Cocoon House
Within These Four Walls-Cocoon House
By Janell Braxton
Getting help with Cocoon House is easier than one might think! If you’re a teen looking for help for a safe place to stay, look no further than for this sign
A recent partnership between the Everett Chapter of the Mockingbird Youth Network and Cocoon House inspired me to write about how they are contributing to our mission of improving the lives of youth in out-of-home placements.
In the past few months, our Everett chapter has been able to collaborate with Cocoon House in a number of ways. The Mockingbird Society's Foster Youth and Alumni Leadership Summit is an annual event where we had the pleasure of working with the Cocoon House's knowledgeable staff. They assisted in forming our chapter's policy proposal on Group Homes. Cocoon House also recently invited the Everett Chapter to their wonderful U-turn drop-in center on August 19th. The Everett Chapter held their first "Power of Voting" training for youth at the U-turn center and both the Everett Chapter and Cocoon House residents were able to meet each other to share ideas about the importance of civic engagement. This training sparked a lot of questions from the Cocoon House residents about The Mockingbird Society and their interest to be a part of it.
Like many other people, I've heard about Cocoon House but also never truly took the time to understand this organization and the services they provide for youth and families. However, after some research and interviews, I've learned that the Cocoon House transforms the lives of many youth and families within their four walls. The space they create makes a house a home.
Cocoon House was established in 1991, and is "Snohomish County's only resource exclusively serving homeless and at-risk youth ages 13-21. Their spectrum of programs provides housing and other critical community-based services to youth, caregivers, families and the community." Not only is Cocoon House the leading nonprofit organization helping homeless and at-risk youth and their families in that region, but they house more than 230 young people each year, and reach over 1,000 youth, family and community members on an annual basis.
Cocoon House, Everett Transit and National Safe Place have partnered together to create a Safe Place program in Snohomish County. According to Cocoon House, "When a youth sees the Safe Place logo in a business or on an Everett Transit bus he or she will know it's a safe place to ask for help...Cocoon House Navigators will respond 24/7, and be onsite within 45 minutes to bring homeless youth to a shelter, help at-risk youth get home safely, or connect teens with other needed services." Homeless and at-risk youth are more vulnerable to drug dealers, gangs, and assaults, so this program helps provide protection and safe alternatives. Cocoon House also helps teens from ages 13-17 that for whatever reason would need to stay the night somewhere. These young people just need to call Cocoon House at (800) 259-6042. Cocoon House also helps parents and caregivers work through and resolve conflict with their teens by calling (425) 317-9898. Help is only a phone call away.
When I entered Cocoon House my expectations were blown away. The youth residing at U-turn were very inquisitive, inspiring, vocal, and participated in discussions as if we were working on a new proposal. As one youth who sat in the back near a corner said towards the end of the training, "I want to change the view and perception of not only homeless youth but of all homeless people." Within these four walls of Cocoon House, they help homeless and at-risk youth feel like anything is possible.