Current News

Avivo is proud to be a partner organization working toward ending veteran homelessness in Hennepin County. Other partners include staff from the Veterans Administration (VA), the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MAC-V), Hennepin County, and the Military Records Research Center (MRRC) to create a safety net of resources for veterans. Read more

Avivo’s Street Outreach Team goes out every day to ensure unhoused individuals are staying as safe as possible, that they’re getting access to services, and more. In this Q&A we talked with Street Outreach Program Manager Kassie Davis and Street Outreach Navigator Ashley Cheney to find out more about what their team does. Read more

As Avivo gets ready to welcome a new cohort into it’s Xcel Energy Power Up Construction Pre-Apprentice training program January 2025, staff recently had the opportunity to reconnect with the graduates from the inaugural cohort and learn about their newfound career success.

Whether you’re following the latest in overdose prevention and substance use disorder best practices or you’ve just been seeing social media posts from Avivo, you’ve seen us mention Harm Reduction. You might be wondering, “What is Harm Reduction?” In this Q&A we answer that question. Read more

Avivo is excited to announce an expansion into Wright County and Mille Lacs County, offering family and employment services from new offices in Buffalo and Milaca. This comes after Avivo was selected as the sole provider to serve families accessing public assistance in Wright County and Mille Lacs County. Read more

Avivo will expand its high-fidelity, harm-reduction practices organization-wide, thanks to a $175,000 grant from Hennepin County. The grant will allow Avivo to bolster opioid prevention, response and treatment to communities disproportionately impacted by the opioid crisis. Read more

Avivo’s ArtWorks program facilitated a multi-month initiative of new arts workshops that provided paid teaching experiences for artists living with mental illness. The teaching experiences bolstered the artists’ sense of identity, helped debunk stigma and increased the positive impact on participants benefitting from their peers leading workshops. Learn more

Kat Vann (pictured on the right) coordinated a donations drive of household and hygiene items for residents moving into Bimosedaa, new affordable housing developed to serve Native Americans experiencing homelessness. Read Kat’s volunteer story

Avivo is excited to announce the grand reopening of their Mental Health Clinic, a clinic which strives to provide diverse mental health practitioners to people in diverse communities. Now with eight staff, the clinic is expanding access to new locations in the Twin Cities and accepting new participants. Learn more

Avivo’s volunteer program saw an incredible leap in the number of volunteer hours worked, with more than 1,300 volunteers giving nearly 21,000 hours of their time – an increase of nearly 3,000 volunteer hours from 2022! Learn more

Avivo is excited to announce a campus move that brings several Avivo programs in closer proximity enabling individuals to receive a wide range of services in one location.  Avivo Institute of Career & Technical Education and several employment services moved from their South Minneapolis location at 2438 27^th Avenue S. to Avivo’s Chicago Avenue campus. Classrooms and meeting rooms will be open to the public on April 1. Learn more

Volunteerism is and has been a lifelong passion for Joy Nguyen, Community Engagement and Outreach Manager at Marsden Services. Joy shares that Avivo holds a special place in her heart. “Volunteering is one way to build a strong relationship with organizations like Avivo,” shares Joy. “I get to go in and spend time with people receiving services, to understand their passion and goals.” Read Joy’s volunteer story

Avivo’s Adopt-A-Family program was one for the record books in 2023, serving more families than ever! Thanks to nearly 300 generous donors, many who adopted multiple families, we were able to provide holiday gifts to more than 1,600 individuals and 500 families in Avivo’s programs. Read more

Avivo has partnered with Xcel Energy Power Up Program and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to launch an innovative construction pre-apprentice training program. This short-term training is no cost for eligible trainees and teaches them skills to enter high-paying positions in construction trades. Learn more

In 2023, Avivo has seen a heightened acuity of needs by the community with an escalating demand for its services. See how your gift will make the greatest impact in the lives of people Avivo serves. Learn more 

Avivo’s Adopt-A-Family holiday giving program matches families in Avivo’s programs with generous community members who anonymously provide gifts for the holidays. Last year’s program provided more than 2,000 gifts for 400 families, and this year we’re hoping to expand the program’s reach. Learn more

Thanks to a generous grant from the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts, Avivo is adding a harm reduction expert to its street outreach team. They will lead education on overdose prevention, manage harm reduction supplies and conduct trainings, and be the point of contact on harm reduction within the outreach team. Learn more

Avivo and Wildflyer Coffee, a nonprofit coffee shop in Minneapolis with a focus on ending youth homelessness, are helping young people change their lives through employment, finding stable housing, and planning for the future. Learn more

“For over six decades, Avivo has played a pivotal role in empowering individuals to transform their lives by offering rehabilitation services to their community,” shares Kaylyn Weeks on behalf of Dayspring Pens. “We hope that our donation of pens can show the respect and appreciation we hold for those who are vital to Avivo’s work.” Learn more

Graduates from a new Solar PV (Photovoltaic) Installation training program will be equipped to enter careers with entry-level salaries as high as $60,000 per year. This new training has been launched in collaboration with partners Midwest Renewable Energy Association and the City of Minneapolis. Learn more

Thanks to the generosity of The FS Foundation, Avivo was able to create a unique paid internship program that has assisted four Avivo graduates in finding full-time employment. Now, the program plans to expand. Learn more

Avivo was selected as the sole county provider of family and employment services in Sherburne County to serve families accessing public assistance. Read more about why this is important

Avivo’s volunteer program saw an incredible leap in the number of volunteers and the number of volunteer hours in 2022! More than 1,400 volunteers gave nearly 18,000 hours of their time. See which volunteer groups topped the list in 2022

In partnership with CenterPoint Energy and the Regional Apprenticeship Training Center in Minneapolis, Avivo will be launching its newest career training program – Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Installation and Maintenance Training – this year. Learn more

While in Avivo’s treatment program, participants have access to five apartment buildings Avivo operates, which provide fully furnished apartments. After they complete treatment, many struggle to find permanent housing. That’s where Avivo’s Transitional Recovery Housing team steps in to help. Learn more

In 2022, Avivo’s Adopt-A-Family program was able to serve the most individuals and families in the program’s history! Learn more about this year’s program

Just in time for winter, Avivo is starting to move at least 24 unhoused individuals into permanent housing! Learn about how Avivo is working with new partners toward ending homelessness in one of Minneapolis’ newest apartment buildings. Learn more

Bharati Acharya, a mental health professional at Avivo, was recently appointed to a statewide task force on culturally informed and culturally responsive mental health services. Bharati shares that having diverse staff at Avivo gives therapists an opportunity to really connect with people based on their cultural backgrounds. Learn about why this is important

Volunteers Annette and Lisa inspire passion for service in young adults while making a long-term impact in the lives of Avivo participants and families. Twice a month, you’ll find them in the donations closet prepping clothing to be shared with Avivo participants; and during the holiday season, they help organize more than 1,000 gifts provided by Avivo donors. Learn about Annette and Lisa

According to Avivo employment counselors, people are coming to Avivo experiencing more barriers than ever. To help people who have been laid off or are caught in low-paying jobs to create unique paths to success, Avivo supports each person holistically – connecting them to training, transportation assistance, mental health supports and more. Discover why Avivo services are so important in this Q&A

This year Avivo is excited to launch a new career education course, Telecommunications Installation and Support! Students will learn everything from wireless internet and 5G cellular tower maintenance to in-office technical support. Learn more

CenterPoint Energy, Minnesota’s largest natural gas utility, selected Avivo as one of eight nonprofit organizations and technical colleges to help expand training opportunities for a diverse workforce to support energy efficiency in the state. Learn more

Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) is known worldwide for its direct services, advocacy and research that helps transform people’s lives by providing pathways out of poverty. Read more

A virtual tea tasting group started for Avivo’s Community Support Program (CSP) participants during the pandemic has led to a new, in-person ceramics project. Participants are working with Avivo staff to create ceramic tea sets, including tea pots, cups, and even trays. Read more

Thanks to generous support from 200 attendees, this year’s Avivo Night of Champions raised more than $100,000 to support the individuals and families Avivo serves. Read more

Avivo’s Mental Health Clinic has expanded significantly over the past year to help more Minnesotans. In this Q&A we learn more about the clinic from program director BJ McElrath. Read more

Avivo is excited to honor Brad Markwell of Focus Forward Financial Group – Thrivent with the 2021 Karen Sakol Award. Through volunteerism on Avivo’s Business Partner Council, Markwell demonstrates a high degree of passion and commitment in helping people who face challenges to self-sufficiency. Read more

Avivo will provide support services to an additional 40 individuals after a major expansion of Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative’s Lydia Apartments. Lydia will double in size, growing from 40 units to 80 units, furthering a strong partnership between Avivo and Beacon toward ending homelessness in Minnesota. Learn more

“Sending someone on to their new home gets EVERYONE excited at Avivo Village … All of us gather around and cheer when we hear the sound of the bell that rings each time someone finds housing.” Learn more

15 Avivo participants received $1,000 per month in year-long, guaranteed income program pilot called Project Solid Ground. Learn more

Bill was ready to serve and joined the Minnesota Opportunity Corps two years ago and was placed at Avivo. Since then, he’s treasured his time helping students at Avivo learn how to find confidence they never knew they had. Read more

We are excited to share an update on Avivo Village as we continue to work hard with partners, funders, and government leaders on unsheltered homelessness. Avivo Village has been open for over six months now and is home to individuals moving from homelessness to permanent housing. Learn more

With Avivo’s help, Mohamadek and his sister are going to college this fall. They’ll be the first in their family to ever attend college. Their family was also the first to enter Avivo’s new Family Coaching Program, which helps new refugee families adjust to life in the United States and thrive. Read more

Mary and John Jelinek’s support for Avivo is very personal. They’ve been giving to Avivo and its related recovery programs for more than 20 years. Their son had struggled with alcohol and drugs and went through treatment several times before achieving sobriety. Read more

Avivo is excited to partner with Second Harvest Heartland’s Minnesota Central Kitchen and Involve MN to combat food insecurity in the Chicago Avenue neighborhood in Minneapolis – providing 75-100 free, fresh, warm meals to people in need. Read more

April is National Volunteer Month, and we’re honoring the current and past volunteer build partners who are helping create dignified living spaces for mothers and families in our recovery housing. Read more

Dangerous cold was on the way to Minnesota in early February and Avivo’s housing teams knew beds at traditional shelters would run out quickly. Staff acted quickly to create emergency shelter beds that allowed folks to come in from the cold. Read more

Avivo teamed up with the Hennepin Theatre Trust in January for a show called “Avivo ArtWorks Collective” — a pop-up art exhibit on display in storefront windows along Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. Learn more

Avivo Village, an indoor community of 100 secure, private dwellings or “tiny houses” created to provide shelter to individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness, is currently being built in Minneapolis’ North Loop Neighborhood. Learn more

Taylor Dixon of TEKsystems has been honored with Avivo’s 2020 Karen Sakol Award! The award is given each year to a member of our Business Partner Council. The recipient embodies the giving spirit of Karen Sakol, a past influential and charter business partner council member. Read more

Avivo provides a unique program for caregivers, previously dependent on the financial support of others, who need to enter the workforce and support their families. The impact of the pandemic has made this program more important than ever. Learn more

Read this Minnesota Reformer article about how Avivo helped 62 people move from “The Wall of Forgotten Natives” homeless encampment in Minneapolis to a hotel, where individuals will receive access to Avivo’s programs and services.

Avivo has operated a site-based Community Support Program for over 30 years, which serves more than 1,100 individuals living with severe and persistent mental illness each year. Due to the pandemic, a major program redesign was needed to switch gears to a community-based approach. Read more

We teamed up with Avivo staff to learn how telehealth is advancing Avivo’s services during the pandemic and beyond. Read the Q&A

We spoke with two Avivo staff about a new mobile program which allows people experiencing long-term homelessness to complete comprehensive assessments where they live or stay. Read the Q&A

On May 28, just hours before a night of rioting and violence in Minneapolis following the murder of George Floyd, Avivo outreach staff coordinated a swift evacuation of more than 70 unsheltered people. We’re now working to find those individuals permanent housing. Read more

Avivo’s program participants and staff are mourning George Floyd and for their communities. Peer support specialists worked with women and families in our recovery programs to create signs of hope. See the signs

How are Avivo’s youth employment counselors staying in touch with program participants during the COVID-19 pandemic? How do these programs help youth and young adults? We catch up with program director Becca Lopez to learn the answers. Read more

More than 200 guests attended this year’s Avivo Night of Champions, where we recognized four Avivo champions and raised more than $85,000, funds which will support Avivo’s programs and services. Read more

“There’s such a lack of mental health clinicians in Minnesota from diverse backgrounds.” With recent funding, Avivo launched a workforce development program to increase diversity of mental health professionals. Read more

“Avivo seemed like a natural choice for Advent Talent Group’s Breaking Barriers initiative… Avivo has such a great holistic approach to helping families.” Advent Talent Group, an important Avivo partner, recently received well-deserved recognition as a 2019 Minnesota Keystone Honored Company. Read more

Avivo’s new street outreach program specifically serves indigenous people living on the streets. Program manager David Jeffries answers thoughtful questions about how street outreach works and why it’s an important part of addressing homelessness. Read the Q & A

“Free Twin Cities art workshops teach people with mental illness new skills, boost confidence,” writes reporter Kelly Smith. The program is part of a partnership with COMPAS, a MN arts nonprofit with more than 100 artists. Read the article

Avivo has launched a two-year, career training pilot program using the EMPath model  — a brain-science based approach that recognizes the prevalence of trauma, and helps people living in poverty reach economic independence. Read more

Thanks to your support, more than 1,500 students will have backpacks full of school supplies after a successful BACKtoSCHOOL Campaign. This year’s 1,585 backpacks donated far surpassed our goal of 1,000 backpacks. Read more

Fifty-nine participants in Avivo’s programs received at least one suit with shirts and accessories during this year’s Men’s Wearhouse Suit Giveaway. Many will wear their new suits to future job interviews. Read more

Minneapolis Councilmember Abdi Warsame visited Avivo for a community concern listening session, to talk with Avivo’s ESL students and their children, and hear their concerns. Read more

We’re excited to announce that Emily Bastian has been promoted to Avivo’s Vice President of Chemical & Mental Health. “Avivo is a leader in providing access, treatment and supportive services for our community members who struggle the most with substance use, mental illness, homelessness and economic disparities,” shares Emily. Learn more

We’re proud to announce that Avivo has been re-certified as a Service Enterprise Organization by Points of Light, an international nonprofit dedicated to volunteer service. Learn more

“Love heals. I saw love at all of the CSPs.” Avivo’s Community Support Program is celebrating 30 years of serving individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. Learn more

Avivo is entering a new partnership in 2019, creating curriculum and training resources for potential employees of the printing industry. Learn more

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has declared Tuesday, April 23, to be “Red Lake Nation & Avivo Ending Homelessness Day in the City of Minneapolis.” This proclamation from Mayor Frey comes after Avivo successfully housed the first 103 individuals from the Wall of Forgotten Natives homeless encampment and Navigation Center. Learn more and read the proclamation

What about listening to your favorite songs makes you feel so great? Melody used music’s stress-reducing and relaxing properties to create Melody’s Melodies, a music therapy group. Read more

In celebration of HandsOn Twin Cities’ 100 year anniversary, KARE 11 Sunrise featured Avivo as a nonprofit partner and beneficiary of their services, and highlighted the story of a successful Avivo program participant. Watch the story

“There’s more to growing food than just creating a garden.” Gardening in March? It might be a little bit early, but we’re already strategizing about how to produce the most food and the best growing (and learning) experiences for Avivo’s participants this year. Read more

WCCO-TV’s Reg Chapman emceed this year’s annual celebration and fundraising event, which recognizes community champions making a difference in the lives of the people Avivo serves. Read more

“I am a felon, and I came to share my story,” says Richard, Avivo program participant and Second Chance Day attendee. Richard is one of a number of Avivo program participants and staff headed to the Capitol for four “days on the hill” during the 2019 Minnesota legislative session. Read more

Thanks to funding from MRAC (Metropolitan Regional Arts Council), Avivo ArtWorks is beautifying a community garden created last year with colorful artwork, benches, and a mural. Learn more

WCCO’s Reg Chapman tours the Wall of Forgotten Natives, a Minneapolis homeless encampment, where the Red Lake Nation recently chose to partner with Avivo in order to house 100 people. Watch the WCCO report

“They were always there, addressing personal needs and providing supplies requested by the community,” says Red Lake Tribal Secretary Sam Strong. “They were offering connections to housing, chemical and mental health services, and supportive services.” Learn more about the partnership

“Housing stability improves treatment success for our participants.” After the owner decided to sell this past summer, Avivo has purchased two multi-family apartment buildings to preserve recovery housing for the families and individuals in its outpatient treatment programs. Learn more about the purchase

The MACMHP Program Innovation and Community Collaboration Award recognizes an organization who developed innovative ways to promote health and wellness, and Avivo was one of three organizations to receive an award this year for work related to tobacco cessation. Read more about this accomplishment

Star Tribune reporter Chris Serres interviewed one of Avivo’s program directors for this article about how doctors are filling a gap in the system by treating opioid addiction in the emergency room at HCMC. Learn more about this important change

“The need is urgent,” says Antoinette, an Avivo youth participant who lives in the east metro. “There’s a lot of youth out here who are on the wrong track.” Avivo is expanding its youth employment programs to reach more youth in St. Paul and the eastern metro. Learn more about Avivo’s youth program expansion

Thanks to the support from individuals and organizations during this year’s Build-A-Backpack Drive, Avivo provided more than 1,000 backpacks full of school supplies, benefiting hundreds of families Avivo serves. Learn about this year’s backpack drive

Melissa Evers has made quite an impact in the lives of Avivo participants as an Americorps VISTA working in Avivo’s peer recovery program. Read this article by the Star Tribune’s Shannon Prather highlighting the VISTA program and Minnesota’s first-ever Recovery Corps program.

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder reporter Dwight Hobbs covers Avivo and writes about how Avivo’s location, near nodes of historically high-crime, uniquely situates the organization to help the most people. Read more

Avivo went tobacco-free at all locations on July 30, 2018. We’ve been featured in the Star Tribune and MinnPost, as one of three major Twin Cities social service nonprofits to go tobacco-free to improve the wellness of program participants.

Avivo is featured in the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ nationwide newsletter in “A Fresh Start: Living in Recovery and Gaining Self-Sufficiency.” Read the article

“There’s a higher need for more inclusivity in the workplace and the need to connect the communities we serve to employers. Nonprofit organizations are the future.” Erik Aamoth comes to Avivo with 15 years of leadership experience in the workforce development industry. Learn more about Erik

Star Tribune reporter Chris Serres visited Avivo early one morning to meet people waiting for access to treatment programs. Learn more about his visit and how Minnesota is working to get people access to treatment faster.

Avivo program participants in Minneapolis have a strong voice to advocate for safer streets, thanks to a partnership between Avivo and Our Streets Minneapolis. Read more

The current opioid crisis in America is impacting people coast to coast, including those in Minnesota and the Twin Cities. It’s important to Claude Maddox, Avivo’s director of recovery support services, that Avivo stays on top of the most current techniques to combat the crisis. Read about important takeaways learned at this year’s conference.

Thanks to a grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Avivo is working with new partners to provide basic adult education, career education, and housing stability to 120 individuals experiencing homelessness over the next two years. More more about this partnership

“Our goal is to get people into short-term training … Get people the English to be able to advance their career and start moving toward self-sufficiency.”

15-20 Somali-speaking immigrants attend Avivo’s ESL classes every week. Learn about Avivo’s ESL classes and how they’re helping participants find jobs.

“I think it’s amazing. I know whoever comes after me is gonna love it here,” says Tamika (pictured to right), a mother and Avivo residential treatment program participant.

Thanks to a unique partnership with BATC-Housing First Minnesota, Avivo is updating housing for mothers in recovery. Learn about this partnership

Avivo staff and program participants headed to the Minnesota State Capitol for three important advocacy days: Homeless Day, Second Chance Day, and Mental Health Day. Learn more