Letter to the Community
Dear Friends:
It doesn't take much to go from having a home to becoming homeless. Loss of work, severe family conflict and untreated mental illness are just a few causes. We all know people who have been homeless or are on the verge of being homeless today. And we hope and pray that our children or grandchildren never have to experience homelessness.
The homeless statistics coming out of Wilder Research are so alarming they might make some people feel there's just nothing they can do to help... the challenge is too large.
But it isn't. As individuals and as a community, we can take on the challenge of homelessness. We can make certain all members of our community, regardless of circumstances, have a safe place to live, nutritious food to eat and meaning in their lives.
You can make a difference in the life of one person or several people. At Avenues, we support 25 youth at a time through our Transitional House and the GLBT Host Home Program. We help 150 youth every year.
Your support of Avenues touches every one of those 150 youth. Thank you.
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Deborah Loon
Interim Executive Director
| Dogs bring their therapy to Avenues
Sophie, a standard poodle brought her unique brand of "pet therapy" to Avenues recently. Thanks to Sophie, and her 'person,' Liesl Chatman, for sharing their Sunday evening with our youth! With help from Liesl, Sophie and Paws for Peace, we hope to have a regular Pet Therapy Program at Avenues.
Mary is pictured with Sophie above.
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| Help Wanted
Volunteers
With the arrival of spring Avenues has additional volunteer opportunities available. We are looking for:
- Yard clean-up volunteers - We need a group of volunteers to spend a day in the yard at Avenues. This would include raking, trimming bushes, planting flowers, and additional activities to make our yard look great.
- Garden volunteers - Avenues created a vegetable/herb garden last summer provided the house with fresh foods such as watermelon, tomato, zucchini, cucumber and much more. We are in search of individuals to help plant and maintain the garden each Sunday from 1pm to 3pm starting end of April.
If you are interested in volunteering, contact Heather Rist -- heather@avenuesforyouth.org or 612-522-1690.
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| Thanks!
Thank you to our supporters during the month of March!
Organizations -- First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, Faegre & Benson GLBT Diversity Group
Individuals -- Anonymous, Tim Baldoni, Cory Cantrell, Rudy Guglielmo, Lois Hall and Anja Curiskis, Catherine Hare and Janice Knief, Daniel Homolka and Becky Lakken, Loretta Mallak, Eric Orrington, Danielle Whitney
In-Kind Donations -- Tammy Burns-Woodhouse, Faegre & Benson GLBT Diversity Group, Lisa and Ben Kummer, Second Harvest Heartland, Target
Volunteers -- Kelly Brazil, Liesl Chatman, Ryan Li Dahlstrom, Colleen Fischer, Joseph Oknich and John Carlson, Sara Olsen, Sarah Schwarts, Beth Zemsky, Avenues Board of Directors, GLBT Host Home Advisory Council
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| About Us
Avenues for Homeless Youth provides shelter and transitional housing with support services for homeless youth in a safe and nurturing environment. Through such service, Avenues seeks to help youth achieve their personal goals and find a positive transition into young adulthood.
At its North Minneapolis house, Avenues has 15 short-term beds and 1 emergency bed for youth ages 16 to 21. Youth receive basic needs and 24 x 7 caring of Avenues staff. While at Avenues, all youth work with case managers to pursue their individual goals of education, employment, housing, mental health and physical wellness.
Avenues also operates the GLBT Host Home Program, a community-based program that provides safe, supportive homes for homeless gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth.
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The ranks of homeless people in Minnesota has dramatically increased, according to Wilder Research. On one day in October 2009, Wilder counted 9,452 homeless adults, youth and children in shelters, transitional housing, and on the streets. This compares to 7,751 homeless adults, youth and children counted in 2006 - a 22% jump.
For more preliminary results, visit:
Wilder Research - Homelessness in Minnesota 2009 preliminary findings
These results do not yet include estimates of total homeless to be extrapolated from the count.
The complete report and analysis from this statewide survey will be revealed on May 25, at Wilder Research Perspectives Breakfast. Learn more.
U of M Spring Drive benefits homeless youth
Join a group of public relations students at the University of Minnesota in making their Spring Drive campaign successful! During April, this group is collecting personal care supplies around the U of M campus for Avenues' youth. They also have created a GiveMN fundraising page to collect funds for Avenues.
To find out more, visit
Facebook Spring Drive event
and
GiveMN Spring Drive fundraiser.
Open Mic Night
Open Mic Night gives youth the opportunity to share their talents with their peers and community. Come join the fun and get inspired!
When: Friday, May 7
4pm - 6pm
Where: Oak Park Center
1701 Oak Park Ave. N.
Minneapolis, MN 55411
Who: Avenues friends, neighbors
and supporters
GLBT Host Home Program seeks hosts
The GLBT Host Home Program is looking for people interested in becoming hosts. For more information contact, Raquel (Rocki) Simoes, 612-522-1690 or hosthome@avenuesforyouth.org
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