REALTOR® Good Neighbor Michele Hanrahan Builds Connections at Teen Feed in Seattle’s U District
January 26, 2024
Michele Hanrahan (Windermere Eastlake)
Volunteer Organization: Teen Feed
Two and a half years ago, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michele Hanrahan felt the need to connect with people again and went looking for volunteer opportunities.
Having a background as a librarian and an interest in food and nutrition, Michele decided it would be a good fit to volunteer in the kitchen at Teen Feed, a longstanding non-profit organization in the University District that serves daily hot meals to homeless youth (or as they say at Teen Feed, youth experiencing “houselessness”).
As a weekly Kitchen Lead for her first two years, Michele coordinated a rotating roster of volunteers who prepared meals for around 50 youth and young adults (age 13–25).
Recently, Michele transitioned to a Volunteer Advocate role, an important guest-facing role meant to build relationships with the youth who come to the meal. At first, she was concerned about her lack of training. “I’m not a social worker,” she said. “But what I learned through some training in relationship building with youth and trauma-informed care is that the job is basically to show up and listen.”
Members of the REALTOR Good Neighbor Committee recently presented Michele with a $500 check for Teen Feed, recognizing her as the winner of the Seattle King County REALTORS® Q3 2023 Good Neighbor Award. Teen Feed’s Kitchen Coordinator Valerie Uber Kellogg attended as well to receive the donation.
“Michele has been a REALTOR® for only one year at Windermere Eastlake, but is already demonstrating the true definition of a REALTOR® by the hard work she does to better her community,” said Stephanie McCarthy, and Good Neighbor Committee member. “It was an honor to award her and Teen Feed a donation to support the good work they do.”
Congratulations to Michele Hanrahan for your dedication to a wonderful local organization meeting the needs of homeless youth in Seattle!
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More about Teen Feed
“Teen Feed works with the community to offer support to meet basic needs, support strong relationships, and ally with homeless youth as they meet their future off the streets.”
Teen Feed began in 1987 when a group of nurses from the UW Medical Center sought to address malnutrition in street youth. Since then, Teen Feed has expanded to provide warm meals, basic necessities, and supportive relationships 365 days a year. The three-pronged mission of the Teen Feed—offer, support, ally—is supported by a commitment to core values of equity, empathy, inclusive care, mutual respect, and relationship building.
The main programs are:
- Meal Program: providing a warm meal and a safe space every evening.
- Street Talk Outreach & In-Reach Program (STOP): meeting youth where they are to offer health and social services.
- Service Links for Youth (SLY): offering case management to help young adults achieve goals of greater stability.
Good Neighbor Committee member Phillipa Leseberg noted how impressed she was by Teen Feed’s longstanding positive presence in the University District. “Teen Feed has been around for nearly 40 years! That speaks volumes for both the need of a program of this type and the generosity of donors, corporations, and the community who keep it running.”
If you and your office would like to get involved at Teen Feed, there are several short-term, project-based opportunities to volunteer in addition to regular shifts. Find out more at www.teenfeed.org.