Rana's Yearly Fundraiser for The Link!

Join me in supporting The Link for Give to the Max Day! 

Having known so many youth who experienced homelessness when I was 18-25 it is no surprise that I now work for a program that prevents and addresses homelessness for 18-25 year olds. My particular program focuses on housing youth who have experienced foster care, mental health treatment, or probation. But it's just one of many programs that all provide rental assistance and case management for years in order to help youth stabilize and keep their homes. 

Your donations may end up going to help a youth get a phone so they can call us from an encampment to check if their apartment is ready, or to repair a broken window for someone who has experienced domestic violence or to help us pay our staff living wages. That's why your individual donations are so helpful, because of the flexibility. 

This year I really want to focus on the amount of donors who donate instead of numbers. Because $5 means different things to different people. So does $1005. We are grateful for all of it and for those who can't donate but partner with The Link or volunteer their time. 

So feel free to donate $0 or $5 or $75,681. I really appreciate you either way. 

I am proud to work as a Program Manager at The Link. The Link provides crisis support, housing, and supportive services to around 2,000 youth each year across the Twin Cities Metro who are:

• Experiencing homelessness: Youth who don't have a safe place to sleep - often because they have been kicked out of their home, fled domestic violence, or aged out of the foster care system
• Sexually exploited: Young people who have been sexually exploited or trafficked - vulnerable youth are often targeted by traffickers who prey on their need for food, shelter, or a sense of belonging
• Justice system involved: Youth who are not attending school or who have been involved in crime - most often because of poverty or underlying trauma affecting them and/or their family

In response, The Link offers youth-driven programs that empower young people to transition out of crisis into safety and stability. Our staff work one-on-one with youth to heal from trauma, reengage in school, find jobs they love, build healthy relationships, and pursue their goals for the future. 

Here's some of our 2023 accomplishments:

• 307 youth and families exited homelessness into stable housing
• 117 youth victim-survivors of sex trafficking received safe shelter, supportive services, and a path out of sex trafficking
• 573 youth received intensive case management support through our juvenile justice alternative programs

Your donations to The Link on Give to the Max Day help ensure youth in our community have access to the resources they need and the opportunities they deserve.

Thank you so much for reading, sharing, or donating!

-Rana