I am Heidi Unick and I am the Director of Amy's Place and have a B.A. degree in Social Welfare and a M.A. in Sociology.  I'm the only staff right now but we could add more as we are financially able to support them.

Amy's Place is run by a Board of Directors and are in compliance with 501(c)3 non-profit regulations. 

A-Advocacy and Assistance: Needs assessments, resource referrals to: appropriate treatment, healthcare, education, employment, counseling, and advocacy programs. Meals and snacks, clothing, hygiene kits, bus tickets, shower passes and access to phone & internet.

M-Mentoring and building caring, supportive relationships: Build caring, supportive relationships with staff and volunteers. Positive, healthy relationships with clean & sober mentors. Peer-to-peer support and counseling and engaging community presentations.

Y-Youth Driven or directed: Youth play an active role in decision making Youth governing board: Established Code of Conduct, Picked out furniture and designed layout and, develop leadership skills, sense of responsibility & ownership.

Homeless Youth:
Homeless youth are individuals under the age of 18 who lack parental, foster, or institutional care. Some youth become homeless with their families, others leave home after years of physical and sexual abuse, strained relationships, parental neglect, addiction of a family member, or their own chemical addiction.

A runaway youth:
Is a person under 18 who is away from home or place of legal residence at least one night without the permission of parents, guardians, or custodial authorities.

A throwaway youth:
Is one who has been told or forced to leave or deserted by parents or guardians. Street youth manage to live for an extended time on the streets, sleeping outdoors or in abandoned buildings. Many on the street youth are long-term runaway, throwaway, or other homeless youth.

Instead of finding the refuge they seek, once on the street, they are further exposed to risks including rape, sexual victimization, prostitution and sexual exploitation.

Nationally:
Up to 2 million runaway and homeless youth are living unsupervised on the streets, in abandoned buildings, in shelters, transitional housing, with friends, or with strangers. One out of every seven youth will run away sometime between the ages of 10 and 18. Every year approximately 5000 runaways and homeless youth die from assault, illness, and suicide.

Youth aged 12-17 are at higher risk for homelessness than adults.

According to the 2007 Whatcom County
“Point in Time” Homeless Count…
541 persons under 18 years old were counted
25% of all homeless persons are less than 10 years old
106 persons counted are 16 to 21 years old
158 persons are 16 to 24 years old
At least 104 homeless youth (age 13-24) are unaccompanied