Founded in 1993 as Project Foundation, Avenues for Youth (Avenues) opened its doors in a renovated south Minneapolis house on Pleasant Avenue in December 1994 to address the lack of safe shelter for homeless young people in Minneapolis. By summer 1995, Avenues was turning away up to 100 youth each month. In response, Avenues secured the current building in North Minneapolis. In January 2004, the organization changed its name to Avenues for Homeless Youth. The youth we support have never labeled themselves as homeless. They have told us that homelessness is just part of their journey, but it does not define them. In response to that, we legally changed our name to Avenues for Youth in 2019. For over 30 years, Avenues has supported youth, ages 16 to 24, who are experiencing homelessness and other unstable housing situations in the Twin Cities Metro Area and who are overrepresented among those facing homelessness – Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) and youth who identify as LGBTQ+. In FY25, Avenues provided support, housing, and resources to 338 youth, with 87% identifying as BIPOC. An estimated 35% identified as LGBTQ+. Whether a young person needs a place to stay for just one night or for an entire year, Avenues provides youth with the tools to find their path out of homelessness. We do that by providing a stable home, building trusting relationships, and supporting youth in navigating toward their self-identified goals in education, career, health and wellness, housing, and other areas.