Homeless kids find shelter and safety at Covenant House. Meet our kids.

Dr. Anthony Sutton

Texas

"The lessons I learned at Covenant House have molded me into the man I am today."

Anthony Sutton's home looked happy from the outside, but was far from stable: his alcoholic stepfather regularly abused Anthony, his mother and his siblings. When he stood up to his stepfather after years of violence, he was told to get out.

Anthony spent weeks sleeping behind a school and reading in the library during the day. But when a librarian realized he was homeless, he gave Anthony the key to turn his life around.

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Meet Our Kids

Imagine walking in the footsteps of a kid who has run away from home to escape years of physical abuse, or a dangerous human trafficking network, or the chaos of life with a drug-addicted parent, or a house overflowing with rage...

This is life for so many homeless kids – until they arrive at Covenant House. Read the stories of how these kids rebuild their lives with the support of the Covenant House teams who love them.

Dr. Anthony Sutton

Texas

"The lessons I learned at Covenant House have molded me into the man I am today."

Anthony spent weeks sleeping behind a school and reading in the library during the day. But when a librarian realized he was homeless, he gave Anthony the key to turn his life around.

Denise, 18

“I feel that people actually care about me here and don’t want anything from me.”

When 18-year-old Denise decided to end her life by walking with her eyes closed onto a busy interstate, she felt like the most all-alone-kid in the world.

Denise had suffered sexual and physical abuse at the hands of her mother’s drug dealers and boyfriends since the age of five. Her trust in other people had been virtually erased. But thanks to the caring staff at Covenant House, Denise is finally beginning to feel safe again.

Connie, 19

New Jersey

“I knew I deserved better. I didn’t know what better was, but it had to be slightly good—more than what I had at home.”

Meet Connie: an extraordinary young woman whose journey from childhood abuse in Texas, to teen homelessness in New Jersey and, finally, to Covenant House, tells the story of undeniable determination. With feelings of worthlessness and suicide behind her, Connie is now reaching out to other struggling youth, sharing her story and encouraging them to fight for their dreams.

Jane

Alaska

“I’m lucky I survived my rock bottom, not everyone can say that. Now I see a future beyond my bad past.”

Jane had everything going against her... including a lifetime of people who had given up on her. But with patience, love and our G.E.D. program, Covenant House offered Jane what no one else ever had—a future. Read Jane's inspiring story of courage and her extraordinary journey from an abusive home to the hard streets of Anchorage and, finally, to Covenant House.

Priscilla

New York

"I felt alone, lost, desperate, and sad. It was tough for me as a teen being homeless."

Although she was on her own, Priscilla held a job that paid for her home: a rented room. Then she lost her job. Priscilla became one of thousands of homeless teens... lost, desperate, and vulnerable.

But as a testament to her personal strength and the care of Covenant House staff, she is a recent graduate of our Rights of Passage program.

Karen, 15

Toronto

"You worry about freezing to death... you worry about being robbed and beaten up… about where you’re going to get something to eat."

Karen’s mother threw her out in the cold. At first, she stayed with friends, but after that she slept outside on a grate. She became so hungry, she stole yogurt from a store. “They didn’t chase me… they could tell I really needed it."

Emanuel

"Emanuel was forced to sleep in an attic with no heat. When our Outreach Team picked him up, his toes were frostbitten."

There are thousands of homeless kids wandering the streets. They are hungry, cold, and terrified when night falls. No one would have thought Emanuel was one of these kids. No one ever saw him sleeping on a park bench, or huddled in a doorway of an abandoned building. That’s because Emanuel had a home to go to each night... but no one knew what horrors awaited him inside his house.

Kathy

New York

"Kathy came to our front door dressed in dirty rags and clutching a little paint can to her chest. From the second she stepped into our shelter, she mystified us."

Kathy came to our front door dressed in dirty rags and clutching a little aluminum paint can to her chest. From the second she stepped into our shelter, she mystified us. Whatever she did, wherever she went, the paint can never left her grasp.

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Jorge

Pennsylvania

“We didn’t have a mother and son relationship. She was an alcoholic and a drug addict for most of my life."

Jorge overcame a life on the street and began a new life when he was awarded a partial college scholarship. But when the scholarship did not cover his expenses, Jorge was forced back onto the streets of Philadelphia.

Jorge reached his limit and called our NINELINE. Now his beautiful tenor voice rings through the halls of Covenant House. Listen to Jorge tell his story.

Daniel, 16

Michigan

“I’m not really like this. I was always a preppy guy… just wait until it’s time for me to leave. I’m going to get a haircut….”

Once homeless and mourning the loss of his mother, Daniel hit rock bottom. But with love and support from Covenant House, he was finally able to see that there is an opportunity for a better life.

Ana

"I genuinely just don't have someone who cares."

When Ana's parents shut the door behind her, they left their daughter alone and abandoned in the world. She snuck into an office building and spent three nights sleeping in a cold stairwell... nothing but a light jacket separated her from the cold concrete.

Antione, 18

"I don't have to worry about where I'm going to sleep... about someone coming up and beating me or raping me."

Curling up between gravestones, Antoine spent many a night in the cemetery trying to stay warm and get some sleep. But then he called the Nineline and found immediate assistance – and now his life is on a better track...

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Perry

“I never really lived in a good home with my family. I lived with my father and my grandmother, but there were always all these arguments… so I ended up here. It’s easier here ‘cause I don’t argue here.”

He’s a musical prodigy. A self-taught genius. A one in a million. And he’s a homeless kid.

Months ago Perry was living in a car, dreaming of simple things you and I take for granted. Now, his dreams are as big and bright as the heavens.

Sam, 17

"I told my mom we'd still make it, and I took care of her. I stopped going to school so I could help her. I did my best. But it wasn’t enough. "

First his father died, then his beloved mother… and without any other relatives, Sam felt that his life was over. At 17, everything he ever knew – his family, security, sense of belonging – was suddenly gone. Desperation and fear took over, and the only option he could see before him was to turn to the streets.

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Alexis

“The Covenant House staff helped me with my goals and I think anyone looking for help could go far here. It doesn’t seem like a shelter to me, it’s a home. It’s your own domain.”

Joey

“I stayed in baseball dugouts, abandoned warehouses, boxes sometimes. I remember staying under a bridge then too. I did okay, mostly.”

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Ada

“The moment I came to Covenant House, I felt safe. I found a place where I could interact with people who made me feel like a better person, people who have goals and know where they want to go.”

Joe

“[I will] never forget the kindness, generosity, and acceptance I was shown. If I can help the kids in my practice half as well as I was helped by Covenant House, I will consider myself successful.”

Mark

“All I was looking for was a bed, but I found a haven. Covenant House is different than other shelters. It’s like a home. There are lots of ‘parents’ here….”

Michelle

Michelle was not only a victim of an abusive family life and teen homelessness, she was also caught in a dangerous human trafficking network….

Kimberly

One of our donors wanted to give Kimberly a gift she would always remember. A generous donation of $500 paid for her to attend her prom dressed in a beautiful formal gown.

Michael

“When my Mom got drunk, she’d lock me out. I’d get so hungry….”

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Taquan

“I’ve been in DYFS (Department of Youth and Family Services) since I was two. I went from home to home and eventually become homeless....”

Katie

Stuck in an abusive relationship, Katie knew she had to break the cycle of violence… and she knew Covenant House could help her do it.

Jodie

“One time [my mom] was so mad she took this big thing of hot oil she was frying something in and she just threw it at me… you can see where it just cooked me.”

Wesley

When military officials pulled his records, they discovered he had listed Covenant House as his last residence... we were the only family he had.

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Sakina

“College was my goal. I never imagined that I would end up homeless on the streets, but unfortunately that’s what happened.”

Cathy

When our new Rights of Passage house opened, our kids were literally dancing in their new driveway – what a sight! But one girl just sat, smiling. “This is beyond my dreams.”

Covenant House - Homeless YouthOpening Doors for Homeless Youth

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