For the Reporter
More than 200 Comcast employees from the Auburn area, along with their families, friends and community partners, participated in a volunteer project in partnership with Nexus Youth and Families on April 21.
The local nonprofit organization helps at-risk and in-crisis youth and their families across South King County by providing access to behavioral health care and homelessness services.
The work was part of Comcast Cares Day, when company employees throughout the world give back to their communities. More than half of all this year’s projects in Washington state directly supported those living without shelter or who are in transitional housing, including the work with Nexus Youth and Families. Comcast chose this pressing issue because it impacts nearly every community in the state.
“More than 4,700 employees call Washington home, and giving back to our own communities means a lot to us,” said Amy Lynch, regional vice president of Comcast’s Washington region. “This year we worked alongside our community partners to help ensure that people from all walks have access to the resources, services and technology that can help improve their quality of life.”
Comcast volunteers worked at the Nexus Youth and Families campus to repair, repaint and refresh areas around the main building and in the Severson House, a 10-unit transitional housing program designed to help homeless young adults and families transition from homelessness to independence.
Groups of volunteers painted the interior of the Severson building, replaced old carpeting with laminate flooring, installed new light fixtures and worked on other maintenance activities in the house.
Outside of the buildings, volunteers helped spread bark, plant flowers, and built gravel pathways throughout the campus.
Other efforts included re-organizing and installing new shelving and more than 50 clothing containers in the donation center, as well as clearing out a building on Nexus’ property that will soon be demolished to make way for a new youth center.
“We see how many young adults and teens are struggling with homelessness in the area, and some of us have experienced similar situations in our own lives,” said Jim Miller, technical operations supervisor for Comcast in Auburn. “When we learned about the impact that Nexus has on youth in our community, it really hit home with us. Our employees have so much passion for this cause, and I think Cares Day was just the beginning of a long-lasting partnership between Nexus and our team.”
Comcast volunteers also sorted and organized 500 hygiene kits that the Nexus team can share with the youth they serve. These include essential items such as body wash, shampoo, deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a first aid kit and much more. The volunteers also added a personal note on each kit to encourage youth and remind them they matter.
