For many homeless youth, the biggest challenge is staying on track with studies and keeping a job while living on the streets. Keeping up grades and making it to work each day can be tough when you’re hopping from couch to couch each night. But statistically, we know staying in school and keeping a job are key ingredients to breaking the cycle of poverty and chronic, long-term homelessness.

As thousands of kids across Minnesota prepare for the first day of school next week, YouthLink is preparing to host its own Back to School Kick Off featuring a number of events and festivities including an evening with Freedom Writer, Darrius Garrett on Wed., Aug. 25.

For years, those of us working to end homelessness in our community have been longing for a true federal partner. That day may have come. Last month, the Obama administration announced that the President was signing into action the nation’s first ever strategic plan to end homelessness.

After an interesting start to the day, the YouthLink Up Top Street Soccer team was off to the races. KARE -11 showed up in the morning and took video of the youth celebrating their departure. We showed the crew how we get hyped up–Up Top style!

For most folks, human trafficking is something that only takes place overseas. It’s a foreign issue that occurs only in countries in southeast Asia, Africa and Europe. But, the harsh—and sometimes eye-opening—reality is, human trafficking is happening right here in the U.S. As estimated 14,500-17,500 men, women and children are trafficked into the U.S. each year.

On July 30, 15 young people from Minneapolis who have experienced homelessness in the last year will step on the “court” and participate in the 2010 USA Street Soccer Cup in Washington, DC. The YouthLink team, Up Top, is making its third appearance in the event—it won the event back in 2008 and came in second-place last year.

One of the most critical needs for homeless youth is putting a roof over their heads each night. These youth frequently turn to friends, extended family and emergency shelters for help. But, finding these roofs can sometimes prove more challenging than you might think. YouthLink is helping solve that problem by adding new beds to ...Read More →

My name is Brittany Gregory. And I’m a homeless youth.
Correction: I was a homeless youth. And I owe
a lot of that to the people at YouthLink.
I’ve been homeless since I was 16.
At 17, I was pregnant with my son, Marsean.
He passed away before he was born —
and I think about him every day.
I knew I needed help.

Graduation is a time for reflection and pause and a glimpse at the future. But, for homeless youth it also signifies a remarkable achievement. Why? Because when you don’t sleep in the same bed every night it tends to detract from your focus and commitment—concepts that are vital to completing a high school education. That’s ...Read More →

In this short video, Cathy ten Broeke, coordinator for the project to end youth homelessness with Hennepin County, talks about how a passionate and committed community of partners, providers and business and government leaders has come together to create one place where homeless youth could access housing, employment, health care and other services under one ...Read More →