Their hard work gave us the resources we need to give 146 youth access to every single service we offer in the Youth Opportunity Center. That’s good karma indeed!

Check out our press release below for more details.

Minneapolis, MN.  May 9, 2012 — Homeless youth will be honored for their achievements on June 13^th at the Youth Opportunity Center in Minneapolis.  YouthLink will be celebrating the students’ achievements by holding a graduation ceremony for clients that have graduated high school, received a GED, or made a transition to post-secondary education during the 2011/12 school year.

The ceremony will begin at 5:30pm at the Youth Opportunity Center and includes a student speaker, scholarship award and keynote speaker.  An open house for family and friends will follow.  This ceremony is an exciting tradition for youth who are served by  YouthLink throughout the year.

YouthLink Executive Director Dr. Heather Huseby is excited to once again provide this opportunity for students and said, “The youth we serve deserve to be recognized for their achievements, which they have accomplished despite the many adversities they’ve faced.”

The Youth Opportunity Center at YouthLink helps young people to meet basic needs and access education and employment resources, housing, health care and other services all under one roof.  Young people who come through the Youth Opportunity Center doors are trying to surmount many barriers. They may be homeless or in unsafe environments, or too tired, hungry and stressed to focus on their education, employment or health.  Despite all this, they are determined to change their lives for the better.  The Youth Opportunity Center, a collaborative one-stop model of intervention services, was launched last year as a key strategy in Heading Home Hennepin, the City of Minneapolis’ and Hennepin County’s plan to end homelessness by 2016.

About YouthLink

YouthLink builds healthy relationships with youth and the community to address youths’ urgent needs so that doors of opportunity are opened to futures of empowerment, connectedness, and self-reliance.  They serve as a critical resource for homeless, precariously housed and marginalized young people ages 16 to 23 by providing a safe, supportive refuge where youth can find help meeting basic needs.  You can find more information at www.YouthLinkMN.org.

About the Youth Opportunity Center (YOC)

In 2008, HennepinCountydesignated YouthLink to be the YouthOpportunityCenteridentified in the Heading Home Hennepin Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness. Supported byHennepinCounty, Heading Home Hennepin, and several major private funders, the YOC is a multi-disciplinary network of public and non-profit agencies collaborating to serve homeless, precariously housed, and marginalized youth in one convenient, accessible and welcoming location.

We have open positions for GED tutors, childcare providers, clothing closet and food shelf managers as well as drop-in assistants. Check out full descriptions here.

Don’t see anything on the list right for you? Don’t worry! Volunteers with special talents to share are welcome to suggest volunteer opportunities of their own! We’ve had everything from acupuncture to yoga to journal-writing workshops, so feel free to come with ideas.

So join us on the 15th for treats and the opportunity to learn more about how you can make a difference in the lives of youth experiencing homelessness.

To RSVP for the info session email smith4@youthlinkmn.org.

Hope to see you there!

Students from Hopkin’s High School’s Good Karma Project, will be hosting a benefit concert for YouthLink on May 4th and 5th at Living Waters Market and Café.

The two day event will feature local bands and a healing expo. Tickets are $7 at the door and $5 in advance. To buy advance tickets, call Living Waters at 952-938-1929.

You can make a difference in the lives of youth who have experienced homelessness by volunteering your time and talent as a caring mom to share your experiences with these young women and help them form happy, healthy bonds with the little ones!

Interested? Contact Kathleen Smith, Communications and Volunteer Coordinator for more at 612-252-1211 or smith4@youthlinkmn.org for more details.

Kris has a gentle face, a calm demeanor and a sparkle in his eye. His future looks good – lots of plans in the works. There’s a certain energy behind his voice when he tells the story of how he got to this place on life’s path. Though the details are tough to hear, and nearly impossible to imagine, he gets strength from telling them.

“I was 14 when I was kicked out of my house the first time. “

“My mom was really depressed after my brother went to jail, and we just couldn’t get along.” Kris’ parents weren’t together anymore, and his dad was sick with alcoholism. “I just didn’t have anywhere to turn.”

He slept on couches, here and there. Kris says, “I’d stay for a week, but it would get really awkward – it’s weird, sleeping on some other family’s couch.” Sometimes his mom would invite him back home, only to kick him out again. He recalls, “Lots of times, I just walked all night. It was pretty easy to stay out of sight.”

Then, Kris’s older sister told him about YouthLink. He came to the Drop-In Center one afternoon. There he found comfort, surrounded by other young people who had stories like his.

“I made friends with Carl” he smiles as he talks about the Food Service Manager at YouthLink. “My dad was a chef, and I was really interested in cooking.” Carl didn’t need assistance in the kitchen right then, but he did need help with dishes and hired Kris. “I used to volunteer at the Hamline Diner at the State Fair,” he mentions, joking that he knew all about dishes. About six months later, Carl hired Kris to cook with him, “and I’m still doing it.” Kris adds, “Carl is a great teacher.”

By the time Kris was 17, he had his own apartment, paid for with money saved from working in YouthLink’s kitchen, and some temp landscaping work. YouthLink became his best resource – he learned about living on his own, paying bills, and caring for his health through YouthLink’s Independent Living Skills classes and on-site clinic. Tutors have helped him with his GED studying, and at 20, he’s within two tests of the finish line.

Kris smiles as he describes his plans. “I plan to get my GED by June. People at YouthLink are helping me figure out how to apply for Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas or Chicago. I’m saving money and looking at financial assistance.” Kris also mentions that his mom is now living with him, and helping him out with the rent when she can.

He adds, “None of it would be happening without YouthLink.”

Youth accessing the services provided by Kulture Klub have had the opportunity to use a recording studio set up at St. Barnabas, one of YouthLink’s supportive housing service sites, to create tracks of their own.

You can be a part of this musical debut – join us in the Community Room at the Youth Opportunity Center and listen to original tracks, celebrate the unveiling of the YOC’s new recording studio, create some art of your own, and learn more about the beginning of Kulture Klub’s  10-month residency with artist/design collaborative Works Progress.

To RSVP for this event, or to learn more, email info@kultureklub.org.

As the weather starts to warm and puddles form, youth experiencing homelessness are often stuck with wet socks and shoes over night. You can lend a hand (or foot) to their hygiene needs by joining out Tweets for Feet campaign!

Just tweet one of the following message to your followers or favorite salon, spa or other beautification station:

I support youth experiencing homelessness! Please donate foot care products to @youthlinkmn and youth in need! http://bit.ly/wnzqVA

Don’t tweet? Here are some other ways you can help!

• Donate new, or sterilized foot care hygiene supplies like nail clippers, foot baths, anti-fungal products, deodorizers, pumice stones, nail files, etc.
• Host a donation drive for new socks
• Host a donation drive for gently used shoes

For questions about donation drop offs or tips on organizing a donation drive, call Kathleen Smith, Communications and Volunteer Coordinator at 612-252-1211 or email smith4@youthlinkmn.org.

With your help, we can make a huge difference in the lives of young people experiencing homelessness this spring!

 YOUTH OPPORTUNITY CENTER CELEBRATES
ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Significant Improvement in the Lives of Youth Documented
Over the Course of the Year

Minneapolis, MN. February 28, 2012—The Youth Opportunity Center at YouthLink, a collaborative one-stop model of intervention services for young people experiencing homelessness, is excited to announce that they will be celebrating their one year anniversary on March 20th. With more than 22 partners on-site, the Youth Opportunity Center (YOC) enables young people to access a wide range of services, including dental, education, employment, housing, and health and wellness services from various public and non-profit agencies in one convenient location.

The YOC was launched last year as a key strategy in Heading Home Hennepin, the City of Minneapolis’ and Hennepin County’s plan to end homelessness by 2016. The YOC model of service delivery addressed some of the barriers that prevent many homeless and precariously housed young people from receiving services, such as transportation limitations and mistrust of new people or systems. Combining services under one roof significantly improved accessibility and made young people experiencing or at-risk for homelessness more likely to pursue the services that they needed.

Over the past year, a significant amount of data was collected and the results were astonishing. The YOC partnering agencies served 878 youth looking to access services for the first time, a 53% increase over 2010. Also increasing was the number of unduplicated youth accessing the YOC, a 33.5% increase, as well as a 25% increase in daily visits.

Commenting on the event, Youthlink Executive Director Dr. Heather Huseby said, “This is an exciting time to celebrate what IS possible. There is a collective commitment among the talented, diverse leaders we work with to come together and address the problem of homelessness and crisis among young people.”

The celebration will be held at the Youth Opportunity Center on March 20, 2012 from 12pm to 6pm. Birthday cake will be served and 30 minute guided tours will be offered every half hour.

About the Youth Opportunity Center (YOC)
In 2008, Hennepin County designated YouthLink to be the Youth Opportunity Center identified in the Heading Home Hennepin Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness. Supported by Hennepin County, Heading Home Hennepin, and several major private funders, the YOC is a multi-disciplinary network of public and non-profit agencies collaborating to serve homeless, precariously housed, and marginalized youth in one convenient, accessible and welcoming location.

About YouthLink
YouthLink builds healthy relationships with youth and the community to address youths’ urgent needs so that doors of opportunity are opened to futures of empowerment, connectedness, and self-reliance. They serve as a critical resource for homeless, precariously housed and marginalized young people ages 16 to 23 by providing a safe, supportive refuge where youth can find help meeting basic needs. You can find more information at www.YouthLinkMN.org.