At The Bridge for Youth, we believe in the power of our voices to effect change. No one should be harmed for speaking their truth or the truth of others. This organization – and our country’s democracy – is based on this principle.
There is no place for violence in this country – not in our neighborhoods and not in our homes.
The Bridge sends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Speaker Emerita Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Please know, we are grateful for Melissa’s enduring and loving leadership and legacy.
We send wishes for absolute healing and a full recovery to Senator John Hoffman, his wife, Yvette, and their daughter, Hope. Senator, we need you back in your seat, fighting for the health and well-being of all children.
Peace to all involved and to the commUNITY. Together, we will overcome.
We are thrilled to share that The Bridge for Youth has been awarded $250,000 during the 2025 Minnesota Legislative Session, specifically restricted to begin predesign work on the expansion of The Bridge’s young families housing!
This vital housing expansion aims to grow Marlene’s Place transitional living program for young families from 5 to 15 units and add up to 24 units of new, non-time-bound supportive housing for young families in our community. This expansion is a significant step toward meeting the increasing need for trauma responsive, youth informed, and culturally focused housing for youth and their children.
We extend our deepest gratitude to our legislative champions, Senator Scott Dibble and Representative Katie Jones, whose unwavering support made this possible. Your advocacy is helping build a stronger future for young families across Minnesota.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support our mission. Together, we are creating brighter futures—one young family at a time.
Click here to learn more about the Young Families Housing Campaign.
The smells of great food, the sounds of uplifting performances, and the feeling of liberation were ever-present at The Bridge’s Juneteenth Celebration. Gathering in commUNITY, this annual tradition was a demonstration of our deepest values.
Together we enjoyed live music from Brass Solidarity, kicked our feet with line dancing led by Rose McGee’s Sweet Potato Comfort Pie organization, came together for a drum circle led by our good friend Brother Ghana, and more.
Thank you to our event sponsors, staff, and volunteers for helping us make this a celebration to remember! Read more about our celebration.
Our commUNITY concluded an exciting month of celebrating LGBTQ+ youth by attending Twin Cities Pride. We had an incredible weekend as we welcomed thousands of guests to our booth, shared essential resources, and engaged in creative activities.
Activities kicked off at Youth Pride Night, where we were joined by our friends at the Be Like Tommy Project – a nonprofit organization with a mission to create joy and belonging for youth. Together, we created beautiful vinyl spin art pieces.
As the weekend continued, many BFY youth enjoyed Pride for the very first time. Hear from an LGBTQ+ youth in shelter on how The Bridge helped them embrace their identity.
“Being out for the first time means I can explore who I am. And being at The Bridge has given me a safe place to do that. This month is my first step in becoming me.” – Youth in BFY Shelter
It was an exciting month of commUNITY connections at The Bridge. Here are some highlights of the ways we came together to support youth this month:
-Minneapolis City Council Vice President Aisha Chughtai took a tour of The Bridge and discussed ways we can partner with the City of Minneapolis to ensure all youth feel safe, accepted, and supported. Thank you to Council Vice President Chughtai for being in commUNITY with us.
-We welcomed several volunteer groups in celebration of Pride Month! Thank you to our friends at General Mills, The Creative Partners Group, and BLU54 Material Solutions for helping us celebrate LGBTQ+ youth.
-The Minnesota Vikings donated clothing and special giveaway items. SKOL!
-Our friends at Rose McGee’s Sweet Potato Comfort Pie organization invited us to serve as a Community Ambassador at a special performance of Kumbayah: The Juneteenth Story: Special Edition.
