Lenten outreach: Have a heart for homeless youth

On any given night in Minnesota, 4,000+ youth and young adults are homeless and on their own. Beginning on Valentine’s Sunday, we will have the opportunity to open our hearts to some of those kids by donating to a Minneapolis organization called Avenues for Homeless Youth. Melissa Peterson, Community Engagement Manager at Avenues, will tell us about their work during a moment for mission in worship on Feb. 14.

Avenues provides emergency shelter, short-term housing and supportive services for homeless youth in a safe and nurturing environment. We have previously held gift drives at Christmas, and last summer Avenues was the recipient of water bottle and towel donations in honor of Rachel Flaherty’s 30th birthday.

You may bring gifts for Avenues residents from the list below at any time during Lent. We will have a big box for your donations available in the church lobby. We are collecting:

  • Gift cards in amounts between $5 and $25 from Target, Walmart, Cub, Walgreen’s, CVS, movie theaters (leave them with the church office, in secretary Colleen’s mailbox)
  • New clothing items in adult sizes appropriate for ages 16-20: sweatpants/yoga pants, T-shirts, A-shirts (tank T’s)
  • New personal care items: boar’s bristle hair brushes, washcloths