We're Thankful For You

AveNEWS | November 2019

You Can Give Youth a Home

6,000 youth in Minnesota don't have a stable home tonight. You can change that. A gift of $84 provides one youth with a week of intensive support.

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Upcoming Events

See what's happening this month by clicking here.

Join Our Team

We're currently hiring for these positions:

Licensed Mental Health Therapist
Youth Support Specialists

Learn More Here

Gratitude This Month

Homes for All put together 25 welcome home kits for our Young Families program. The kits have kitchen supplies, cleaning supplies, blankets, bathroom supplies and more the help families make their new apartment home. Thank you to everyone who put kits together, and thank you Greater Twin Cities United Way for sponsoring the event!

Thank you to our volunteers who regularly help Avenues with administration work, putting away and organizing in-kind supplies, and cooking and cleaning at Brooklyn Avenues and Minneapolis Avenues. Thank you Jane, Beth, Nicole, Tom, Rose, Kim, Jim, Myron and the awesome group from the Church of St. Gerard Majella!

Thank you 3M and the 3M Impact Team for partnering with Avenues! The 3M Impact Team shared their expertise and resources with Avenues to help strengthen some of our HR practices.

In honor of Youth Homelessness Awareness Month, the Church of St. Gerard Majella is featuring silhouettes of youth in their pews. Each silhouette has a story a of youth experiencing homelessness. Thank you for spreading awareness of youth homelessness, St. Gerard!

Thank You For Making Our Work Possible

As the year comes to a close and another begins, we realize how much we have accomplished this year and that we have a wonderful community to thank. This year Avenues supported 300 young people experiencing homelessness. We re-opened our drop-in hours for LGBTQI+ youth and launched a new program, Abule. Minneapolis Avenues was remodeled to better support young people. In December, Avenues will celebrate its 25th anniversary.

On behalf of Avenues youth and staff, thank you for your commitment to young people experiencing homelessness. You make a difference in our community.

We'd also like to thank everyone who supported and advocated for Avenues on Give to the Max Day. Thanks to over 150 donors, Avenues raised $28,000 for youth experiencing homelessness - surpassing last year's Give to the Max Day.

Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act

In November, Congress introduced the bipartisan Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act (RHYTPA). The bill builds on the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, which has been providing nonprofits and communities like Avenues with federal grants for 45 years.

The changes that RHYTPA would enact better reflect the unique needs of young people experiencing homelessness. If passed, RHYTPA will update the existing bill by:

Extending the allowable length of stays in Basic Center Programs from 21 to 30 days (or longer as state law allows) and increasing the number of allowable beds to 20
Ensuring Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion assistance
Increasing age eligibility for services up to the age of 25 in Transitional Living Programs
Comprehensive nondiscriminatory practices across all Runaway and Homeless Youth Act funded programs
Programs and services will also ensure staff training on human trafficking, trauma, sexual abuse and assault
Basic Center Programs are to engage in outreach with victims of sexual abuse, exploitation, trafficking in persons, or sex trafficking
Practicable services will be extended for victims of sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, trafficking in persons or sex trafficking as part of Transitional Living Programs

We at Avenues know these changes will benefit youth in our programs and youth experiencing homelessness on a national level. We encourage you to learn more about the bill here.

Brooklyn Avenues Community Connectors

"I think we’ve moved beyond people thinking youth that are homeless are runaways," Cindy Shevlin-Woodcock said. "I don’t hear it as often as I used to."

Cindy, an Avenues advocate and Chair of Brooklyn Avenues Community Connectors (BACC), says community conversations have changed the dialogue around youth homelessness for the better. BACC launched last spring in part to keep that dialogue going. It's mission is to inspire support for youth experiencing homelessness through service, education and fundraising.

"We wanted to be known as not just fundraisers," Cindy said about BACC. "We want to educate the community."

BACC put on its first community event last month. It hosted an open house and conversation about youth homelessness for local school staff. Attendees were able to ask Brooklyn Avenues' staff questions about youth homelessness and learn about resources. The group is also planning a special event for Brooklyn Avenues fifth anniversary this February.

BACC is made up of Brooklyn Avenues advocates, volunteers and community members from faith groups, area schools and government. Youth from faith youth groups have even attended meetings. Anyone passionate about Brooklyn Avenues is welcome to join.

"We need leaders in the youth community in the room," Cindy said. "They are the backbone of the community around youth issues."

Contact Marni at mzimlin@avenuesforyouth.org to learn more and join BACC.

Impact Opportunity

Holiday Wrapping Party

It's that time of the year again! Join us for our annual Holiday Wrapping Party on Saturday, Dec. 14th from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Brookdale Covenant Church. Volunteers will wrap gifts donated to Avenues youth. Last year volunteers wrapped over 600 gifts! There will be snacks and hot beverages. This is a great opportunity for families, children and groups to volunteer.

RSVP Here

Avenues for Homeless Youth | www.avenuesforyouth.org