Dear Friend of Covenant House Kids,

"My little crack baby ... that's what Mom called me."

"Or, she'd say 'You ain't never gonna be nothing, you little crack baby. Your daddy was a ...' a word I can't say in front of you, Sister. She'd tell me, 'If I wasn't so high on crack, I would never have been with him. And if I wasn't so high on crack all the time when I was carrying you, maybe you wouldn't be so stupid.

"'It ain't your fault you won't ever be nothing. You're just my little crack baby."

James shook his head and shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal -- as if everyone's mother says things like that to them.

"I never knew my daddy. And my Mom, she was so messed up all the time. So, over time, I just stopped relying on her. Besides, when she got really high, she'd sometimes beat on me and blame me for ruining her life.

"'Crack baby, you screwed up my life!' After a while, I got tired of hearing that, so I spent less and less time at home and more time on the street. Then, one day, I just stopped going home.

My dear friend, you have been so incredibly loyal to our kids, month after month, and I wanted you to hear James' story, not because of the sad details of his early childhood, which are tragically like that of so many Covenant House kids. I wanted you to hear James' story because of what he said next. It will help you to understand why I am so grateful for your help. Always.

After a pause, James said, "A sandwich saved my life. I will always believe that, Sister."

"I don't understand, James," I said, "What do you mean a sandwich saved your life?"

"Well, there was a point where I felt like I just didn't care no more. I mean, I wasn't going nowhere. I was just a crack baby.

"I was living on the street. My clothes were dirty. I hadn't had nothing to eat in about two days. The weather was supposed to get really cold.

"I don't know ... I just started feeling like what's the point, you know. I mean, why try anymore? Nothing was working. Nobody cared about me. Even my own mother thought I was screwed up. Her little crack baby.

"So I started thinking I didn't want to keep trying anymore. Really. I just didn't see no point.

"That's when the Covenant House van came around. And you guys were handing out sandwiches and hot chocolate.

"All that night, I kept thinking 'Why did they do that? Why'd they come all the way down here to the bad part of town to give me a sandwich?'

"I mean, I'm not stupid, even if I am a crack baby. I didn't think you came all the way down to give ME a sandwich. You didn't even know ME. But somehow, knowing that somebody cared enough about other people to go down there and give out sandwiches ...

"All that night I thought about that. It was too cold to sleep anyway. And in the morning, I came here to Covenant House."

James' eyes began to glisten at that moment, and I could feel my own eyes fill with tears.

"And Sister," James said, shaking his head slowly, "That was the best decision I ever made. No doubt."

If you ever needed proof that you make a difference when you send a donation to Covenant House, I hope James' story convinces you.

We never know what it is that will reach a kid in trouble like James. Only God above knows exactly what they all need.

But by doing what we can -- even if it's just giving a kid a sandwich -- I believe we lay the groundwork and then God takes over.

You and I know God always cared about James ... even when his mother was calling him her little crack baby.

But James couldn't hear God until you and I got his attention with a sandwich.

Sometimes it's a sandwich. Sometimes it's a hug. Sometimes it's just that our door is always open. So many kids like James have told me that they didn't think anyone in the world cared about them until that moment.

For a teenager to say "No one cares about me!" is hardly a rare thing, of course. I think we all know teenagers who grow up in perfectly nice homes, with food, and love, and all the good things in life, who will insist, with deep angst, "No one cares about me!"

But for kids like James, it's not just passing teenage drama. Until we handed him that sandwich, James' claim that no one cared about him was literally true.

That's why I'm so incredibly glad that you found Covenant House and decided to make our covenant with children like James part of your life.

You care. You care in a way that really matters.

James didn't know anyone cared until we gave him that sandwich. And all over the country tonight, there are kids just like him who will get a sandwich, or a hug, or a warm bed because you make Covenant House possible.

You will, from afar, change their lives.

I'm so proud of James. He is in our Rights of Passage program, which means we'll give him a place to live for 18 months while he finishes his high school diploma, gets some job training, and finds a place to live.

James is also in our Culinary Arts Program, learning to be a restaurant cook, and he loves it. He's hoping to get a good job and then work his way through college.

His determination and ambition make me want to stand beside him all day long shouting "Go James!" The look in his eyes also makes me want to thank you again, and again, and again. I will say a prayer of thanks for you today.

P.S. I really think James is going to do well. But he will need our help for some time. And there are so many kids like him sleeping on the streets of America tonight who think no one cares about them. Your simple generosity can change their lives. Thank you so much for all your help!

P.P.S. If you'd like to make a secured online donation, just click here. Your gift will begin working immediately. Thanks again for caring for our kids.

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