Comedy Show To Help Homeless Youth

The number of young people impacted by the instability and uncertainty of homelessness continues to rise. The good news is, youth can find places to help them work towards goals and get a strong foothold in adulthood.

One of those places is LINK, a youth support center in Rochester operated by Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota (LSS). For the third year in a row, LINK is inviting their neighbors to join in empowering youth by partnering with Rochester-based Goonies Comedy Club and McGoon's Pub & Restaurant to host This Cause is No Joke, a night for stand-up comedy enthusiasts to help make a difference in the lives of youth supported by Lutheran Social Service’s LINK Rochester Youth Programs. The event takes place Tuesday, September 22nd at Goonies Comedy Club.

On any given night in Minnesota, 4,000 youth experience homelessness. For nearly two decades, the LINK program in Rochester has served as a lifeline to at-risk youth ages 16 to 21 by providing life skills classes, peer support groups, transitional housing assistance, street outreach and host homes. The goal is to build trusting, supportive relationships between youth and caring adults out on the streets and in the community. Outreach workers offer emotional support while connecting youth to safe shelter and help with immediate basic needs, such as food, clothing, hygiene supplies, bus tokens, and first aid supplies.

In 2014, LINK provided supportive services to 174 youth.  This year, an additional 74 youth have walked through LINK’s doors. Each year, LINK receives financial support from counties, private foundations, individual donors and philanthropic organizations.

This Cause is No Joke will begin with dinner at 6:30 p.m. A comedy show featuring the comedy stylings of Frank Roche, Jeff Pfoser, and Andy Fisher will start at 7:30 p.m. To purchase tickets and register, visit www.lssmn.org/RochesterComedyShow. For more information, contact Josh Hameister at 507.226.3811 or josh.hameister@lssmn.org.

'This Cause is No Joke' event details:

Where: Goonie’s Comedy Club, 7 Second Street SW in Rochester, Minnesota

When: September 22, 2015

Time:    Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; Dinner at 6:30 p.m.; Show at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets:  $30 in advance and must be purchased by September 18th