Why I'm Excited for 2024

Happy New Year! I hope your 2024 has begun with the start to some amazing things!

As we kick off a fresh, new year, I want to take a moment to reflect back and celebrate some of our biggest accomplishments at Friends-Seattle in 2023:

• We served 203 youth with an average of 12 hours of professional mentorship each month.
• Deepened relationships within our community and built stronger family engagement through initiatives such as our Caregiver Advisory Committee.
• Re-started our tutoring program with community members working directly with youth on a weekly basis.
• Gathered with more than 150 supporters during An Evening with Friends to celebrate our community and mission.
• Connected our teen cohort with community partners who assisted with college and career readiness, job internship/training opportunities, resume writing, and interview preparation.
• Prioritized staff development through trainings and activities that focused on collaborative leadership and self-care.

As we look ahead, Friends-Seattle is excited to build on all of the successes that we achieved over the past year. We will continue to connect and include our families' voices into the work we do, expand our tutoring and volunteer program, celebrate our community at Summer Soiree in June, and most importantly — show up for youth and help amplify their power through the dedication of not only our mentors, but our entire staff.

We truly thank you for being a part of our Friends-Seattle community. I look forward to your support this year as we can continue to meet the changing needs of each youth and their families for 12+ years.

Yours in community,

Lacie West

Executive Director