After two-years of design and construction, we’re thrilled to share that the renovations at The Bridge for Youth are complete. Click here to take an inside look!
“The renovations were inspired by youth themselves. We followed their lead and centered their voices. Youth have a profound understanding of what trauma informed design means. They informed everything down to the color of the walls and the lighting in the rooms.” -Lisa Mears, President at The Bridge for Youth
From wall removal in common areas for more natural lighting and sense of community, installing enclosed cabinetry to keep spaces clean and functional, adding 3 kitchenettes for functionality and access to healthy food, private bathrooms for each bedroom, and more – this multiyear project was essential in ensuring youth in shelter felt safe, accepted, and supported.
The Bridge for Youth would like to thank our funders from The Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation, The State of Minnesota’s Department of Economic Opportunity, and our commUNITY of supporters like you – thank you! We also would like to thank our partners: The Joy Collaborative, who were instrumental in consolation and partner cultivation, Dunwoody College of Technology and their 5th year architecture students who helped with early design and centering youth voice, Doran Companies for phase 1 construction and design, and Dolezal Creative for phase 2 construction and design. Click here to read more about our renovations.
Youth ages 12-24 are invited to a special celebration for LGBTQ+ youth and allies, The GAYla Masquerade, presented and planned by by The Youth Advisory Board of The Bridge for Youth.
Join us on the evening of Friday, October 24th for a free, Halloween inspired event where LGBTQ+ youth can authentically present themselves in a safe space, all while celebrating with a commUNITY of youth. Experience drag performances from Aidy HD and Patti Kaching, compete for prizes in raffles and a costume contest, enjoy gender affirming activities, great music, and more! This celebration is being held in observance of LGBTQ+ History Month and is designed to empower queer youth. Details on venue and time are by request only. Event security will be provided by Sequeerity. If you have a youth who is interested in attending and would like to learn more, contact [email protected].
For the third year in a row, The Bridge for Youth was honored to be the charity recipient at UnitedHealth Group’s Sages of Clinical Services Awards, an annual event honoring exceptional clinicians who demonstrate UHG’s core values. Hosted at Raddison Blu Mall of America, each table at the event was given a $250 gift card to go into the mega mall and shop for winter clothing for youth at The Bridge.
“It’s not every day you get to do a shopping spree at the biggest mall in America,” one attendee laughed. “It’s even better knowing we’re shopping for a good cause. We’re going to get boots, jackets, hats, and gloves. I want to find a store that will give me the most bang for my buck.”
By the end of the night, attendees spent over $7,000 on clothing for youth at The Bridge, making it our biggest in-kind donation of the year. It’s a bold reminder of how impactful a commUNITY of support can be. Click here to read more.
Co-Creation, love and care, and commUNITY are a few of our core values at The Bridge for Youth. These values are exemplified every day by our incredible supporters. Here are some of the ways we saw our commUNITY of support show up this past month:
- Volunteers from Xcel Energy returned to The Bridge to lend a hand with some seasonal landscaping and yard cleanup for their Annual Day of Service.
- High school groups from Orono, Shakopee, and Chanhassen have kicked off their school’s Bridge for Youth clubs for the year. Each individual club has been doing their own in-kind drives and fundraisers to help support youth experiencing homelessness.
- DaVita and The Kyle Wood Foundation partnered to pack hygiene kits for the Mobile Youth Outreach Center at their annual corporate event.
- After a summer of attending local Pride events, congregants from various Community of Christ congregations dropped off over 2,000 affirmation cards to share with LGBTQ+ youth.The Bridge for Youth attended the final Open Streets event of the summer where we got to share essential resources with our commUNITY.
