Submitted by klevin on Fri, 2010-02-05 17:41

As the number of homeless youth seeking refuge continues to surge, Covenant House New York (CHNY) is responding by opening a new daytime community service center.

The additional services are critical for CHNY, which has been struggling to meet the rising number of youths seeking refuge at the emergency Crisis Center on 41st Street in Manhattan. As the city’s largest nonprofit agency dedicated to immediate and long-term needs of homeless, runaway and at-risk youth, CHNY served 5,960 young people in 2009.

“It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the economic gloom that surrounds us,” said Kevin Ryan, President of Covenant House.  “But that misses the opportunity we have to transcend that and provide the help homeless kids so desperately need.  This program is a new place of hope for our kids.”

According to Jerry Kilbane, Executive Director of Covenant House New York, programs for homeless youth across the city have been closed due to cuts in federal funding and a significant drop in philanthropic giving.

“This means that even more kids are coming to our doors in need of safety, shelter and food,” said Kilbane. “The moment a youth realizes that he or she had nowhere to go is the moment Covenant House needs to be there providing options.”

The new community center serves as a day shelter and resource center for at-risk and homeless youth who do not require or desire the full scope of services provided at the Crisis Center (e.g., housing, three meals each day), yet are struggling to get by. Open daily from 1p.m. to 9p.m., the center offers housing case management support; medical, mental health and legal services; access to shower and laundry facilities and food.

“One size does not fit all when it comes to offering this forgotten population access to the vital services they need,” says Kilbane. “The flexible nature of the community center makes it accessible for disadvantaged young people who might not have otherwise come to us for help.”

Kilbane notes that the opening of the community center comes at a time when homeless youth are more desperate than ever. According to recent estimates, there are over 15,000 homeless youth in New York City on any given night. Across the nation, that number swells to over one million.

“These kids are the future of New York City; their successes are crucial to the overall health and success of our city,” said Kilbane. “So long as the resources to fight youth homelessness are available, we will continue to do so with dedication and persistence.”


About Covenant House New York (CHNY)
CHNY is New York City’s largest nonprofit adolescent care agency serving homeless, runaway and at-risk youth between the ages of 18 and 21. With particular expertise in helping some of the most hopeless teens grow into independent, successful and productive adults, CHNY plays a special role in the lives of young people struggling to find their way – and in the city’s larger social services arena.