Together We've Helped Youth Reach their Dreams

AveNEWS | November 2020

You Make A Difference

With or without a pandemic, Avenues is here for youth. A gift of $84 provides one youth with a week of intensive support.

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Join Our Team

We're currently hiring for these positions:

Mental Health Therapist
Site Manager, Brooklyn Avenues and Minneapolis Avenues
Youth Support Specialists, On Call and Part-Time

Learn More Here

Host Homes Needed

This National Youth Homelessness Awareness Month, Avenues is asking community to step up and become host homes for ConneQT. ConneQT supports LGBTQI+ youth experiencing homelessness and has made changes to be COVID-safe. Learn more about ConneQT here or by contacting Ryan Berg.

Gratitude This Month

Thank You to the Upper Room youth group for making Thanksgiving festive for our young families program! Upper Room youth shopped for groceries, table settings, books and crafts for families.

Morrie’s Subaru of Brooklyn is Park did a sheets and laundry basket drive this month. Thank you for your continued partnership, Morrie's!

Thank you Joan for donating a flat screen and Wii to our young families program!

Thank you, Meena, for donating laundry soup, candy, and gift cards for youth at Avenues! The donation was provided by the Service Club at Harriet Bishop Elementary School and Youth Service America.

This month Carlson School of Business Management students spent a day at Avenues helping with yard work. Thank you for volunteering!

Together We've Helped Youth Like Shantasia

As the holiday season arrives, we are reminded at Avenues of how very grateful we are for your partnership. Every gift made at Give to the Max Day, every hour spent volunteering, and the behind the scenes advocacy work that supporters do makes a difference in youth homelessness. From all of us at Avenues, have a wonderful holiday season and thank you for continuing to show up for youth like Shantasia.

Not feeling safe at her home, Shantasia knew she needed to leave her step dad's house. She moved in to Minneapolis Avenues in last winter, just before the pandemic broke out. At the time she wasn't working and wasn't sure how to apply for college. She was also struggling with anxiety, an issue made worse by the pandemic.

"Covid was stressful for her, but she got the job and everything she wanted to get done during the pandemic," said Dominique, Shantasia's Youth Advocate and Engagement Specialist.

After staff took time to build trust and connection with Shantasia, she started to blossom. She applied for St. Paul College and completed her CNA certification. She also got a job she loved that paid well enough that she could save. She eventually moved out into her own apartment that's close to her school.

“She did very, very well," Dominique said. "She was committed to self-efficiency and hit the ground running.”

You Gave to the Max

Thanks to more than 250 donors, we blew past our goal and raised $48,000 on Give to the Max Day. We also met all three matching gifts, matching $17,000 in gifts.

Thank you to every person who gave, created a fundraiser, and shared their support of Avenues on social media. Your support allows us to continue our critical work during an uncertain time. Special thanks to our Board of Directors and Synchrony Foundation for matching gifts. Your generosity inspired others to give boldly.

Nearly Ten Years of Impact

Last month, Avenues' Board Chair, Chuck Tombarge, stepped off of the board after nearly ten years of service. Chuck joined the board in 2010 and served as board chair twice. We'd like to thank Chuck for his years of leadership, from helping Avenues overcome financial hardship to expanding our services and programs to where we are today. Learn about Chuck’s impact in the interview below.

Is there something you’re particularly proud of that Avenues has accomplished? One of the things I’m proud of is that Avenues has always remained true to itself. I think it is a unique organization among homeless organizations in that we are much more than a shelter or a program. We serve youth, considering their whole selves. As a result, we meet youth where they are. We aren’t forcing youth to abide by our equation for success. We’re listening to their wants and needs. We’re addressing their individual situations. And we’re supporting them in any way that we can. Even during our growth spurts, as part of the discussion we had with the board during our early strategic planning, we decided not to grow just to grow. But instead, we decided to grow in ways that expand on our strengths.

What’s kept you at Avenues during these ten years? In the beginning, it was really about my own leadership and building up Avenues financially. In the last three years, in particular, my motivation has been to consider how do we make this a better organization and one that plays an increasing role in our community. Avenues is in a great place financially. Now it’s time to do the work that makes us an even better organization in terms of really difficult issues like social justice, long-term financial sustainability, and growing to meet the needs of youth when those needs are getting bigger and bigger by the minute.

What’s your dream for Avenues? I dream that an organization like Avenues won’t be necessary. If we’re doing this right, if we support all members of our community, then homelessness wouldn’t exist for anyone, let alone for youth.

Impact Opportunity

Make the Holidays Bright

The holidays can be a tough time for youth experiencing homelessness. Avenues' annual Holiday Program is an opportunity for staff and community to make the days a little brighter. Youth in all of our programs, and children in the young families program, receive holiday gifts.

The program looks a little different this year because of COVID-19, but you can participate by purchasing gifts off of our general holiday wish list. Gifts will be given to youth in late December. Click here to shop the list.