That trust starts with a welcome. Each night, staff and teens agree to a shared code of conduct. From there, the work is about creating what Sheryl calls a “circle of resilience”, belonging, skill-building, and generosity that ripple outward.
It begins when a teen realizes they belong here. It grows when they try something new, like making crepes for the first time alongside new friends, and discover they can succeed at something they’ve never done before. It deepens when they take the lead, as the new Youth Advisory Councils at Mason and Meeker have done, planning the final week of activities for their peers. The councils themselves grew from a teen’s suggestion, a young man named Zayden told staff he wanted to mentor others, sparking the idea for a space where teens could guide the program alongside adults.
Sometimes, the circle holds teens facing steep challenges. Sheryl remembers a summer when several participants were experiencing houselessness. A community partner leaned in and provided free hygiene kits for those young people.
“They stood a little taller,” Sheryl says. “They felt more confident, more able to be part of their peer group. Some of them came back later to tell us they had housing. That’s hope.”
For Sheryl, the work is personal. Growing up, she shares that she found safety in after-school programs and clubs. Those spaces, and the adults who believed in her, shaped the way she now leads. “They gave me the chance to be a leader. They showed me kindness,” she says. “That kindness is what I want to give to our young people."
The hope that fills Summer Late Nights is not built by one person or one organization. It’s the product of an entire community pulling in the same direction, Parks Tacoma, Tacoma Public Schools, the YMCA, the Boys & Girls Club, Greentrike and countless neighbors, donors, service providers, and local businesses who refuse to let kids go without safe, welcoming spaces in the summer.
“When funding is tight, it means closing sites,” Sheryl says. “Sometimes even a few blocks can make the difference between a teen being in a safe space or being somewhere risky. That’s why every partner, every volunteer, every donor matters.”
Community support is the foundation for every moment of connection, every skill learned, every friendship formed. There’s room for all of us in that work, and every contribution, big or small, helps keep the circle strong.
“Even a dollar makes an impact,” Sheryl says. “When a lot of people give what they can, it adds up to something powerful. It’s an investment in our present and our future. These kids will remember that their community cared about them, and they’ll carry that forward.”
Summer Late Nights thrives because this city, this community, believes in its young people. Let’s keep that circle strong, together.
On a warm evening in July, the doors at Mason Middle School swing open and a flood of excited teens step inside. Some head straight for the craft table. Others drift toward the kitchen, curious about the night’s cooking activity. A few hang back in the doorway, scanning the room before deciding where to land.
For Sheryl Blessing, Youth Services Recreation Supervisor at Parks Tacoma, these moments are what Summer Late Nights is all about.
“Our team sees this program as an outreach opportunity to build intentional relationships with young people,” Sheryl says. “We want them to know they have a safe place to go, and safe adults they can trust, whether they see us here, at the store, or anywhere in the community.
