How Connection Shapes Belonging at The Nest
More Than Coffee
When you ask Karley, manager of The Nest Community Coffeehouse, what makes the space special, she doesn't start by talking about coffee. She talks about connection.
For Karley, connection includes access to mental health resources which isn't just about accessing counseling or crisis support, although those resources matter. It's also about knowing there's someone who will listen, a place where asking for help feels normal, and a community that reminds you that you don't have to figure life out alone.
"We're creating a culture where asking for support is normal. I personally benefit from being on a team where backing each other up is how we work, and how I grow professionally.”
Whether it's information about housing, mental health services, basic supplies, or simply a trusted adult willing to listen, the resources at The Nest aren't decorations on a bulletin board they're being used every day.
That everyday accessibility is exactly what drew Karley to OWL360.
Saying Yes to a Different Vision
Before The Nest opened its doors in 2021, Karley watched it take shape from the beginning and helped bring the vision to life.
“It was inspiring to watch something actually happen," she recalls. "Seeing the community come together and Kelli bringing so many people into the vision made me want to be part of it."
What excited her most wasn't simply managing a coffeehouse. It was the idea of helping create a true third place, a space that young people choose to be because they feel welcomed there.
Growing Alongside the Community
Karley's connection with OWL360 began even before she became manager.
As a member of the Youth and Young Adult Advisory Committee (YYAAC), she helped shape many of the decisions that would shape The Nest from games and food to the overall atmosphere of the space and the official protocols that would create a foundation for the future success of the space.
Looking back, she realizes just how meaningful that experience was.
"We weren't just giving ideas," she says. "We were helping make decisions and shaping with The Nest would become."
The experience gave her an early opportunity to practice leadership, something that continues to grow today.
As manager, she's learning what it means to support a team while continuing to develop her own voice as a leader. She's also finding new ways to apply her Mental Health First Aid training not only during moments of crisis, but in the everyday conversations that build trust and belonging.
A Place Where Everyone Belongs
Ask Karley what she hopes people think of when they think of The Nest, and her answer is simple.
She wants it to be known as a place where people can come for whatever they need. Sometimes that's a practical resource, a ride, or help finding housing. Sometimes it's someone willing to answer a question without judgment. And sometimes, it's simply a place to exist.
"What I value most," she says, "is the way The Nest holds space for youth and for a whole spectrum of ages to co-exist together."
At the heart of it she recognizes the specialness of what The Nest offers.
"There's something rare about a place where a teenager and a grandparent can sit in the same room, each finding what they need. Where conversations cross generations without forcing it."
On personally difficult days, Karley says she sometimes comes to The Nest hoping to make someone else's day a little better.
Instead, she often finds that The Nest gives something back to her too through an unexpected conversation, the vibrant mural on the wall, or even discovering a nest of baby bunnies outside.
Those moments are reminders of what The Nest has always been intended to offer: not just coffee, but community. A place where young people can find connection, belonging, and the reassurance that they don't have to navigate life alone.
Stop in for a cup of coffee and say hi to Karley and our team of Nest Allies!
TUESDAY: 8:30AM - 5:00PM
Visit Us @ 1119 Lawrence Street, Port Townsend
TUESDAY: 8:30am -5:00PM
WEDNESDAY: 8:30AM - 5:00PM
THURSDAY: 8:30AM - 5:00PM
FRIDAY: 8:30AM - 7:30PM
SATURDAY: 8:30AM - 5:00PM
