Building Stronger Futures Together — A Message from Executive Director Heather Lyke | Click the image above for a video message from Heather Lyke | |
At Children First, we believe that stronger communities begin with opportunities for children and young people to thrive. This fall, we're bringing people together to support youth leadership, strengthen mental wellness, and create positive change throughout our West Metro community.
Read on to discover more about:
- Children First's Give to the Max Day fundraising efforts
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Youth For Change Coalition, our youth-driven mental wellness leadership group
- An exciting donation of blanket and teddy bear bundles from One Good Deed
- Takeaways from our visit to the StriveTogether Cradle To Career Network Convening
| Give to the Max Day: Help Build Stronger Futures | |
This Give to the Max Day, you can help make our work possible.
Every child needs to learn, grow, and feel supported to thrive. At Children First, we bring people together to create stronger opportunities for children, youth, and families in our community.
Your contribution supports programs that promote literacy, youth leadership, mental wellbeing, and meaningful community connections.
Children First counts on a minimum of $40,000 in individual donations annually to ensure the continuity of our work. With one quarter of our fiscal year complete, we've received just 2.4% of our annual donation goal. Give to the Max Day is one of the most important opportunities this fall to invest in your community.
Your support helps Children First continue convening, connecting, and strengthening the West Metro to create a tangible impact for youth and families:
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Give to the Max Day is Thursday, November 19, 2026, with Early Giving beginning November 1. Don't wait to make a difference! Consider making an early gift, sharing our campaign with friends and family, or asking your employer about a matching-gift opportunity.
Every gift helps move our community toward a stronger future for children and youth.
Double Your Impact with a Matching Gift!
This Give to the Max Day, your generosity can be automatically doubled! Thanks to a special matching gift, donations from November 1 through 19, 2026 will be matched dollar for dollar by community partners, helping us make an even greater impact for local children and youth. See our Give to the Max donation page for more details about the donation matching program.
Your support will help strengthen youth leadership, promote youth mental wellbeing, and expand literacy and learning opportunities across the West Metro. Give today and let your generosity go twice as far!
| | Y4CC is Back for a New School Year! | |
The Youth For Change Coalition (Y4CC) kicked off its fourth year earlier this month, convening high school students from across the West Metro as they focus on improving the mental wellbeing of young people in our community.
Meeting every other Tuesday during the 2026–2027 school year, students explore issues affecting local youth while developing leadership skills, building confidence, and collaborating with peers and adult coaches.
This year's work continues Y4CC's focus on promoting mental wellbeing, hope, and resilience while reducing the risk of serious mental health crises among area youth. Students work in partnership with our Mental Wellness Strategy Group while using community information and shared learning to help guide their efforts.
Past Y4CC projects have included mental wellness workshops, a youth mental health position paper and partnerships with local organizations.
This year's cohort includes students from Benilde-St. Margaret's, Hopkins High School, and St. Louis Park High School. It also represents our broadest range of grade levels to date, as students in their first or second year of high school now comprise 29% of the group.
Follow our newsletter and social media platforms for updates on Y4CC's work throughout the year and opportunities to engage with these passionate students!
There's Still Time for Students to Join Us
Children First is seeking dedicated high school students who want to develop their leadership skills and contribute to positive change in their community.
If you're a high school student interested in getting involved—or you know someone who might be a good fit—we'd love to hear from you! Learn more and apply by visiting bit.ly/4uQR8Pg or emailing Ryan Whitaker at ryan@children-first.org.
| Sharing Comfort and Kindness Across the West Metro | |
A small act of kindness can make a big difference! Children First recently received a generous donation of 50 teddy bear and blanket bundles from One Good Deed, helping us bring a little extra comfort to local children and families.
Volunteers from Citizens Independent Bank assembled the bundles as part of their efforts to give back to the community. We're grateful to One Good Deed and the volunteers who helped make this effort possible!
Children First plans to distribute the bundles to early learning centers throughout the West Metro and directly to families at upcoming community events. These cuddly companions will bring children comfort and remind families that their community cares about them.
Thank you to One Good Deed and Citizens Independent Bank for helping us spread kindness throughout our community!
| Children First Joins Education Leaders Nationwide at the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network Convening | |
Heather Lyke, our Executive Director, believes that strong leaders are always learning. This is what drove her to join over 700 youth-focused community leaders at the StriveTogether Cradle to Career Network Convening in Baltimore, Maryland earlier this month.
Centered around the question "What does it take to fulfill our promise to America's youth?," Lyke spent three days exploring this answer in community with others. From keynote speakers to breakout sessions, all learning shared one unified goal: putting 4 million more young people on a path filled with opportunities designed to lead toward upward economic mobility.
Lyke returned inspired, and is already at work with how to put some of her new learning into action here in our West Metro community. In fact, stay tuned for an upcoming discussion series centered around The Disengaged Teen, a book written by one of the speakers at the Baltimore convening. This opportunity is set to launch in February and will be hosted by the Hennepin County Library's St. Louis Park branch. Look for more details in the months to come.
Always a learner, next Lyke will attend the Minnesota School Behavioral Health Conference in Brainerd this November.
| Support Children First This Fall and Invest in a Brighter Future for Local Youth | |
Children First's work depends on people and organizations who believe in investing in the future of our community. As a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on community support to bring people together, elevate youth voices, and turn shared knowledge into action.
This Give to the Max season, you can help us continue that work by making a gift, sharing our campaign with others, or encouraging your employer to participate.
Want to make your gift go even further? Consider creating a matching gift for Children First. Whether you're an individual donor, family, or local business, a matching gift can inspire others to give and help build momentum throughout the campaign.
To learn more about offering a match, contact Ryan Whitaker at ryan@children-first.org.
Thank you for being part of a community committed to helping West Metro children thrive!
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Mark your calendar
Anytime: Support Children First by donating at children-first.org/give
November 1: Give to the Max early giving begins
November 19: Give to the Max Day
| | Let's Stay In Touch — Follow Us on Social Media | | |
Stay connected with Children First on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X, where we share updates on our work, upcoming events, and more!
Follow us on your favorite platform and help spread the word by liking, commenting on, and sharing our posts with friends, neighbors, and community members.
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