MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we know that the experience of homelessness has a negative impact on mental health. According to Wilder Research, 60% of youth experiencing homelessness are living with a serious mental illness and 84% of youth have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience, including trauma and abuse. Mental health care is a vital step in a young person's healing journey.

At Avenues, we support youth experiencing homelessness which includes health and wellness resources and one-on-one support. Youth in all of our programs are able to meet with a therapist on-site, through our new partnership with Reviving Roots. Reviving Roots offers a holistic approach that centers Black wellness. In addition to one-on-one therapy, Reviving Roots provides group sessions and somatic practices such as yoga and dance. Youth also receive intensive, individualized support known as case management. Youth workers provide affirming spaces where youth can be fully themselves. We listen to young people's stories, make sure they are safe and respected, and partner with them on their journeys to stable housing and joyful lives.

"Today I have an appointment with a therapist. I'm probably going to get a therapist and eventually, a psychiatrist. [My youth advocate has] been helping me get doctor's appointments and housing."

-Raven, Former Youth of Brooklyn Avenues

FREEING OURSELVES & FINDING COMMUNITY

Freeing Ourselves & Finding Community is a free drop-in program for LGBTQI+ teens and young adults. Participants will have a meal together, get free bus cards and have real conversations with other LGBTQI+ people in community. This program takes place at Family Tree Clinic, and is presented in partnership with Avenues' ConneQT program.

Healing Through Connection

Since the closure of District 202 in 2011, Minneapolis has lacked a dedicated community space specifically for LGBTQI+ youth. Now, Freeing Ourselves & Finding Community is filling that gap through this collaboration, offering holistic support to local youth and those arriving from states with increasingly hostile anti-LGBTQI+ laws. The goal is to create a safe, welcoming environment where youth can bring their whole selves without fear of judgment.

Holistic Support & Programming

Through the weekly drop-in, Freeing Ourselves & Finding Community offers:

• Peer support & health services: sexual and gender health education and trans hormone care information.
• Social & financial assistance: housing resources, transportation assistance, and financial literacy education.
• Mental health services: on-site therapy through collaboration with RECLAIM and somatic healing experiences via Reviving Roots.
• Creative & empowering activities: arts therapy, trans somatic healing, drag makeup workshops, and name change clinics.

The Importance of Affirming Spaces

Now more than ever, it's important to create inclusive and affirming spaces for LGBTQI+ youth due to the cultural and political assault on them. Creating an affirming space is crucial, given the concerning statistics reported by the Trevor Project:

• 39% of LGBTQI+ young people seriously considered suicide in the past year, with higher rates among transgender and nonbinary youth.
• LGBTQI+ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than their cisgender or straight peers.
• 50% of LGBTQI+ young people who sought mental health care couldn't access it.
• 49% of LGBTQI+ young people aged 13-17 experienced bullying last year.
• Youth living with community acceptance attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those in unaccepting communities.

YOUTH ALSO NEED YOUR SUPPORT

Will you give in solidarity with LGBTQI+ youth experiencing homelessness? Your gift will support programs at Avenues such as ConneQT, a nationally recognized housing model for LGBTQI+ youth that has an astonishing 100% exit to stable housing rate?

All gifts are matched up to $45,000. Your gift will support youth experiencing homelessness.

THANK YOU COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Every year a different council or team at Target partners up with Avenues for Youth to raise awareness of the critical issue of youth homelessness and supply resources for the youth at Avenues. This year the Data Science team at Target assembled to learn about the work Avenues does in the community. Then, the Target Team assembled 55 welcome kits with all basic hygiene needs, socks, and personal welcome notes. Thank you Target, for showing up for youth in your hometown community! We are grateful for the partnership!

Thank you to the Connect ERG at Ecolab for your time and talents. Recently, the Ecolab team came to Minneapolis Avenues and helped ensure that the house continued to feel like a home to all youth living there. While they did not paint the town red, they definitely painted the downstairs recreation area a honey yellow and the main stairwell a warm beige. Avenues relies on partners like Ecolab for this sort of hands-on help as well as keeping the issue of youth homelessness front and center in their community engagement. More to come still, with this incredible team!

avenuesforyouth.org