Hope 4 Youth

HOPE 4 Youth works to provide pathways to end youth homelessness in the north metro by providing Housing, Outreach, Prevention, and Education/Employment resources to youth at risk or experiencing homelessness. HOPE 4 Youth extends a wide array of supportive services to young people ages 16-24.Since 2013, HOPE 4 Youth has operated a Drop-In Center in Anoka for youth experiencing homelessness. At the Drop-In Center, youth have access to basic-need resources with the intention to stabilize their current homelessness experience. Those basic needs include hot meals, laundry and shower facilities, clothing, personal care/hygiene items, food, lockers, computers/internet access etc. Through this trust building experience with the HOPE 4 Youth staff, they begin 1:1 case management work helping to identify and connect them to community resources while at the same time providing encouragement, advocacy, and support. Among the over 70 resource partners HOPE 4 Youth works with, youth visiting the Drop-In Center youth can also utilize our in-house navigation program Host Homes (previously Hope Homes). With this program "couch-hopping" youth are stabilized by providing agreement mediation, financial stipends to the host family, and joint support to youth and adult hosts willing to be a stable, dependable relationship for the youth while also providing them with a place to stay. In 2016, HOPE 4 Youth opened HOPE Place, the first supportive transitional housing program for youth ages 18-24 in the north metro area. Youth can stay at HOPE Place for up to 24 months as they receive full-time case management, educational and employment centered programs, and work to gain the life skills needed on their path to self-sufficiency. HOPE 4 Youth works in partnership with over 150 volunteers who provide support to youth as mentors in the Drop-In Center, at HOPE Place, and work on essential mission focused work. Volunteers come together to organize and manage the Donations Center which accepts in-kind donations of food and clothing from the community, as well as support facility updates such as in-kind trades work, painting, and more.