Community Champions Series, April 2026
| In this series, we celebrate the individuals whose dedication, compassion, and commitment are helping young people thrive, and whose everyday actions are making a lasting difference across our community. Community Champions go above and beyond to create safe spaces, open doors, and offer steady support when it matters most. |
Uplift North
April marks Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time to center survivors and strengthen the support systems that surround them. We are incredibly grateful for partners like Uplift North, a non-profit dedicated to meeting the basic needs of children and adults in the Greater Twin Cities area through programs developed and implemented by its member volunteers. This incredible organization provides basic needs and comfort items for the residents of Sojourners and Passageways Shelters.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself (or group) and how you are involved with supporting The Link.
Uplift North is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to meeting the basic needs of children and families and supporting education in the Greater Twin Cities area. Since 1996, our 200+ member volunteers have been committed to identifying unmet needs in the local community and addressing them through programs they develop and administer. We work to fulfill essential needs in our community by providing food, clothing, literacy support, crisis response kits, and educational scholarships.
A major source of our funding comes from our volunteer-run thrift shop located at 6412 Penn Avenue South in Richfield. We also receive a portion of our funding from a direct-mail campaign and grants.
How did you get introduced to The Link?
In the fall of 2024, our organization received a special gift from the Bernie and Gordon Lindholm Trust. As Bernie had always had a special interest in the activities of our Survivor Care and Support Committee, we looked for an additional way to spend that gift in ways that would support survivors of sexual assault. Through an internet search we learned about Passageways Safe Harbor and then met with a representative of The Link. The result of that meeting was a special purchase for Passageways of a dining room table and 8 chairs and 6 desks for the teens’ bedrooms.
When you learned about The Link, what inspired you to get involved?
We were pleased to learn that Passageway’s work with teens who are survivors of sexual trafficking aligned with our desire to support survivors of sexual assault. Following the special gift, we determined that we could offer ongoing support through providing clothing, hygiene and comfort care items for the ongoing use of residents of Passageways..
When you think about the future of our community, what role do you see The Link playing, and why is that role so vital right now?
We envision Passageways continuing to be a Safe Harbor, a designation that is one of the first things that drew us to connect with Passageways. The need for such a role is, sad to say, ongoing. In a world that is getting ever more chaotic, helping youth transition to safety is worthy and wonderful work.
How would you describe The Link to a friend who has never heard of us?
Passageways cares for sexually exploited or trafficked youth ages 12-17. They provide a safe place to live as well as care that helps them heal. Passageways helps youth move from victim to survivor to leader by providing a safe, stable environment to heal from trauma.