LifeHaven, a Twin Cities Metro Youth Homelessness Program of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, provides housing and support to single youth ages 16 and 17, who are pregnant or parenting.
Donation Opportunities
LifeHaven is always preparing for new youth to move to the house and supplies are in great need. Items with * are of greatest need. Providing gift cards instead of purchasing individual items, is a helpful option also. Call Khaliya Dorry to coordinate a drop off time during weekdays at 612-346-1323 or call the LifeHaven office during the weekend or evenings to coordinate a drop off time 651-776-9805 . Only new items may be accepted by LifeHaven.
Youth Hygiene ItemsShampoo and Conditioner (both for Black-natural hair + non-Black hair) Styling Products (both for Black-natural hair + non-Black hair) hair spray, leave-in-conditioner, hair oil *Combs + Brushes (variety of styles and sizes) Hair ties Bobby pins Hair clips *Razors *Shaving Cream *Body Wash |
Baby Supplies*Baby toys (3-12 months) *Children’s books with diverse characters *Diapers sizes 3+ and Wipes (Pampers, Huggies and Honest Brand preferred for both) *Children’s clothing (sizes newborn-3T, but no winter jackets) Formula: Similac Alimentum, Similac Advance, Enfamil Nutrimagen, Gerber Goodstart Soothepro), Baby Shampoo Baby Lotion *Hooded Towels
|
Financial donations to support LifeHaven are also very helpful. To financially donate, use Incarnation’s secured site or write a check to Incarnation with “LifeHaven” in the memo, sending to the Incarnation office.
Provide a Meal
Volunteers are needed to provide a Sunday meal for the residents of LifeHaven. If you’d like to provide a Sunday meal for LifeHaven, please contact Khaliya Dorry at 612-346-1323 or khaliya.dorry@lssmn.org .
A flavorful hotdish, spicey tacos, or your own special recipe would be so welcomed! If you don’t have time to cook, picking up a tasty, prepared meal and delivering it is always welcome too!
Please plan to prepare or procure enough food for 8 adults and deliver to LifeHaven by first coordinating with Khaliya so someone on staff is present to receive your gracious gift of a meal.
Holiday Gift Drive
Shop for and donate gifts based on LifeHaven youth’s holiday wish lists. Pick a gift tag off the LifeHaven Holiday Giving House at Incarnation during the Alternative Giving Season.
Small Group Projects
Throughout the year there is need for a small group of volunteers to help with house and yard projects. Some of this past year’s projects included garage clean-up/storage organization, Spring yard & garden clean-up, donating & putting together new outdoor play equipment, and planting flowers & light landscaping. If you &/or your small group want to be informed when projects come up at LifeHaven, contact Cindy Nielsen.
On-Call Individual Direct Service Positions
Includes presenting about independent learning skills, providing professional services, helping to maintain the LifeHaven facility or working on a moving crew. These positions require volunteer training and screening. Please contact the LifeHaven office at 651-776-9805.
On-Call Independent Living Skills Guest Presenter
Come in and share your skills and expertise with our youth! Do you know about financial management, employment skills/services, health/nutrition, education/college admission, voting/civic engagement, tenant rights and responsibilities, chemical health/substance abuse, domestic violence or STD/HIV prevention, etc. Be on call to come in and present during one of our independent living skills groups.
On-Call Maintenance Crew
Help keep LifeHaven in good working order. Be on call to come in and do repairs as needed.
On-Call Driving Crew
In many cases programs deal with large donations and moving youth into apartments. We are looking for a pool of individuals who would be willing to help move donations and youth’s belonging and to assist with other occasional transportation needs of youth participating in LSS Youths Programs.
On-Call Job Shadowing
Are you willing to talk with one of our moms about your job or even let them shadow you on the job? We welcome volunteers with all types of jobs, especially in the legal and health (nursing, dental, and vet techs) fields.
About LifeHaven
The LifeHaven program and home can provide services and shelter for as many as six moms and their children at a time. The team of dedicated staff and volunteers at LifeHaven support young moms and their children as they transition from homelessness to housing stability, work toward achieving their goals, and create lasting change in their lives and communities.
All moms living at LifeHaven attend high school full time during the day and receive supportive services from LifeHaven staff before and after school and on the weekends, including case management, advocacy, and independent living skills education. They also receive education and support as they work to strengthen parenting skills. Since 2003, Incarnation partnered with LifeHaven under the Families in Transition umbrella. As a partner in this project, Incarnation provides financial, in-kind donation and volunteer support.
LifeHaven is located at 325 Jenks Avenue, near I-35E and Maryland Avenue in St. Paul. For directions, contact the Incarnation office at 651-484-7213.
Questions about LifeHaven? Contact the Lifehaven office at 651-776-9805.