ABOUT THE BRIDGE FOR YOUTH

Mission

Helping youth in crisis

Vision

The Bridge for Youth is the premier resource for youth and families in crisis. We ensure a continuum of care to provide shelter and support, to reunite families whenever possible, and when it is not, to build independent living skills in young people. The Bridge for Youth is a community leader in the development of approaches for youth and their families to resolve problems and develop healthier relationships.

Values

We value the ideas, contributions, and potential of young people.
We honor the worth, competence, and integrity of families in all their forms.
We welcome, understand, and encourage diversity among our staff, clients, and colleagues.
We promote excellence among our staff, volunteers, and interns, and honor their contributions.
We are passionate about working with young people and their families.

ORGANIZATION HISTORY

The Bridge for Youth was founded by members of the Sisters of St. Joseph Catholic order in 1970 in response to the growing number of unaccompanied youth on the streets of Minneapolis. The sisters noticed these youth were increasingly vulnerable to exploitation, prostitution, violence, and illness.

In response, they opened The Bridge in the West Bank neighborhood as one of the nation’s first refuges for runaway and homeless youth. Over the past 38 years, thousands of youth and their families have benefited from the innovative and comprehensive services of The Bridge.

A UNIQUE ROLE

The Bridge for Youth is the only 24-hour runaway and homeless youth program in a residential setting in the metropolitan region. Unlike other providers in the community, The Bridge serves not only older homeless youth, but also young runaways, as well as families that are heading into the conflicts that result in youth running away from home. Finally, The Bridge provides aftercare support services to ensure that youth will not return to a condition of homelessness.

The Bridge serves over a thousand youth (ages 10-21) and their families each year, offering a continuum of services from street outreach to homeless youth, short-term emergency shelter, housing skills and career development, and transitional and permanent supportive housing. Our services are available free of charge, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

COMMUNITY NEED

Between 10,000 and 12,000 youth under 18 in Minnesota experienced at least one episode of homelessness on their own. On any given night 500 to 600 youth are homeless (Wilder Research Center, “Homelessness in Minnesota 2006"). The majority of these homeless youth are in the metropolitan area served by The Bridge.

In order to address issues of homelessness in Hennepin County, including homeless youth, the City/County Task Force on Homelessness was established to analyze the causes of and potential solutions to homelessness. Their April 2000 report recommended the expansion of existing programs to provide more 24-hour services, and increasing the existing resources for homeless youth by adding 15 additional shelter beds and 45 transitional housing units. Since that time, however, Hennepin County has lost beds, making the existing beds even more needed.

HUD’s report, “The 2003 Continuum of Care for the Homeless” echoed the need for additional services and beds.

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