“Our journey to HOPE 4 Youth started one Sunday years ago when our church had a flyer in their bulletin for HOPE 4 Youth. They were doing a drive of collecting items for your shelves. I kept the flyer and bought some items to donate with the church. I continued to carry that flyer in my purse as it struck something in my heart.

Then we were reconnected with our oldest grandchild who had been in and out of our lives for over 30 years due to a multitude of reasons. We had not seen him for over 20 years. We had lunch with him and caught up on his life. He told us about being homeless as a teenager and adult. It broke my heart to think that my grandson was homeless on the streets of my hometown and all the times I may have driven past him under a bridge.

I went home after that lunch and pulled out the HOPE 4 Youth brochure. I did more research online about HOPE 4 Youth but I got busy with work. We did make money contributions over the holidays as we did with other organizations.

Then COVID hit and we weren’t attending church anymore so we decided to make our monthly tithes to two organizations (HOPE 4 Youth and one other) and a missionary.

See God put HOPE 4 Youth on my heart years ago for a reason. Each month when I make our donation I think of each of our 20 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren and realize how lucky we are. They are ALL safe now.

Thank you and everyone there for doing what you do. You do change lives!”

We are incredibly grateful for our donors like Jim and Linda who are committed to monthly giving and providing our youth with a pathway out of instability to safety, happiness and productivity!

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I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary as the Drop-In Center Program Manager for HOPE 4 Youth. In high school, I felt the pressure to pursue a fancy four-year degree in a major I likely wouldn’t have utilized, anthropology. The summer before college, I began working at a summer camp and found a passion for working with young people. I immediately switched to attending a community college while I explored my newfound passion for youth by working in a community youth program. It solidified my desire to support underserved youth. I pursued a bachelor’s in social work and found my way through a few jobs that felt like the wrong size puzzle piece.

When I started at HOPE 4 Youth, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

HOPE 4 Youth emphasizes a model of intensive case management that focuses on achieving goals towards long term stability. The day to day of this job can weigh heavily on my shoulders. Homelessness is not a problem within itself, yet a symptom of other issues. It stems from domestic violence and abuse, homophobia, and systemic racism. It comes from untreated mental health, addictions, and trauma. If we don’t address these problems, we will not end youth homelessness.

One of our young adults has struggled more than many of us can imagine. Trauma, homelessness, addiction, and severe mental health brought him to an all-time low with an attempted overdose. He found himself at HOPE 4 Youth the following day looking for help. We talked together and I suggested that he go to the hospital. Having had this conversation with many before, I only expected at most for him to think about it, but he said “Okay”. He said it would be best for him to go by ambulance because otherwise, he might not go. It has now been 8 months since that conversation, and he has maintained his sobriety through the hospital, treatment, and sober home. He is currently living on his own, has a car, and has a stable job. I am so proud of him, but even better is that he is proud of himself.

My role at HOPE 4 Youth has taught me more than I ever could have learned in school. My day-to-day work involves collaboration with other organizations, case management, and overseeing the Drop-In Center. As our mission states, we strive to end youth homelessness and I believe we can do it, but we can’t do it alone. The concept of community practice is something I firmly believe in.

We have the tools in our community to support one another and to end youth homelessness if we all work together.

HOPE 4 Youth collaborates with Anoka County, Stepping Stone, YMCA, StreetWorks and others to meet the needs of our youth. We are a brokerage of services to connect youth to a variety of supports in the community.

I firmly believe you don’t need to have a career in the field, or to have a lot of money or time to make an impact. Our volunteers dedicate their time to our mission and have built the organization from the ground up. From serving a meal, to ordering items from our wish list, or committing as a weekly mentor, volunteers can make a big impact on the youth we serve.

This fall, I will be going back to school for my Master’s in Social Work with an emphasis on community practice. Thanks to HOPE 4 Youth, I have found hope for my future and courage within myself to be a conduit of change.

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I learned about serving at HOPE 4 Youth through Eagle Brook Church. HOPE 4 Youth is an organization driven to end youth homelessness. They educate, provide resources, provide stability and light a healthy path ahead. Youth can come for a warm meal, hot shower, get basic needs, clean clothing, receive knowledge and personal help towards next steps to build their future successfully.

Being a small part in this mission is the least I can do.

I volunteer on Wednesdays with the donations team at the Drop-In Center, which I absolutely love! We receive donations from the community and then we sort and categorize the items like hygiene items, clothing, food, as well as many other supplies. Then we stock the pantry and hang/fold clothing items, accessories, shoes and outerwear in the clothing closet. This gives the youth a clean, safe and private place to come and shop for their every-day essentials and basic needs.

There are so many memorable days in our role at the donations center. We have such a generous community. In particular, the times that stand out for me are when school aged children/groups or neighborhood drives collect items for our shelves and hand write sweet notes of encouragement to the youth we serve. Those moments never get old!

Everyone has a story and every story matters to God. I’m just glad I get to be part in His greater mission. Plus we have so much fun together on Wednesdays which is an added bonus!

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I started following HOPE 4 Youth on social media when the doors opened. As I watched the progress and growth, I was amazed at the difference being made for the youth in Anoka County.

I wanted to be a part of this mission — part of the solution for these young people.

I wanted to make a difference at the start of someone’s journey, not in the middle or end, as was the case at my previous job. When an opening at HOPE 4 Youth was posted in early 2018, I jumped at the chance to join!

In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would come back to work in my old stomping grounds where I grew up (Ham Lake) and graduated from high school (Blaine). But there I was, a new case manager at HOPE Place, our transitional housing facility in Coon Rapids. I had found the professional growth and the agency that, to this day, continues to fill my cup.

Mica with her husband and grandkids.

Inside our work to create pathways

I am now the HOPE Place Program Manager, and my main goal is to prepare the young people who reside with us for brighter futures. The youth can stay for up to two years. That may sound like a long time, but in reality, there is a lot of growth and education that need to take place in a relatively short period.

During their first month at HOPE Place, we work to develop a plan that meets their individual needs and goals. Each person enters at differing levels of independence, so each plan is different. Depending on a young person’s needs, outside agencies may also be involved.

After we agree on a plan, I continue to meet with the youth at least once a week to assess their progress, adjust goals accordingly and encourage them to continue on their road to success. I also have the pleasure of leading our support staff team who is as equally dedicated to the success of every young person who walks through our doors. Additionally, I continue to work on developing programs with community partners tailored to meet the needs of our residents.

Our work is rewarding, even though it can be extremely challenging and emotionally draining — especially when a young person fails to put in the work to achieve their goals.

The toughest part of the job

Case in point: two young people who lived at HOPE Place but left early. During their time with us, despite the programs offered and the many, many talks we shared, neither was ready to make the changes that were needed.

As a case manager and now program manager, this is one of the toughest decisions that must be made. I lay awake at night contemplating and agonizing over what the result will be for the youth. However, sometimes there is no other choice.

When these former residents eventually came back to talk to me, the message was strong. Even though they did not complete the program, the time spent here — in my office, listening to me talk — was not wasted.

One said, “The best thing that happened to me was being asked to leave. I needed to hit rock bottom. When I left, I did.”

That young person has made incredible progress. There is still work to be done, but they also know they can do it. They are employed, living in market-rate housing and have recently started to give back to the HOPE Place program through volunteer and support work.

The second young person, who has also accomplished and grown so much and is giving back through volunteering and support work, told me, “Even though I wasn’t ready to “hear you,” you will never know the impact of the things you said to me. I didn’t know how important our meetings would become to me.”

For me, the lesson is, even though we may not be witness to the growth of the youth in the program, every interaction we have with them can make a difference. If not today, maybe tomorrow or even further down the line.

HOPE 4 Youth is making a difference every day, with every youth we meet. It is so rewarding to be a part of the solution for so many young adults — even if those solutions unfolded beyond our doors.

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“It’s not about me,” Steve said. “The main thing is the difference you or I can make in the lives of the young people who visit HOPE 4 Youth.”

Steve wasn’t looking for a spotlight when he started volunteering as a HOPE 4 Youth mentor. He was simply honoring his parents and the life they created for him.

“I come from a really good family—a mom, dad and two sisters, together, “ Steve explained. “I had a stable home. I wanted to pay forward that blessing.”

Steve at the HOPE 4 Youth Drop-In Center

For the past five years, Steve has been supporting young people who stop by the HOPE 4 Drop-In Center in Anoka. As a mentor, he guides them through services offered at the center and helps them choose donations from the clothing closet and food pantry. But it’s the time he spends with young people during the evening meal that is most rewarding for Steve.

“It’s a really important time,” he said. “They let their guard down and explain what’s on their minds.”

He says the meal creates a safe space for young guests, who are often overlooked, to be seen and heard by people who care.

“They may not have a single trusted adult in their lives,” Steve explained. “So they need someone who will be there and who will listen as they share their joys and their concerns.”

Except for time missed because of the pandemic, Steve has mentored every Monday for five years at HOPE 4 Youth. He makes a point to be there consistently, to learn the names of the young people who visit and to remember their stories.

“Often they just need some guidance,” he said. “I’ve got some life experiences. I feel that I can give them advice about things that they shouldn’t be doing, to steer them in the right direction; and also congratulate them when they make good choices and do the right thing.”

Steve hopes that his volunteering story might inspire you to start one of your own. If you do, his advice is simple: Pledge to make it a priority to be there on a regular basis, create consistency for kids who really need it, and really listen when they’re sharing.

“Make time to be that trusted adult, become that familiar face,” Steve added. “I think it’s an honor to be that person for these young people.”

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“I’m extremely hopeful about our ability to rise out of this pandemic stronger and more focused than ever before,” he said. “And it will be with a healthy mix of familiar and new voices.”

Spears, who works as Senior Vice President – Twin Cities Community Banking at Bremer Bank, has been a member of HOPE 4 Youth’s Board of Directors for several years. He took the lead role during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak.

By then, a crisis team had ensured staff had the technology necessary to work from home and continue supporting young people experiencing homelessness. Despite the lockdown and several canceled events, leadership had also found ways to maintain the sponsorships and donations necessary to continue essential programs and services.

“We have fared well through the pandemic, with the exception of it taking a toll on our executive director,” Spears said.

Earlier this year, following months of long workdays, and citing the need to rest and reflect on the remaining years of her career, Executive Director Linda Bryant announced she would step away from her role at HOPE 4 Youth.

“Stabilizing that role will be key, given the fact that we’ve had two directors in the past three years,” Spears explained. “I’ll be looking for someone who has a passion for being out among community members and who will be able to mobilize them to join our mission.”

Drawing on the past in moving forward

As part of the search for an executive director and in other initiatives, Spears says he will be reinforcing HOPE 4 Youth’s founding principles: showing young people they are loved, valued and supported, no matter what created their housing crisis.

“Getting back to those initial principles is a key to me,” he said. “Our primary goal is to make sure the young adults who come to us have that message as soon as possible.”

Spears is already in conversation with HOPE 4 Youth founder Brian Swanson and other longtime volunteers to see how they might renew their involvement, especially around mentorship.

“That will be one of our biggest priorities,” he said. “Our founders have a deep understanding of how mentorship can address the root causes of homelessness.”

In addition to reactivating the old guard, Spears is also excited about recent HOPE 4 Youth hires who are already bringing fresh eyes to everything from programs and services to communications and event planning.

“We’re injecting old friends and new talent into this grass-roots, community-led volunteer team,” said Spears. “I’m excited about our future and the lives that will be made better by HOPE 4 Youth.”

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“Our mission is that we’re empowered by God to reach others for Christ,” explained Pastor Claire Montenegro. “HOPE 4 Youth makes it easy for us to do that for local youth who are surviving amid homelessness.”

Claire (right) with her coworker Kathryn at the HOPE 4 Youth Out of the Cold fundraiser.

Claire leads Anoka campus operations at Eagle Brook and has often been in the mix when church groups have volunteered for HOPE 4 Youth. As we move out of the COVID pandemic, she’s looking forward to reactivating folks with giving hearts who’ve been forced to sit on the sidelines.

“Eagle Brook attenders have been very kind with their time and sharing their skills,” she explained. “I’m excited to foster more of that generosity.”

Generosity like taking part in fundraising events and pitching in to cook meals and sort supplies at the HOPE 4 Youth Drop-In and Donations Center in Anoka. Claire says, no matter the work being done, her inspiration is the hope it creates for young people.

“Hope is understanding that you’re not alone,” she said. “And if things are tough, it’s going to be OK. Every human needs that hope. When it’s missing, that’s where things get out of whack in our lives.”

Besides countless hours of volunteering, Eagle Brook and its attenders also have a long history of monetary support. The latest gift, an $80,000 donation to create a HOPE 4 Youth Housing Stability Fund, brought Eagle Brook’s lifetime donation total to nearly $254,000. Over the years, nearly 200 individual Eagle Brook attenders have also made personal donations or volunteered time, and sometimes both.

“Our work with HOPE 4 Youth helps connect us back to our Eagle Brook mission,” Claire added. “When we serve anybody, we’re serving that young person and their future, and in doing so, we’re also serving God.”

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“It’s knowing there is a possibility of making everyday life better, despite the challenges and circumstances,” Julie said. “HOPE 4 Youth offers that.”

Julie first found a place at HOPE 4 Youth volunteering at Hope’s Closet, our resale boutique which is currently closed until a bigger space is found.

“I think this is a great way to raise money and awareness for HOPE 4 Youth,” Julie explained. “The fact that all items are donated and all workers are volunteers really speaks to something I want to be a part of.”

Julie has been a great supporter of other HOPE 4 Youth fundraising efforts, participating in The Darkest Night of Your Life 4K and working at the annual gala. But her most memorable experience was a conversation she had while volunteering at the HOPE 4 Youth Drop-In Center in Anoka.

“I had a chance to visit with a young person who was just finishing her schooling at Anoka-Ramsey Community College,” Julie explained. “She was living at HOPE Place and preparing to get her own apartment that weekend. She had a good job working as a nurse. I was so proud of her and all that she had overcome with the help of HOPE 4 Youth.”

Julie enjoys seeing, first-hand, the positive impact HOPE 4 Youth’s services can have on a young person’s life and future. It’s what motivates her to continue helping young people with day-to-day basic necessities as well as long-term solutions.

Julie says she defines hope as a light at the end of the tunnel and she wants to help create a path there.

“It is important for every human being to have hope,” she added.

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“I was hooked very quickly,” Brooke said, remembering her early days at HOPE 4 Youth. “I thought, ‘This is exactly what I need.’”

One big reason? Brooke could see herself in the young people who were visiting the HOPE 4 Youth Drop-In Center.

“I had rough high school years,” she explained. “I know I could have very easily been in their shoes.”

So Brooke rolled up her sleeves to make difference. Her first contribution was as a volunteer in the HOPE 4 Youth Donations Center, and then as a HOPE 4 Youth mentor. That’s when her connection to the young people and the organization deepened.

“One wrong turn and life could be awful for any one of the kids I met,” Brooke explained. “I didn’t want that for any of them.”

Brooke and her husband Brian at our “Out of the Cold” event.

In 2016, Brooke joined the staff at HOPE Place, our transitional housing center in Coon Rapids. She worked the evening shift at the front desk. Brooke says it put her in the right place at the right time.

“I was working at night when the residents were home,” she explained. “We had regular conversations. I enjoyed listening and helping them work through their issues — like getting a GED or a driver’s license. I feel like I supported them on their paths to a better life.”

In 2017, Brooke’s path led to a program associate job at HOPE 4 Youth. In 2020, she was promoted to development associate. The new position is a chance for Brooke, a self-described “math nerd,” to dive into the data on the young people and the supporters who are coming together to help them.

“Now I have the best of both worlds,” Brooke said. “I still interact with youth, and I get to do the nerdy numbers stuff.”

Brooke says she loves crunching those numbers to find patterns in giving and to figure out what HOPE 4 Youth can do to inspire more of it.

“We need to connect with more donors who believe in our cause,” Brooke said. “My goal now is getting more people to be dedicated to the mission of helping these kids.”

You can help Brooke with her goal. Become a donor now.

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“A friend who volunteers at HOPE 4 Youth said, ‘This is totally your jam,’” Anna explained.

Anna, who has extensive experience with at-risk youth and is currently the chief program officer at FamilyWise Services in Minneapolis, wanted an organization that serves her Anoka County neighbors.

“I was looking for something really specific to youth where I could bring my passionate self,” she added.

Anna, left, with “Team Mom Squad” doing a virtual 4K.

Anna found that in HOPE 4 Youth, based in Anoka, and accepted a position on its board of directors in 2019 to be what she calls “a voice for the kids.” 

“We have a solid board whose members have strong business experience and community connection,” Anna explained. “I bring different skills from the nonprofit sector and a unique perspective from having served young people who are struggling and in crisis.” 

Anna is committed to guiding a strategic plan for HOPE 4 Youth that continues a personalized approach to solving the challenges youth face in securing safe, stable housing. 

And just as important, Anna says she’ll continue to shine a light on the issue of youth homelessness, starting with making people aware of the thousands of young Minnesotans facing it every night.

“Yes, we do have kids who are homeless right here in our neighborhood,” Anna says. “And now what? What can you do besides feeling sorry for these kids?”

That’s the moment Anna will be ready with ideas for people to become involved with HOPE 4 Youth and make a positive change in and around Anoka and Coon Rapids.

“We need to give these young people grace and ensure our doors will be open when they are ready to ask for help,” Anna says.

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