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The next phase of Pathways 4 Youth is underway. Training volunteer mentors is center stage as the Youth Opportunity Center begins serving homeless youth ages 16-23 in the St. Cloud area.
“We are excited, building our team of trained volunteers to meet the needs of more homeless young people in the St. Cloud area. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a volunteer mentor, our staff are eager to share the opportunity with you,” said Lisa Jacobson, executive director of Pathways 4 Youth and HOPE 4 Youth. The center offers youth access to case managers, a food pantry, an evening meal, a clothing closet, laundry and showers, a mailing address, lockers, employment and education information and health/wellness resources.
As of May 16, the center is scheduled to be open each Wednesday to all local youth experiencing homelessness. Mentor training will eventually have 30-50 volunteers ready so the center can be open from 2-7 p.m. Monday-Friday. Pathways staffers look forward to the kind of successes seen at HOPE 4 Youth, our partner in Anoka.
“In the five years that we have been open at our Anoka location, HOPE 4 Youth has generated many success stories. One is Jenaa, a homeless mother of two young children when she came to HOPE 4 Youth. She worked hard and passed her nursing boards last month. The future for Jenna and her children is now bright as she went from the title of homeless to LPN," Jacobson said.
Pathways 4 Youth sponsors are the Rotary Club of St. Cloud, Granite Rotary Club, the Great River Rotary Club and the St. Cloud Rotaract Club.