Background
WBUUC has had a long-standing relationship with the Harriet Tubman Center in Maplewood, beginning in 2016 with the opening of a drop-in center for homeless youth at the Tubman location in Maplewood. The effort was funded and staffed largely by WBUUC in collaboration with several other area churches and local area civic organizations. In 2018, we worked with Tubman again to open an outreach center in the Maplewood Mall, a much more accessible location for homeless youth in the area. WBUUC helped renovate the Mall site, acquire needed furniture and equipment, and has been paying the rental fee of $1200 each year, as well as providing ongoing support via volunteers and donated supplies.
The Center provides computer access, a food shelf and snacks, laundry facilities, personal hygiene products, school supplies, clothing, bus passes, as well as access to a range of support services available at the Tubman Center. COVID forced a shut-down in 2020, but the site has now reopened.
Current Status
The Mall outreach center is now open on Mondays through Thursdays from 4pm to 7pm. Any updates on hours may be found at tubman.org/NorthStar or at the Youth Services Network: https://ysnmn.org/Detail/Program/1080
Volunteer Information
Information about volunteering at North Star may be found be contacting Lindsey Barr at Tubman: lbarr@tubman.org, or by clicking on the Training link: https://www.tubman.org/give-help/volunteerintern/training.html
Training Schedule. Training for new volunteers involves one in-person session and four virtual sessions; re-training for previous volunteers involves one shadowing shift at the drop-in Center, and shifts at the Center typically involve one volunteer and one Tubman employee or intern.
Donations
Donated supplies are always in need, including season-appropriate clothing, personal care supplies, school supplies, and there is special interest in expanded access to food at North Star, and efforts to provide assessments and assistance for youth in need of housing. A longer term goal is to find ways to expand the facility to include a space currently closed and immediately adjacent to the current site.
WBUUC Contacts: