By The Numbers

BySarah Johnson

Did You Know?

  • Every night in Minnesota more than 6,000 youth are homeless and our state only has enough beds for less than 25% of them – the rest are on the streets, couch hopping or staying in unsafe relationships to survive
  • On any given night, there are about 425 unaccompanied young people under the age of 25 experiencing homelessness in Hennepin County
  • According to the National Runaway Hotline, one out of every three teens will be solicited by traffickers or exploiters within 72 hours of leaving home

YouthLink Has Been There for These Youth for More Than 45 Years 

  • On average, YouthLink serves more than 1,500 unduplicated youth ages 16-24 every year, visiting the Drop-In Center more than 10,000 times
  • Over 90% of these youth are BIPOC, 20% report that they identify as LGBTQIA+, 80% have been abused or exploited by adults and many struggle with mental illness
  • In 2021 we served nearly 74,000 meals thanks to our fantastic onsite chef
  • Non-judgmental and empathetic staff who reflect the community served – 75% of our executive leadership (including CEO and Senior Director) are BIPOC and 57% entire staff are BIPOC
  • Our drop-in center in downtown Minneapolis plays a critical role in responding to basic needs and we work with other community partners to provide an array of services to move youth toward housing stability and long-term success

What You Can Do

Invest Your Resources – make a financial contribution to YouthLink or view our Amazon wish list to donate items
Invest Your Voice – connect with us on social media to learn more about the work we do: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

While we are located in downtown Minneapolis we serve youth from across the metro area and the ripple effect of their success radiates throughout all of Minnesota – thank you for your ongoing support! 

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