Nonprofit To Aid Foster Kids Opens In Edmonds

Level Up Seattle: Today will mark the official launch of Level Up Seattle with the opening of its first home in Edmonds, Wash. for youth exiting the foster care system or at-risk of being homeless. To celebrate, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be hosted by the mayor and the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce on Friday, July 26 at 4:30 P.M. at the home in Edmonds.

Ten young adults and the organization’s program director will initially occupy the home beginning Aug. 15. Level Up Seattle is a 501(c)(3)* nonprofit organization whose mission is to support youth ages 18-24 who are at-risk or have aged out of the foster care system and need housing to finish their high school diplomas. The nonprofit provides these young adults with consistent housing, meals and business partnerships that empower them to finish high school and implement a self-development plan around education, career and life skills. The organization has business partners who offer career and trade exploration opportunities, such as mentorship programs, job shadowing, internships and full-time employment.

The statistics about the foster care group are shocking. Only about half will graduate from high school 1 . Without family connections or support, 50 percent will become homeless within 18 months 2 . One quarter 3 or 25 percent of foster care youth will become involved with the criminal justice system within just two years of leaving care.

“Level Up strives to equip these young adults with the tools they need to achieve their personal, educational and professional goals by providing them with a safety net for perhaps the first time in their lives,” says Angie Christensen, Executive Director of Level Up Seattle. “The first step in that process is allowing these young adults to experience a supportive and stable environment within a safe home.”

1 Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nfyi.org/issues/ed...
2 O’Neale, Shalita. Foster Care and Homelessness [article]. Retrieved from https://www.fosterfocusmag.com/articles/foster-
care-and-homelessness
3 Anspach, Rachel. (2018, May 25). The Foster Care to Prison Pipeline: What it is and How it Works [article]. Retrieved from
https://www.teenvogue.com/stor...

One of the supporters of Level Up Seattle is Frank Shankwitz, the creator and a founder of the
Make-A-Wish Foundation. After his success and impact with Make-A-Wish, Shankwitz turned his attention to two causes he cares deeply about: foster youth and United States veterans. He is Chairman of Cause Equity, an organization that buys housing and leases it at below-market rates to nonprofit organizations such as Level Up Seattle and U.S. Vets. “From my experience with Make-A-Wish, I know how tough it is to start a nonprofit and I applaud Level Up for the work they’re doing,” says Shankwitz. “Helping young adults at such a critical time in their lives is so important to ensuring that they are successful in their pursuits and that they have a happy, healthy future.” Level Up Seattle is currently receiving referrals for youth who can potentially benefit from the nonprofit’s services. The organization is working with the Department of Children and Young Families (formerly DSHS), YouthNet, Friends of Youth, Tree House, various school district liaisons and high school athletics coaches to help facilitate connections with young adults who need stable housing.