Empowering Youth: Beacon’s Partnership With YouthLink
YouthLink Service Provider Spotlight. Written by Dylan Novacek, Content Specialist
“Our mission is to empower youth to become self-reliant and self-sufficient. We seek to get young people to believe in themselves and their own capacity,” exclaimed Dr. Heather Huseby. “Our goal is to have young people know and live their rights in order to set them on a path to stability.”
As the Executive Director at YouthLink, Dr. Heather has worked for 16 years to support at risk youth. Over the years, she has come to know Beacon and has seen how our collaborative has worked to see that all people have a home. Together, we are working to support the residents at Nicollet Square.
“Through our partnership with Beacon, we work to see that residents are in a place of wellbeing. We believe in the whole self of the individuals we serve,” Dr. Heather reflected. “Our two organizations share the same values: racial equity, no disparities, truth, and home.”
As our onsite service provide at Nicollet Square, YouthLink understands the need to break down the barriers that at risk youth face. Through giving them a diverse toolbox of services ranging from rapid housing, career services, as well as mental and chemical health assistance, residents are able to meet their full potential.
“I have countless resident success stories,” she exclaimed, reflecting on residents who were able to find independent housing, success in college, and beyond. “Our residents get farther when they have someone who believes in them.”
Behind every resident success story is a hard fought journey to stability. There are individuals from Nicollet Square like Clifton who uses his art to express himself. And residents like Jailah who uses her voice to support her community.
“Investing in these young people is an investment in our future,” she asserted with passion. “The youth we serve are 18-24 years old. They are on the last crossroads before long term homelessness.”
One thing that makes our partnership with YouthLink so special is our shared understanding of equity, justice, and the roadblocks residents face. About 90% of the residents who benefit from YouthLink’s services are people of color.
“We need to spot the barriers and hurdles are youth experience,” Dr. Heather added. “We’re fighting a pandemic on top of a pandemic. We’re leaving talent and brains on the streets. We need to advocate with them so beating these roadblocks doesn’t feel like such a monumental task.”
There is great trauma associated with systemic racism. Young residents need these services to help them combat the disparities and prejudices that come from being a person of color at risk of homelessness. The hard truth is there is youth on the street losing their lives to drugs, abuse, and the inequities they have been facing.
“Residents come to us broken and disjointed from the world around them,” Dr. Heather took a powerful pause. “What YouthLink does is welcome these individuals into an environment that is whole. This work starts with building trusting relationships. Our residents view their case managers as surrogate parents in that respect.”
Through building community and offering support, the tools found at Nicollet Square help our residents breathe a little easier. It takes $1,000 to cover one month of the individualized support services that can be found at Nicollet Square and other Beacon homes.
“Supportive housing changes lives,” Jailah shared in her resident spotlight. “I know that I don’t have to do this stuff on my own.”
“Nicollet Square gave me hope,” Clifton added. “It allowed me to breathe a little easier. For me, home is peace.”
Read more stories on Nicollet Square here.
“I feel that Nicollet Square is our best housing model,” Dr. Heather said. “Nicollet Square is only a stopping point on the journey home. It is journey oriented.”
As we continue to grow in our shared Beacon mission, our partnership with service providers like YouthLink are essential. Together we elevate each other to meet resident needs with intentionality, kindness and support.
“Communities can make change when they take their blinders off. We can’t ignore the fact that a high amount of our at risk youth are BIPOC,” Dr. Heather thought out loud. “We have an obligation to advocate alongside our neighbors of color. Our partnership with Beacon has been a bright light for us as we do the work to see that all people have a home.”
You can help maintain the support services offered at our Beacon homes. Click here to make a gift. Learn more on our service partnerships and see how supportive housing changes lives.
