Announcement: Avenue for Homeless Youth Donation Drive

Queers and Allies, HACO, and the Greys are coming together to do an all-inclusive clothing/ Donation Drive for Avenues for Homeless Youth.

Avenues for Homeless Youth provides emergency shelter, short-term housing and supportive services for homeless youth in a safe and nurturing environment. Through such service, Avenues seeks to help youth achieve their personal goals and make a positive transition into young adulthood.

Wilder Research estimates that, on any night in the state of Minnesota, 4,000+ youth and young adults are homeless and unaccompanied by an adult.

Youth homelessness has jumped 63% in Minnesota since 2009, according to Wilder Research's latest count in October 2012.

Homeless youth are disproportionately youth of color and victims of violence, sexual, physical or emotional abuse. They are young people who are on their own at too young an age.

Becoming aware of these facts has motivated the Gustavus Queers & Allies, HACO, and the Greys to take action. And as a result we are sponsoring a clothing drive that will go to the Avenues for Homeless youths in the Twin Cities. This organization has an incredible program for helping homeless youths and we would like to help support them in their all-inclusive efforts.

From March 13 until May 14th we will be taking donations.

We are looking for donations such as:

• New or gently used clothes

• Feminine hygiene products

• Personal care products

• Blankets and linens for XL twin sized beds (same as dorm beds)

• Under-bed storage bins

• School supplies

• Reusable water bottles

Donations can be dropped off at the following locations:

• 1009 House S 7th Street (Between 4-10 p.m.)

• Womyn's Awareness Center

Or you can email vcontrer@gustavus.edu or skehren@gustavus.edu for pick up.

The best part of this donation is that if this shelter cannot use the donations that they receive, they pass it on to other shelters that can use them, so your donation will be used. Please help Gustavus Queers & Allies and Greys to help Minnesota's homeless youth.

If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to ask!