partneriNG with youth to achieve their dreams.
Our Mission
Avenues partners with youth experiencing homelessness to achieve their dreams.
For 30 years, Avenues has supported youth ages 16-24 in Hennepin County. Whether a young person needs a place to stay for just one night, or a year and a half, Avenues partners with youth to find their path out of homelessness. We do that by providing a stable home, building trusting relationships, and supporting the youth’s education, career, health and wellness and housing goals.
Our Vision
A community where all youth flourish.
Our Values
Avenues work is guided by the 9 Evidence-based, Guiding Principles to Help Youth Overcome Homelessness and our core values:
Equity, Community, Respect + Dignity, Trust, Liberation, and Anti-oppression.
At Avenues, we believe:
- Homelessness does not define a person. It is just one part of a journey that we are here to help young people navigate.
- Nearly all youth experiencing homelessness have or are experiencing trauma. Therefore, mental health is at the center of all our work.
- There is no one reason why youth experience homelessness – it’s intersectional. Systems of oppression, racism and poverty are some of the root causes of homelessness. Without addressing these systems, homelessness will persist.
- Youth are resilient, inspiring, and the drivers of their own journey. With stability, trust and youth-centered supports, their dreams can become reality.
Strategic Plan 2023- 2025
Avenues for Youth has launched a new strategic plan that was created by Avenues' leadership, managers, and the Board of Directors. Knowing there remains a significant unmet need in our community, Avenues for Youth will focus on sustainable growth, while keeping social justice at the center of our work. Our strategic goals are:
Our five strategic goals are:
