Avenues for Youth

Thank you to Suzanne, Mary, and a group of generous supporters from Westminster Presbyterian Church who made sure that the youth of Minneapolis Avenues enjoyed a complete Thanksgiving meal this year! From the turkey and mash potatoes to all the sides and pies, the youth are looking forward to a super special dinner with lots of leftovers.

Thank you to this sweet crew for making a special meal at Minneapolis Avenues this week. Chili, cornbread with honey butter, salad, and brownies, YUM! This awesome support also gave Ms. Toni more time to prep for Thursday's big feast!?

Yesterday, during Give to the Max Day, this community showed up in solidarity with youth experiencing homelessness! At a time when many youth at Avenues are feeling more vulnerable and more uncertain about their safety and futures, you stood beside them with your unwavering support. Thanks to everyone who participated in Give to the Max Day, we surpassed our initial $100,000 goal and raised an astounding $131,516 for Avenues' programs! Yesterday felt like one giant hug from community members near and far! Thank you to each of the 282 donors who made a gift, everyone who started their own fundraiser, or spread the word by sharing our posts! We are so grateful to the Avenues Board of Directors, Emerson, Turner Family Foundation, and Nancy Somers Family Foundation for providing matches. A special shout out to Sven Sundgaard and Robert McEachren who took the time to visit our shelter, learn more about our work, and create their own video to amplify our Give to the Max goal. Our hearts are full and we are resolute in our mission to partner with youth experiencing homelessness. Thank you for joining us! Your contribution is helping us provide everything that goes into offering not just shelter, but a home for youth as they heal, grow, and move towards their goals for the future. #GTMD24 #givetothemax

We have exciting news! An incredible donor has challenged us to raise even more for youth experiencing homelessness! Our Give to the Max Day goal is now $120,000 and $10,000 of that will be matched by the Nancy Somers Family Foundation! We're over 90% of the way to our $120,000 goal! Can you help us get the rest of the way there? Give at https://loom.ly/dUSpi58 Make your gift before this match runs out and your contribution will go twice as far!

Happy Give to the Max Day!! Today, our goal is to raise $100,000 to continue to support hundreds of youth each year. In addition to a warm bed and nutritious meals, we provide a safe and affirming space for young people to navigate their path out of homelessness. Your contribution will help us provide everything that goes into offering not just shelter, but a home for youth as they heal, grow, and move towards their goals for the future. ?Right now all gifts are being doubled thanks to a $14,000 match from a generous group of current and former board members. Your contribution today will go twice as far! Join in and make your gift at https://loom.ly/xpvrP08 ? Your gift affirms your belief that all youth deserve a safe and affirming space to pursue their dreams! #GTMD24 #GTMD

For so many of us, when we think of "home," we think of food. Whether that's a special holiday meal or grandma's secret recipe. Food builds bonds of family and culture. At Avenues, the staff are intentional about creating a home-like atmosphere and that starts in the kitchen! Youth at Avenues receive nutritious meals 3 times a day, every day. Regular meals provide security and comfort for young people who have previously experienced food insecurity. During Give to the Max, we're raising funds to provide everything that goes into offering not just shelter, but a home for youth as they heal, grow, and move towards their goals for the future. This includes things like warm comfortable beds, personalized meals, holistic mental health supports, and so much more. ??? Give the gift of a great meal at: https://loom.ly/dUSpi58 The experience of homelessness often removes choice from a young person's life. So, it's especially important that young people at Avenues have agency. Staff at both houses get feedback from youth on what foods they like to eat, taking requests for meals and accounting for dietary needs. One young person at Minneapolis Avenues has been cooking dinner for the whole house almost every night. Ms. Toni, a Youth Support Specialist, is partnering with this young person to meal plan, experiment with new ingredients, and research certifications that could help him pursue a culinary career! Youth at Avenues become successful through learning and practicing life skills including cooking and nutrition.?When young people leave Avenues, they take these skills with them into their new home.

In addition to a warm bed and nutritious meals, we provide a safe and affirming space for young people to navigate their path out of homelessness. Your contribution will help us provide everything that goes into offering not just shelter, but a home for youth as they heal, grow, and move towards their goals for the future. During Give to the Max, now through Thursday, our goal is to raise $100,000 to continue to support hundreds of youth each year. ?Right now all gifts are being doubled thanks to a $14,000 match from a generous group of current and former board members. Your contribution today will go twice as far! ? Join in and make your gift at https://loom.ly/xpvrP08 #GTMD24 #givetothemax

During Give to the Max, now through Thursday, our goal is to raise $100,000 to continue to support hundreds of youth each year. Give now to help make a house a home for youth experiencing homelessness. https://lnkd.in/gamJphkT ?? Gifts of any amount make a difference! $25- could provide personal products like shampoo, lotion, and soap $75- could provide a warm winter coat $100- could provide new socks, underwear, and comfy sweats $250- could provide diapers, wipes, and baby supplies for a young family $500- could provide a home-cooked holiday meal for a whole shelter Your gift will help us provide everything that goes into offering not just shelter, but a home for youth as they heal, grow, and move toward their goals for the future. This includes things like warm comfortable beds, personalized meals, holistic mental health supports, engaging activities, and so much more. Community support allows us to build meaningful relationships with young people and partner with them on their journeys to stable housing and joyful lives. #GTMD24 #givetothemax

Often, when a young person first arrives at Avenues, they will simply sleep for the first day or two. The experience of homelessness is highly stressful, uncomfortable, and often dangerous. Avenues provides youth with a safe and peaceful space so they can rest and begin their healing journey. During Give to the Max, now through Thursday, our goal is to raise $100,000 to continue to support hundreds of youth each year. In addition to a safe place to sleep and hot meals, we provide an affirming space for young people to navigate their path out of homelessness. Your gift will help us provide everything that goes into offering not just shelter, but a home for youth as they heal, grow, and move towards their goals for the future. This includes things like warm comfortable beds, personalized meals, holistic mental health supports, engaging activities, and so much more. ?????Give a good night's rest: https://loom.ly/dUSpi58 #GTMD24 #givetothemax

During Give to the Max, our goal is to raise $100,000 to continue to support hundreds of youth each year. We provide more than just a bed and hot meals, we provide a safe and affirming space for young people to navigate their path out of homelessness. Your contribution will help us provide everything that goes into offering not just shelter, but a home for youth as they heal, grow, and move towards their goals for the future. ?Right now all gifts are being doubled thanks to a $14,000 match from a generous group of current and former board members. Your contribution today will go twice as far! Join in and make your gift at https://loom.ly/xpvrP08 ? Your gift affirms your belief that all youth deserve a safe and affirming space to pursue their dreams! #GTMD24 #GTMD