Amid Deadly Cold, Minneapolis Youth Shelter Opens Its Doors as a Lifesaving “Warming Station”

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - As arctic temperatures sweep across the Twin Cities, a critical refuge for young people is once again stepping forward. The Bridge for Youth, one of Minnesota’s most longstanding and trusted youth-services organizations, has activated its facility at 1111 W. 22nd Street as an emergency “Warming Station”, a lifesaving measure designed to protect adolescents from dangerously low temperatures that routinely plunge below zero during Minnesota winters.

The warming station, open to all youth ages 10 to 17, provides an immediate, low-barrier sanctuary where young people can escape the cold without appointments, paperwork, or prerequisites, an essential lifeline for youth experiencing homelessness, family conflict, or unstable housing.

A Simple but Urgent Offering: Warmth, Safety, and Dignity

Inside the lobby, youth will find the basics needed to withstand deadly temperatures:

• Warm, safe indoor space
• Free winter gear: coats, mittens, scarves
• Hot drinks and food: including cocoa, coffee, and snacks
• Mobile-phone charging stations to stay connected to family, friends, or emergency services

The doors remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ensuring that young people have somewhere to turn even in the coldest overnight hours, when frostbite and hypothermia can develop in minutes.

The warming-station designation activates specifically during extreme cold, but The Bridge’s staff emphasizes that youth in crisis can walk in or call anytime, regardless of weather.

Part of a Larger Safety Net for Minnesota Youth

Though the warming station addresses immediate survival needs, it operates within a far broader continuum of care that The Bridge for Youth has built over more than 50 years.

Resilience House: Emergency Shelter for Youth 10–17

This core program provides:

• Safe emergency housing
• Nutritious meals
• On-site healthcare access
• Case management
• Support from trained youth advocates
• A focus on family reunification when safe and appropriate

Gloria’s Place: Shelter for Pregnant or Parenting Youth

The only program of its kind in Minnesota, Gloria’s Place serves:

• Unaccompanied pregnant or parenting teens ages 15–17
• Their young children, from birth to age 3

It offers housing, prenatal and parenting support, and a pathway toward stability.

Mobile Youth Outreach

The Bridge also deploys a mobile outreach team that brings food, hygiene items, gender-affirming clothing, safety planning, and referrals directly to youth in the community, especially BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth who are disproportionately affected by homelessness.

Each year, The Bridge provides emergency shelter to hundreds of adolescents and outreach support to thousands more across Hennepin County and the surrounding region.

A First Point of Contact in Moments of Crisis

Youth homelessness affects thousands statewide on any given night, according to Minnesota housing and youth-services data. Extreme weather only compounds the danger.

By keeping its lobby open as a warming station during subzero conditions, The Bridge lowers the barrier to entry, allowing young people to seek safety first, and then, if they choose, connect to deeper services such as counseling, safe housing, health care, education support, or family mediation.

For many adolescents, stepping into the warming station becomes the first step toward long-term stability.

Navigating Resources and Finding Support

Young people seeking help can check real-time shelter availability through the Youth Services Network of Minnesota (YSNMN) app or online at ysnmn.org, a widely used platform for locating youth-specific services across the metro area.

Community members wishing to contribute, in the form of monetary donations or new winter clothing, can learn more at www.bridgeforyouth.org. The organization accepts only new items and arranges drop-offs by appointment.

A Community Anchor in the Harshest Season

At a time when winter conditions can turn lethal, especially for unhoused youth, The Bridge for Youth stands as a steadfast refuge, offering not only warmth, but dignity, acceptance, and a path forward.

For immediate assistance, youth ages 10–17 can call (612) 377-8800 or text (612) 400-7233.

The Bridge for Youth is located at 1111 W. 22nd Street, Minneapolis, accessible via bus lines 2, 6, and 12.

MinneapoliMedia