Covenant House International

Being homeless does not stop you from voting! Most places allow voters to register their address as a park, a street corner, or a shelter. So if you’re a U.S. citizen and you were thinking you can’t vote in the upcoming election just because you don’t have a permanent address right now, don’t let that stop you. Covenant House has been holding nonpartisan civics workshops for youth in our shelters and programs to help them understand their rights and how to use their voice in government. Engaging our youth this way not only helps them understand why elections are important, it provides a powerful opportunity for our young people to exercise autonomy and see that their voice matters.

Hurricane Milton hit central Florida last night, causing widespread damage and putting homeless youth in grave danger. Covenant House Florida’s team in Orlando is making sure youth in our transitional living apartments are well-supplied and have a lifeline to their staff supporters. Our crisis center in Fort Lauderdale remains open 24/7 for young people who need a safe place to stay. No young person will be turned away from Covenant House without assistance. Homeless youth need more help than ever in the wake of the storm. Your gift will help keep them safe. https://lnkd.in/e2wtXq5m

An end to youth homelessness as we know it is within reach. We've done the research, we've come up with a strategy, and we're going to make it happen. For 50 years, Covenant House has been a best-in-class service provider for homeless youth. This #WorldHomelessDay, we're committing to a fight that extends far beyond offering shelter. Our bold new vision called The Journey Home starts with political and community advocacy to help fewer young people end up homeless in the first place. It continues all the way through aftercare with affordable-for-youth housing and robust mutual support networks between alumni that will make sure those who overcome youth homelessness go on to build stable and sustainable lives. We have the vision, but we need your help to make the plan a reality. Join the movement during Youth Homelessness Awareness Month in November. https://lnkd.in/ekYpfAuJ

From couch surfing to youth shelters to living out of a car, 4.2 million young people in the US experience some form of homelessness each year. Each and every one of them deserves support and a safe place to call home. If you want to make a difference and help us end youth homelessness as we know it today, come to our Rally in Times Square on November 1. https://lnkd.in/eedRicp3

Our team at La Alianza - Covenant House Guatemala is so excited to be part of the program at the Seattle International Foundation's Central America Donors Forum in Guatemala this week! In addition to hosting a visit to their new safe house for boys in San Juan del Obispo yesterday, three staff members — Sandra Marzón, program director, Miguel Domínguez, residential coordinator, and Gabriela Lima Peralta, development and communications director — are presenting at the conference. Delegations from our other two Latin America sites, Casa Alianza de Honduras and Fundación Casa Alianza México I.A.P. are also participating in the forum, raising awareness about Covenant House's work in Central America and building strategic partnerships to advocate for social justice solutions to youth homelessness in the region.

If you’re a young person in Florida, make sure you have a plan for where you’ll stay this week. Hurricane Milton will be extremely destructive when it hits land, and weathering the storm outside is not an option. If you need help, Covenant House Florida is open. In Orlando, our street outreach team and our Community Services Center will continue operations through the storm until it is no longer safe to do so. The crisis center in Fort Lauderdale (733 Breakers Ave) is open 24/7 and accepts youth ages 18-22 including pregnant and parenting youth and their babies. Call 954-561-5559 or 800-683-8338.

Thank you to the Academy of Interactive & Visual Arts for awarding our website a 2024 W3 Gold award! Out of thousands of entries, covenanthouse.org was selected as one the most outstanding websites for creativity, usability, navigation, functionality, visual design, and ease of use. The honor is additionally notable because the recognition is not limited to charity websites. We are in the same award category as Bank of America, Cartier, Detroit Institute of Arts, AARP, Harvard College, McKinsey & Company, NBA, The Ritz Carlton and many other leaders across a wide spectrum of digital brands.   This accomplishment is owed directly to the talent, dedication, professionalism and scrappiness of Ariana Hwang, Scott Warren, Jaclyn Falk, and Amy Lacey-Plumley, all of whom regularly impact design, coding and functional decisions that make our website intuitive, interesting, modern, accessible, and appealing. Rebuilding our website from the ground up and growing a best-in-class digital team was one of Amy’s early and primary initiatives upon joining CHI in May of 2021. This W3 distinction is proof that we have some incredibly talented people behind the scenes supporting our journey to end youth homelessness! https://lnkd.in/eaVyuvvs

In the US and Canada, 32% of the youth who come to us have had involvement with foster care. Where systems have either ceased or failed to meet young people's needs, Covenant House is there to fill in the gaps. Young people typically age out of foster care or child welfare systems at 18 or 21. Everyone's path to self-sufficiency is different, and that cutoff can easily happen at a time when a young person is not ready to make it on their own. Instead of the continuing support they need, they are left with an increased risk of poor educational outcomes, homelessness, trafficking, unemployment, and substance use. That's why in addition to supporting youth who have fallen through the gaps in the system, Covenant House supports policy change to improve outcomes for young people in foster care, including programs for college enrollment, affordability, and completion.

"When I gave myself a chance, everything started to change." - Ivory Ivory had sought refuge in various shelters across Chicago before a friend referred her to Covenant House Illinois. Stepping into the drop-in center, Ivory discovered more than just a temporary respite; she found a community committed to offering holistic support and empowerment. With her basic needs cared for, she was able to turn her attention toward the future. Working with Mads, the Covenant House Illinois education and career counselor, she crafted a resume, landed a job in public transit, and started looking for independent housing. Just five months after arriving at Covenant House, she used her first paycheck to make a down payment on an apartment in Hyde Park. "Having a place that understands every unique situation and has resources to help people succeed has made a huge difference for me,” Ivory shares. Through resilience, determination, and unwavering support, she has proved that with a second chance and a helping hand, anything is possible. https://lnkd.in/eG8XqaUB

Last weekend, our special partnership with Cisco was featured at the Global Citizen Festival in New York. Covenant House PA board member, Sleep Out team captain, and Cisco employee, Monica Naim, bravely shared her story as an advocate for all youth facing homelessness.