Friends of Youth Completes Move of Headquarters From Redmond to Kirkland

Moving the heart of its 60-year mission of serving young people in need to Kirkland, the non-profit group Friends of Youth celebrated on Friday the grand opening of its campus in the Totem Lake/Kingsgate area.

The facility broke out in snacks, cake, and good will at the site of the former church Grace Chapel at 13116 NE 132nd Street. The new facility includes counseling and housing support programs, administrative offices and storage for donated program supplies.

Staff members moved to the new building at the end of December from the former headquarters in Redmond. Prior to the move, the 60-year-old service agency .

Friends of Youth bought the Kirkland site last year from Grace Chapel, which experienced a decline in its congregation size and moved to Snohomish County.

The acquisition was part of Friends of Youth’s strategic plan which calls for a more visible “heart” of its operations, the consolidation of its Youth Haven program for young people in crisis and, in the near future, additional transitional housing for formerly homeless young adults working toward employment and educational goals.

"We are saying, 'Look, no questions asked, you need a safe place,'" Pottmeyer said, adding that King County Libraries recently completed Safe Place training, currently a major outreach focus of Friends of Youth.

The group is still finishing up its Youth Haven transitional housing, where it will consolidate other facilities to better serve Eastside Youth under 18 who need help to transition back to family life where possible, Pottmeyer said. The home, expected to open by summer, will have room for five girls and five boys.

Friends of Youth provides services to children, young adults and families in need at 21 sites in 17 Eastside and Snohomish County cities.