Letters announcing opening of YMCA's Oasis Teen Shelter January1,2026

Dear Skagit Y Friends and Partners,
I am delighted to share that the Skagit Valley Family YMCA’s Oasis Youth Shelter received final DCYF license approval yesterday, and we will proudly reopen services on January 1, 2026. Please see the note below from our Shelter Manager for additional details.
As you may know, the Skagit Y has operated the Oasis Youth Shelter since 2002 within what is now our Social Impact (Youth Housing) division. In the fall of 2024, we embarked on a complete rebuild—resulting in a $4 million, purpose-built facility licensed to serve 14 youth ages 13–17. This transformative project was made possible through generous support from the Washington Housing Trust Fund, the City of Mount Vernon, and private philanthropic contributions from local residents and businesses.
A project of this magnitude naturally brought challenges along the way, but it also showcased the strength, perseverance, and commitment of our team and community partners. I am deeply grateful to the staff who stayed the course and to the many supporters who believed in this work. Skagit is a remarkable and resilient community, and I am proud that the Y in Skagit continues to rise to meet that spirit.
Thank you for your ongoing support and connection to this important work.
With gratitude,
 
Dean
 
 
 
 
 
Dean Snider
(he/him/his)
CEO
SKAGIT VALLEY FAMILY YMCA
1901 Hoag Rd, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
(P) 360 336 9622   (E) d.snider@skagitymca.org  
(W) www.skagitymca.org
 
The Y: We're for youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.
 

Season’s Greetings, YMCA Friends, Neighbors, Community Partners!

I’m excited to share with you all that the Oasis Youth Shelter will be opening to young people in our community on January 1^st, 2026! This has been a long-awaited announcement, and I’m so grateful that we will be starting off the new year supporting youth in our beautiful new shelter! 🥳

When we open on January 1st our shelter hours will be 3pm-8am, 7 days a week - Our new Group Home license allows us to eventually increase our program hours to become 24/7 and when that time comes, I will be sure to share it widely.

Should you know a youth who needs services, please have them contact us at 360-419-9058 to inquire about availability and our Youth Advocates will walk them through the intake process. Please note that we do not hold a wait list for our program, and services are provided on a first-come, first serve basis.

This has been a long and challenging period for youth in our community who have historically relied on Oasis for support. Since the unexpected closure in March, Oasis staff have received more than 200 inquiries from young people in crisis seeking emergency housing and other essential services. This volume of need has underscored for all of us at the Skagit Y the critical role programs like Oasis play in our community, particularly as youth are experiencing housing instability at higher rates than ever before. We remain deeply committed to supporting the diverse and evolving needs of young people across Skagit County.

Thank you all for your kindness, generosity, and continued encouragement of this program. Programs like Oasis are strengthened by the communities that believe in and support them. Here’s to 2026! 🎊

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or if you’d like to connect more about programming at Oasis. We value strong community partnerships and would love to explore how we can work together to support young people.

With gratitude,

Danielle Vincent

Oasis Youth Shelter Manager

Pronouns she/her/hers

SKAGIT VALLEY FAMILY YMCA

125 N. 5^th Street, Mount Vernon, WA 98273

(P)  206-486-4819  (call/text)

(P) 360-594-0546 (office)

(E)  d.vincent@skagitymca.org 

(W) www.skagitymca.org

The Y: We're for youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

Need Help? 988 offers 24/7 judgment-free support for mental health, substance use, and more.