YES in the News: Fund for Those in Need kicks off
We’re proud to share that Youth Eastside Services (YES) is once again being featured as one of the nonprofits supported by The Seattle Times Fund for Those in Need campaign. This year’s kickoff article highlights the rising need for services across our region and includes a look at how programs like Latino H.E.A.T. are creating safe, supportive spaces for immigrant youth during a time of growing pressure and uncertainty.
We’re deeply grateful for this coverage and for the opportunity to help amplify the voices and needs of young people in our community.
Read the complete article at The Seattle Times.
Fund for Those in Need kicks off as nonprofits face year like no other
Kai Uyehara,
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The Seattle Times Fund for Those in Need, an annual holiday fundraising campaign that helps buy clothing and supplies for babies, meals for older adults, education support and mentorship, among other services.
This year, even more so than in some years past, fundraising is critical.
Nonprofits are facing state and federal funding cuts, while their clients face new eligibility conditions for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and aggressive immigration enforcement. All the while, fundraising has been down as people feel economic strains, nonprofits said.
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The Fund for Those in Need has raised over $42 million for nonprofits in the Puget Sound region since 1979. Last year, 4,300 individuals and a handful of businesses donated nearly $3 million with gifts ranging from “a few dollars from a kid’s piggy bank” to some “pretty major gifts,” said Seattle Times President Alan Fisco. The goal this year is to add another $3 million to the total.
Donors can make one-time or monthly donations by visiting ffn.seattletimes.com or by mailing a check or money order to 1000 Denny Way, Seattle, WA 98109, payable to The Seattle Times Fund for Those in Need. Donors can also ask for their employers to match their donations.
All donations go directly to local nonprofits, and The Seattle Times pays for the administrative costs of the campaign.
Under the Trump administration’s megabill that passed in July, stricter eligibility conditions for those receiving Medicaid will start in 2027, with work mandates and a requirement for families to be certified for coverage more often.
Poorer families may not be able to keep up with requirements while potentially juggling extra work and caring for their families and relatives with disabilities, nonprofits said.
Nearly 5 million people could lose coverage nationwide, including more than a quarter of Medicaid residents in Washington.
Even as the new requirements won’t kick in for another year, those have already confused Medicaid recipients, nonprofits say.
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Leaning into community-based services
Chris Roddewig-Díaz leaned forward, elbows planted on his knees and hands rubbing together, as his peers passed around a talking stick during a community group meeting organized by Youth Eastside Services.
The talking stick, adorned with charms and friendship bracelets, made its way to Roddewig-Díaz as the group of about 15 teens discussed the pros and cons of a Día de los Muertos celebration they helped organize.
“My favorite moment is when I was laughing,” he said. “I was laughing half the time. It reinforced what I already knew, that people around me care about me.”
The high schoolers gathered on a recent Thursday at Sammamish High for their twice-weekly meeting of Latino HEAT (Hispanos En Acción Together), a student group that teaches empowerment, leadership and community as they connect and plan cultural events like a holiday celebration, a dance or a lobbying trip to Olympia.
For the 18-year-old senior, the group had become a source of pride and balance, as he takes care of his father, who has Parkinson’s disease, after his mother died and his older siblings moved out of the house.
Roddewig-Díaz joined the group in his freshman year upon the recommendation of Tina Morales, the Youth Eastside Services manager of community-based programs, who leads the student group.
It’s been overwhelming at times to take his father to appointments and do chores around the house, Roddewig-Díaz said. But the group helped him figure out how to balance his work and build up confidence at home and in school. He even received some help to prepare for an interview for a new job, which he got.
At one point during the group’s meeting, he sorted through a basket full of bracelets and Jarritos lollipops.
“I am free. I am thankful. I am loved. I am the best,” one bracelet read. “I am strong. I am brave. I am creative. I am amazing,” read another.
Like Kindering, Youth Eastside Services anticipates a growing need for uncompensated services if their clients lose Medicaid (more than half of the clients use the federal insurance).
Over 60% of the nonprofit’s clients are youth of color, some of whom are without documentation and don’t get Apple Health insurance, said Chief Operating Officer Jackie Bui.
The Bellevue-based provider is also preparing to expand community-based services for clients who may be hesitant to enroll in mental health counseling and substance use treatment services amid heightened immigration enforcement. Donations will help in that effort, which includes services like Latino HEAT, along with funding a case manager to help people navigate new Medicaid enrollment requirements.
Latino HEAT helped Roddewig-Díaz turn his life around after his grades started to drop during sophomore year while he was dealing with personal traumas and felt overextended.
Now, he wants to go to college for psychology to become a therapist himself.
Last year, Roddewig-Díaz took his dad to a Latino HEAT graduation celebration. This year, it’ll be him taking the stage.