We rely on volunteers and community support to keep the houses looking great, stock the closets with hygiene products and welcome baskets, and spread awareness of our work.
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC
Thank you to Nancy and the entire team at Boston Scientific Arden Hills location for the gift of 88 smartphones! When the team discovered that they could no longer use the company-issued phones for their intended purpose, they made sure these new and refurbished phones would not go to waste.
All young people at Avenues for Youth now have their own phone (or a phone upgrade) to ensure they have the resources they need to navigate educational, professional, and housing opportunities. Smartphones are now an essential need in our modern world, but the price tag can make them inaccessible to many young people. This gift is not only spectacularly generous, but such a game changer for so many youth. Youth in both shelters as well as youth in ConneQT and the Young Families program eagerly put these devices to use. Boston Scientific has fast become one of Avenues best supporters with hands on and material support to ensure every young person has the tools they need to achieve their dreams.
TWIN CITIES GAY POOL LEAGUE
Thank You Twin Cities Gay Pool League! Every year for the last 10 years this incredible community of players has used their end of season tournament to showcase not only their impressive talents, but also to advocate for LGBTQI+ youth experiencing homelessness. This year the league gave Avenues $2,300 to support the ConneQT Host Home Program. Thank you to the entire league for this continued support and attention to those in our community in need resources and support. Thank you as well to the EAGLE MPLS for hosting us.
CARITAS VOCAL ENSEMBLE
Thank you to Caritas Vocal Ensemble and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church for hosting a beautiful concert! The choir gave a lovely performance featuring songs about love! Community members came together to enjoy the music and raise over $1,000 for Avenues’ programs!
AUTHORS NANA-AMA DANQUAH & CHRISTI FURNAS
Thank you to Nana-Ama Danquah for providing copies of “Willow Weep For Me” for each of Avenues’ programs. The book will be used by staff and youth to discuss mental health and community supports. Nana-Ama Danquah is an author, editor, freelance journalist, ghostwriter, public speaker, actress, and teacher. Her groundbreaking memoir, “Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman’s Journey Through Depression” was originally published in 1998 then re-released in 2023 as a special 25th anniversary edition. Nana-Ama explores the many layers of her experiences with depression—as a Black woman, an immigrant, and a single mother who often lived in poverty—as well as the ways that racism, classism, and sexism on a broader scale contribute to the suffering of those who struggle with mental illness.
In a recent interview, Nana-Ama shares of her experience writing this book: ” I wrote Willow Weep for Me from a place of defiance, telling everything that I knew I was not supposed to tell, fighting back against a stigma that had all but beaten me into submission. The book was one of the first, if not the first, personal narratives of depression written and published by a Black woman.” Read Nana-Ama’s beautiful conversation with Cheryl Strayed here: https://loom.ly/xVkFacQ
Christi Furnas, a ConneQT host, created a graphic novel about her journey with schizophrenia and mental health. Thank you, Christi, for sharing copies of “Crazy Fox Tales: Therapy Shopping” with youth at Avenues! Christi Furnas is a queer, Minneapolis based author, illustrator, oil painter and disability rights advocate. Christi’s debut graphic novel, Crazy Like a Fox: Adventures in Schizophrenia uses humor and fantastical critters to reflect on her own experience. The book will be on shelves April 2024. You can preorder your copy at https://loom.ly/Ye8gS8w
Want to Get Involved?
Avenues will house and support more than 250 youth in Minnesota this year, and it takes a community to do this work. As a faith group, corporate partner, business group, or civic group, you can partner with Avenues in a way that feels right for your organization.
To learn more about ways to partner with Avenues for Youth visit: https://avenuesforyouth.org/community-partners/