Redmond based Friends of Youth was selected as the recipient of a $15,000 grant from Safeco Insurance Foundation July 17. Friends of Youth was one of 42 Northwest charities awarded grants this year as part of the Foundation’s Basic Services Initiative to non-profits providing basic needs to homeless families and individuals in the area.

The money awarded to Friends of Youth will go towards The Landing, a King County young adult shelter located at the Bellevue YMCA. The Landing is a component of Friends of Youth’s shelter program, which provides the basic services of street outreach; a 24/7 shelter crisis line; laundry; hot meals; clothing; showers and hygiene kits; and a continuum of services to provide young adults with skills they need to be successful in careers.

Since 2010, Safeco Insurance Foundation has provided $1.3 million in grants to community organizations in Washington and Oregon that provide emergency and basic services to those in need. To learn more about Friends of Youth, visit www.friendsofyouth.org.

John McGaw stands in front of various awards he received during his time as scoutmaster in Bellevue. The awards hang in his office