Our Youth
Avenues’ youth usually are unable to return home. They were sent away, left home because of family conflict or illegal activities in the home, or (increasingly) because their families are homeless or precariously housed.
Many have been victims of physical and/or sexual abuse. Most are unemployed. And their education was interrupted or curtailed by their homelessness.
In the North Minneapolis house, Avenues annually supports 130 to 140 homeless youth who come from throughout Minnesota. 75% are ages 18-20 and 25% are ages 16-17.
Through the GLBT Host Home Program, we serve 15 to 20 youth each year, with up to 10 youth living in host homes at any given time. All youth served by this program are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.
Youth come to Avenues through a variety of ways—they are referred by other agencies that serve homeless youth, school counselors, churches or other community agencies, and they just hear about Avenues on the streets.
Avenues welcomes and supports all youth, regardless of their circumstances and without judgment.