The Bridge for Youth

The Bridge for Youth was founded in 1970 when Sister Rita Steinhagen saw a problem, cared, and responded. She noticed a growing number of unaccompanied youth on the streets of Minneapolis who were increasingly vulnerable to exploitation, prostitution, violence, and illness.

Responding to the need, Sister Rita opened The Bridge in the West Bank neighborhood, one of the nation’s first refuges for runaway and homeless youth. The Bridge relocated to the East Isles neighborhood in 1975. In the decades that followed, tens of thousands of youth and their families have benefited from the innovative and comprehensive services of The Bridge.