Every night, about 2,300 young people will go to sleep in a Covenant House bed.
Each one of these young people has a unique journey and story to tell. And to be honest, being homeless is the least interesting thing about them. At Covenant House, we know that we're just a chapter in a book that they are still writing. We encourage them to write their own futures and celebrate them as the heroes of their own story.
When you Sleep Out and give up your bed, you are helping provide a bed where a young person will rest on their journey to independence. Here are just some of those journeys:
In the cold of Alaska’s winters, Ryna found her way to Covenant House’s warmth and care. Years later, she started working there. |
Anthony suddenly became homeless at age 17, and after three weeks of sleeping under a bridge and behind a school, he walked through the doors of Covenant House Texas. A woman at intake hugged him before saying a word – he can still see her face. |
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Veronica became homeless at the age of 21 and stayed at Covenant House for six months while she secured full time employment. Today, she serves on the board of directors at Covenant House Michigan. read veronica's STORY |
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When Carlos arrived at Covenant House as a teenager, he had no idea how different his life could be. He’d fled a toxic situation at home, bundling his hopes and dreams and walking eight miles to Covenant House in Hollywood. Like so many youth who come through our doors, he found a community that nurtured and encouraged him. |
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Trafficking survivor Polina is determined to rise above her past difficult circumstances with unconditional love and support from Covenant House. READ polina'S STORY |
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Nick's life path took him from being a questioning teenager to a confident LGBTQ+ advocate highlighting his experiences and the importance of support, education, and empathy in the LGBTQ+ community. |
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“I took a leap of faith,” is how Erika describes her first day at Covenant House. “The idea of walking into a shelter where I knew absolutely no one was scary. And I believed the stereotypes you hear that all shelters are bad places. But my baby Armani was nine months old, and I needed a stable, safe place for us.” READ erika'S STORY |
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“I grew up an emotionless kid. To this day, I don’t really feel much because that is where I come from. I come from neglect.” READ lyric'S StORY |
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“January 7, 2020. The day I walked into the Covenant House crisis shelter in Philadelphia. I’ll never forgot how scared I was and how the staff made me feel so welcomed right away. read aNN'S STORY |
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In January 2021, DeeDee saw a commercial for Covenant House on TV and was transported back to a much different time in her life. In 1980, at 15 years old, she left her home in Connecticut and hitchhiked with a friend to New York City. READ DEEDEE'S SORY |
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Out of respect for the privacy of our young people, their name and/or photo may be replaced with an alias and/or model.