27 | March | 2025 | Atlantic Street Center

Volunteer Appreciation: Todd Obilor

March 27, 2025 Nora Uncategorized No comments

A Sleep Study with Renewed Energy

Part of our Young Professionals Advisory Council since its inception, Todd Obilor has been volunteering and raising awareness for Atlantic Street Center for almost three years now. He is currently working towards his PhD in child clinical psychology, specifically in how sleep (or lack thereof) can be impacted by societal prejudices and racism.

Todd recently collaborated with our Youth Development team to interview young people in our program for a study. Through careful interviews in person and virtually, our youth were able to give Todd more insight into how they process their surroundings and how it may affect their sleep.

Having young professionals who are passionate about their own ambitions, as well as the potential of their community, is a steadfast way to keep Atlantic Street Center pointed towards the future. Also, Todd represents another amazing adult our kids can look up to. Thank you, Todd!

If you are between 21 – 39, consider joining Atlantic Street Centers Young Professionals Advisory Council.

A Reminder to Love Myself

March 27, 2025 Nora Uncategorized

Celebrating Mother’s Day is a big deal at Atlantic Street Center. Because we support so many families, it is important our team creates opportunities to build community. This includes reminding our participants that they have value and deserve to honor themselves.

For Mother’s Day 2024, our Teens as Young Parents Program and Kinship Care Support Group were given days of beauty. We had aestheticians come in to apply eyelashes and make up, as well as administer facials. Holistic Coalition, a local spa, also gave out massages, including pre-natal.

“Thank you kindly for all the beautiful work you put into making us Moms feel special,” said a Teens as Young Parents participant. “It was the first time I’ve ever had my lashes done in my lifetime. It gave me a totally different, positive look. I felt happy and cute for a day. The magical relaxing facial and hand massage was a reminder how I need to love and care for myself more!”

The support that Atlantic Street Center provides to youth and families is fluid and flexible. Of course, we work with participants to help them with objectives like job hunting, finding open and equitable preschools, and even with food accessibility. There is still a need to create comfort and a sense of community. These programs are a safe haven for our participants to honor themselves and intentionally slow down.

A Place to Grow

March 27, 2025 Nora Uncategorized

The After-School Program offers local youth a place to create meaningful relationships with peers as well as take part in enriching activities and, of course, finish their home work. Under the guidance of our dedicated Youth Coordinators, our kids find comfort in playing outside, enjoying a snack, and then using their brains to stay engaged even though the school day is over.

The program follows the Seattle school calendar, which means we also take a break during the summer time but not before we celebrate our youths’ success with an annual moving on ceremony. Families are invited to watch performances, enjoy a barbeque, and listen to small commencement-like speeches from our kids. Every child that goes through the program gets the chance to talk about the growth they have seen in themselves and their friends throughout the year.

Moses took to the mic to tell everyone, including his parents, just how much value he gets from the After-School Program. “I love ASC because it helps me build grown-up skills!”

He couldn’t be more correct! We have seen Moses expand his talents tremendously with Atlantic Street Center. In addition to collaborating with his peers over shared home work and countless rounds of trivia, Moses signed himself up for our Slam Poetry Night. He got dressed up alongside his brother and sang his heart out. That kind of fearlessness and confidence is something we love to see and help nurture. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us, Moses!

From Car to Home

March 27, 2025 admin Uncategorized

On average, it takes a victim seven times to leave a violent situation before staying away for good, according to the National Domestic Hotline. The hurdles that come after this major feat, however, bring about a new sense of anxiety, fear, and ambiguity. For example, a recent Atlantic Street Center participant was living out of their car after narrowly escaping a violent home situation.

Because of her low credit score, landlords were unwilling to lease her a home. This meant the participant’s only choice was to live in her car. It is a harsh reality that many people in our communities see themselves surviving homelessness more so than staying with an abuser. And while it seems like an obvious choice to go to a shelter or apply for transitional housing, these places may either not be supportive long-term or readily available. In fact, many domestic abuse shelters have incredibly long waiting lists.

Our staff worked alongside this survivor for eight months. Together, they applied for multiple housing opportunities but it was the establishment of a relationship that got our participant into a home. One of our Housing Specialists had a frank conversation with a landlord, explaining that our client had escaped from a violent situation and was working hard to rectify her credit despite living in her car. It turned out that this landlord was empathetic to the situation and willingly looked past the participant’s credit. She was even allowed to move in ahead of a paid deposit.

Thanks to additional funds, Atlantic Street Center was also able to assist with moving costs. Now this person is thriving and creating new opportunities for herself in a safe and supportive space. This type of happy ending took almost a whole year to happen, but the outcome was certainly worth it. As long as abuse continues to occur, our community must stay consistent in providing support.

If you, or someone you know, is in need of support due to gender-based violence, contact our team GBV Advocate at (206) 637-6967, or via email. Para servicios en español, por favor llame a (206) 349-6197. Visit our Gender-Based Violence Support webpage here.