This November the BATC Foundation’s Home Aid program along with the BATC Young Professionals are working to help homeless youth. From now through the BATC Buck Auction (Dec. 3rd) we’ll be collecting items to be donated to Avenues for Homeless Youth. A full list of needed items is located here.
Avenues for Homeless Youth works to provide emergency shelter, short-term housing and supportive services for homeless youth in a safe and nurturing environment. Through such service, Avenues seeks to help youth achieve their personal goals and make a positive transition into young adulthood.
Why Avenues for Homeless Youth Needs Our Help
- More than 10,000 young people in Minnesota experience homelessness every year.
- Youth homelessness has jumped 63% in Minnesota since 2009, according to Wilder Research’s latest count in October 2012.
- Homeless youth struggle with numerous issues because of their age and lack of safe housing:
- They are too young to obtain rental housing on their own; they simply do not have adequate income or savings to pay a damage deposit.
- Without job experience or personal identification with a current address, they struggle to gain or improve upon their employment.
- They have had little or no access to health care, mental health, legal support or social services.
- Very often, their education is interrupted or curtailed.
- Youth on the streets are more likely to be assaulted or coerced by predators, to engage in prostitution, to become pregnant, to not receive needed medical or psychological attention, and to fail to find enough food and shelter to survive.
What They are Doing to Make a Difference
Avenues for Homeless Youth is a transitional housing program—a home—where youth can live as they stabilize, build trusting adult relationships and work toward their personal goals for independent living. Avenues operates the following four programs:
GLBT Host Home Program
The GLBT Host Home Program provides transitional living arrangements for 10 homeless gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender youth and young adults ages 16 to 21 in safe, supportive, volunteer host homes. Founded in 1998, this community-based program is coordinated by Avenues, but supported by a vast array of individuals and other youth-serving agencies. The host homes receive training and ongoing support from Avenues, while the youth receive case management by the referring agencies.
Minneapolis Host Home Program
Just launched in fall 2012, the Minneapolis Host Home Program aims to provide transitional living arrangements for 10 homeless youth and young adults ages 16 to 21 in safe, supportive, volunteer host homes in the city of Minneapolis. This new community-based program is coordinated by Avenues, but supported by a vast array of individuals and other youth-serving agencies. The host homes receive training and ongoing support from Avenues, while the youth receive case management by the referring agencies.
Suburban Host Home Program
The Suburban Host Home Program aims to provide transitional living arrangements for 10 homeless youth and young adults ages 16 to 21 in safe, supportive, volunteer host homes in the suburbs of Hennepin County. Launched in the summer of 2011, this community-based program is coordinated by Avenues, but supported by a vast array of individuals and other youth-serving agencies. The host homes receive training and ongoing support from Avenues, while the youth receive case management by the referring agencies.
More information on how you can help Avenues for Homeless Youth can be found here.
