The Brainerd Baxter Youth Center

The Brainerd Baxter Youth Center

Teens are at a critical time on their paths toward adulthood. They share a need to explore emotions, learn healthy coping mechanisms, develop critical thinking skills, and discover their personal potential in a safe and trusting environment.  For some, this is a nurturing home or positive school environment, but for many young people who visit The Shop, this has not been their reality.

Food scarcity is real. Our 3pm After School Snack is often the first "meal" of the day. Our 5:00pm Dinner is never soon enough and leftovers rarely happen. We supply a Food Shelf, Hygiene Supplies, and an Open Closet with coats, socks, gloves, and even fresh towels and blankets.  

We host monthly SxTalks, which pick up where our schools leave off to address reproductive health and education. Monthly LifeTalks help youth develop lifelong skills on various topics, including mental health, financial wellness, and first aid, and BladeTalks to educate our youth about the dangers of drugs and overdose and how to use life saving methods.

LGBTQ+ youth have a night to call their own networking with caring adults offering education, social engagement, and connections to peers through our RainbowRoad Club.

Connection Clubs and The Bicycle Recycle Project develop workplace skills and offer a place for youth to connect with peers.  

Game nights sport Pathfinder, Magic, Uno and engage youth in critical thinking, even though we know it’s the simple fun of table talk that brings youth together. Movie nights, Open Mic, Art Afternoons, Holiday Parties, and Birthday Celebrations are both planned and spontaneous giving youth social connections they all crave. 

Service to Community Projects pay it forward as youth become vested in our community.

Using our community resources, we offer engaging opportunities for youth to build connections and a sense of belonging by creating a resiliency network of people, places, and things to support them on their path to independence.   

We want all our youth to have a sense of self-worth and a belief in their own unique capacity to succeed.  TheShop is Brainerd Baxter’s Youth Empowerment Space for all our youth.   

Click ~ Contribute ~ Empower

Empowering youth to reach potential 
Visit: http://theshopbrainerd.org/