive response to the significant challenges and changes facing youth and families in a rapidly expanding and diversifying Eastside.
The YES Extending a Lifeline campaign increased service capacity, enhanced accessibility and insured that YES holds to its commitment to not turn anyone away for lack of ability to pay.
What it does
By 2015, the campaign will insure that over 43,000 youth and family members on the Eastside have the help they need from YES:
- When they need it: Through a significant increase in infrastructure and service capacity, YES is now able to meet the ever increasing mental health needs of the growing and diversifying Eastside for years to come.
- Close to home: Eight of every 10 families living in YES’ service areas now have easy access – within a 20-minute drive – to YES services.
- Without having to wait for it: Long waits for help have been done away with. The expansion of service enables YES to now meet the growth in demand for services enabling most kids to be seen within two weeks. (Emergencies, as always, are handled immediately).
- Regardless of ability to pay: YES has planned for long-term sustainability to help insure that it maintains its commitment to providing services to anyone whether or not they can afford it.
How it does it
- The rebuilt YES’ central facility in Bellevue’s Crossroads area was finished on-time and under budget in the summer of 2008. The new facility is double in size, from 10,000 square feet to 20,000 square feet. The number of individual and group counseling rooms has increased from 11 to 22. The new building includes much needed space for the agency’s outreach, education and prevention activities and providers.
- YES has secured, outfitted and furnished satellite facilities in Redmond and North Kirkland (the Rose Hill satellite was moved to the Forbes House in Juanita Beach Park in the fall of 2009), improving outreach and access to services where the population and need are growing. Plans for Sammamish will be implemented in early 2010.
- YES continues to manage the strategic addition – over a period of several years – of qualified counselors to meet the projected growth in community need.
Highlights and photos from the Campaign
On July 30, 2007, YES celebrated the groundbreaking for its new main facility located on its former site in Bellevue’s Crossroads Park and publicly announced the $10.7 Extending a Lifeline campaign. (YES Executive Director Patti Skelton-McGougan (center) gets help from friends at the official Groundbreaking ceremony).
On September 26th, 2008 YES celebrated the official opening of its new main facility in Bellevue at Crossroads Park. (YES Executive Director Patti Skelton-McGougan and Board President Bill Henningsgaard officially open the new YES facility with help from youth.)
In September 2009 YES finished renovating its new North Kirkland satellite facility located in the historic Forbes House in the Juanita Beach Park area. The site is being provided by the City of Kirkland and replaced YES’ Kirkland facility in the Rose Hill area.
All $10.7 million was raised as of February, 2009.
*YES received the $800,000 ‘all or nothing’ challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation in February, 2009.
Thank you for making a lasting difference
YES looked to the community to raise the majority of the $10.7 million needed to provide the infrastructure and service capacity necessary to meet the growing needs of the Eastside’s kids and families.
Gifts of $1,000, $2,500 and $5,000 are recognized with inscribed bricks on the Lifeline Path alongside the new Bellevue facility in Crossroads Park. Gifts of $10,000 and more are permanently recognized on the donor wall in the two-story high atrium lobby.
Contact Mel Baer at melb@youtheastsideservices.org to learn more.
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