We would like to extend our gratitude to our partners in designing, building and funding our Engagement and Community Center’s new all-gender bathrooms. We replaced our original bathrooms in order to create a safe and accessible space for transgender youth, who are often over-represented among young people experiencing homelessness. The stalls and sinks are also now separate, making them able to handle a higher volume at any one time. Bathroom access is a critical component of our work as young people experiencing homelessness may not be able to regularly find showers, toilets or sinks. We’re so thrilled about how beautifully they turned out!
We would like to thank Sean Puterbaugh and Danny Gomez of Principal Builders, the general contractor; and Vanna Conyers, Seth Meisler, and Luke Wallace of Perkins and Will, the architects, for taking this project on as a pro bono work for the community.
We would also like to thank David Cush and Alaska Airlines for funding the construction, Tim Hickory of Construction for Change for helping us find our general contractors and architects and also Kelsey (Birnbaum) Woods, their former Executive Director, for coming down from Seattle to visit our site.
Below are photos of Zak Franet, Larkin Street Youth Advisory Board Member, completing the “ribbon cutting” as well as the new sinks.
Thank you again to everyone who made this possible!