By Chelsea Royer
If you were to bring up the topic of working with teenagers to a group of adults, you would probably get mixed reviews. Some love the thought of working with youth, others think of them as a mess of changing hormones and bad attitudes. Megan Friberg has forever been in the category of thinking that youth are awesome.
Since she herself was a youth, Megan has been involved as a leader of teens in her church and eventually her community. “I led a middle school group when I was 16. I took a break from youth work during college, but then after I married my husband, Andy, I began getting involved with Young Life,” explains Megan. Both from Grays Harbor, Megan and Andy now are parents of two kids and working with teens has become a way of life.
“I’ve always thought it was fun to be a mentor and am blessed to be an extrovert. It really helps when working with youth. Teens can sense authenticity and will see through hypocrisy so it helps keep your behavior accountable,” says Megan. “The most rewarding aspect of working with youth is watching kids succeed in who they are as we help them find and reach their goals. We are raising them to be adults so our goal is to see them be successful.”
Megan currently works part-time at the Catholic Community Services’ Grays Harbor Youth Center CCSWW in Aberdeen. Having worked there for a year and a half, Megan has seen teens during some of their most desperate moments. The center focuses on kids ages 13 to 17 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
“We help kids struggling with the court make it to their appointments. We provide food, shelter, hygiene items, clothing, etc. We help kids access services in their community,” says Megan. The Youth Center works closely with school districts and also True North counseling center. Kids can spend the night at the Youth Center and receive help fulfilling basic needs.
“During my shift I often hang out and talk with kids. We discuss their needs and goals and teach them how to do things like cook and do laundry. We want them to be self-sufficient,” explains Megan.
“It is rewarding to see kids move forward and fulfill their own goals,” she continues. “It will never be simple for most of these kids. They need to be taught how to survive and be their own advocates. Typically if they are with us, they don’t have an adult speaking into their lives. We figure that if you help meet a kid’s basic needs, you can speak into their lives. When those basic needs are being met, it frees them up to pursue things like school.”
The streets at night are dangerous. According to Megan, statistically, a kid who has been on the street will be solicited for sex or drugs within 72 hours. The center is staffed 24/7 to meet needs and answer the phone so that kids will always have a resource or lifeline in times of desperation. As a result, Megan often pulls night shifts that run until 2:00 a.m.
As a mom of young children, this kind of work is a big commitment. “The challenge, as a mom, is forcing myself to relax,” chuckles Megan. “You can get caught up with the need to wash dishes or clean the house. But I’ve realized that sometimes taking your kids out to dinner or leaving toys on the floor is not the end of the world. My kids won’t be little forever and it’s important to have family time.”
For the Friberg’s, family time has to be snagged whenever possible, for Megan’s work doesn’t stop with the Youth Center. Megan and her husband began serving at Harbor Calvary Chapel in Aberdeen as youth pastors in the last year, taking on yet another mentoring role to young people. “We had been praying and knew that this was what we should be doing. I love that the church is located downtown and helps so many people in poverty,” says Megan.
She explains that the biggest challenge of working with so many youth is during the times you lose touch and don’t know if a teen is making positive choices for their life. “Ultimately, it all lies in someone else’s hands. I can do what I can, but when a teen makes bad choices, I can’t blame myself – for the failures or successes for that matter – because they are their decisions. I still firmly believe that no matter what, we should still offer help.”
The Catholic Community Services’ Grays Harbor Youth Center welcomes donations and volunteers.
If you would like more information about this organization or to partner with Megan and other Harbor locals in their outreach to the youth, you may call or text the Youth Center hotline 360-589-3259 at any time.
