Avenues for Youth

Will you help Avenues remain a place where young people's resilience can take root?

For 30+ years, Avenues for Youth has partnered with youth experiencing homelessness to achieve their dreams. At Avenues, we believe that nearly all youth experiencing homelessness have or are experiencing trauma. Therefore, mental health is--and has always been--at the center of all our work. 

We also believe that youth are resilient, inspiring, and the drivers of their own journeys. With stability, trust and youth-centered supports, their dreams can become reality.

When a young person arrives at Avenues, they don't just find a bed. They find caring and trauma-informed staff who are ready to help them take the next steps on their journey. They can access therapists and other wellness providers who help them process their past and build healthy coping mechanisms for their future. And when they're ready, they develop and pursue employment, education, and relationship goals that are meaningful to them. They find the space and safety to make intentional choices about the adults they want to become.

Youth mental health is declining nationwide. Homelessness and housing insecurity only make things worse.

It's no secret that we have a youth mental health crisis in the United States. This crisis is even more pronounced for BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA-identifying youth. To make matters worse, youth with these identities are overrepresented in the population of youth experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. 

This trend bears out in the youth we partner with at Avenues. In 2026, 88% of youth at Avenues identify as BIPOC, and nearly 40% identify as LGBTQIA+. 

Each night in Minnesota, over 4,000 youth experience homelessness. With your help, Avenues can continue providing the trauma-informed support youth who have experienced homelessness and housing insecurity need to thrive. 

Unfortunately, loss of government funding and rising living costs pose a challenge.

Soaring costs of essentials such as food and basic supplies, in addition to contractions of federal and county funding, have made it more challenging to meet the needs of youth in shelter and transitional housing. Since Avenues is committed to offering not just a bed, but the holistic supports required for all youth to find hope and healing for the journey ahead, your help is critical to fulfilling our mission.

Can you make a gift today to help us reach our $105,000 goal?

Gifts of any amount promote positive mental health for youth at Avenues!

• $25 could provide a sensory or emotional regulation kit for a youth
• $75 could provide gender-affirming products for a trans or nonbinary youth
• $150 could provide a one-hour therapy session for a youth with a culturally-relevant therapist
• $250 could cover one group therapy session for youth at Minneapolis or Brooklyn Avenues 
• $500 could provide parenting support classes for parenting youth in the Young Families program

Your gift will support mission-critical work to help youth heal from trauma, develop healthy coping strategies, and establish caring relationships with trusted adults. Additionally, each gift will make transitional housing for youth feel like home as they heal, grow, and dream about their futures.

It's simple: when you give to Avenues for Youth, you make a difference in the lives of youth experiencing homelessness in Minnesota.

Avenues for Youth is highly rated for financial health, accountability, and transparency by: