We have so much to celebrate at Avenues as summer begins! Youth are graduating high school, receiving college acceptance letters, and excited for a summer off of school. Our youth gardens are in full swing and, as I write, I hear basketball banter coming from outside. Staff are planning barbecues, canoe trips and excursions to Twins and Minnesota United games.

We are celebrating Pride Month. This year we honor the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. We honor the advocates and elders who came before Stonewall, during and after who fought and are still fighting for LGBTQ equality. With 22% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ in Minnesota, Avenues is proud to be part of that fight.

We celebrated Avenues' 25th anniversary this month at our Building on Dreams breakfast. I'm in awe of the spirit our speakers and am thankful for the tenacity our founder, Michelle Basham. If you attended Building on Dreams or made a gift, thank you. With your generosity we will support 300 youth this year.

There are many ways to celebrate with us this summer. Check out our Pride events next month. Read about our upcoming graduations and connect with us on ways to support our education and career programming. Contact Marni, our Giving Manger, on ways to volunteer.

Best, 

Two youth (one at each house) have received full-ride scholarship opportunities. One youth received a sports scholarship and the other received scholarships through the Power of You Program (POY). POY provides 72 college credits (2-3 years of school) to youth in Minnesota who are currently graduating from high school, have passed academic testing, and are experiencing poverty/housing instability. The scholarship recipients are undecided on what they want to study, but they are excited for their next step. One of the recipients is the first in their family to attend college. 

Next month both houses will have graduation parties to celebrate four graduates at Brooklyn Avenues and six graduates at Minneapolis Avenues. 

Congratulations class of 2019! 

 

Fast forward to 2017 and the first Pull for Pride event. I was thrilled to hear that Avenues would be the beneficiary, and immediately signed up to lift. The following year, I had a wonderful time volunteering as a judge. Both events gave me an opportunity to get further acquainted with Avenues and learn more about the valuable programs and services they provide.

 

This year, hearing that Pull for Pride wouldn't return was heart-breaking. I couldn't stop thinking about all the good Avenues does with funds from the event. After moping for a few weeks, I decided to do something. Even though it was late to get started, I rounded up some friends and reached out to Women's Strength Coalition to see if we could still host a Pull for Pride event in the Twin Cities. Happily, the answer was a resounding yes.

 

I'm ecstatic to bring Pull for Pride back for the third year in a row. I hope everyone will join us June 16 from 12-4 at the Athlete Lab to help raise money to benefit Avenues and the young people they help.