Introducing the Covenant House Alumni Community

“In 1999, tired, broken and confused, I entered the open arms of Covenant House. They lifted me up, cleaned me up and directed me down the right path. I’m convinced I would have never redirected my life without them, and at 18 years old with almost a decade of repeated homelessness, domestic abuse, and nowhere to turn, they were truly my guiding light!” – Amy D.

“Being at Covenant House was the first time I felt cared for and safe. One of the staff never gave up on me. I learned that I am stronger than I think I am and I can succeed if I try.” – Jessica H. 

“The one thing that always comes up for me about my experience at Covenant House is that shelters aren’t so bad or scary. This place was a space for healing, because I was finally able to escape the toxic environment that I was living in. I arrived there with so much fear, anxiety, pain, and confusion. However I left with so much more that I still use today.” – Meliza S.

“Covenant House was there when I had no one. A new mom. Alone. They offered me prenatal care and my child got well visits for free.” – Robin P.

“I had a very abusive mother so I ran away and ended up on the streets until someone told me about Covenant House. I didn't think anyone could understand what I was going through, but at Covenant House I felt for the first time they could. The staff, from the counselors to the cleaning lady, made me feel like a person who mattered. I met kids from all over the country and all walks of life and we became a family within minutes.” – Lisa P.

These are just a few of the powerful quotes we received from alumni when we asked them to share their Covenant House experience with us. Hearing from alumni opened our eyes to the need for a more formalized space to share ideas and build a stronger community of supporters for young people facing homelessness. 

It is with great excitement and an incredible amount of honor that we introduce the new Covenant House Alumni Community, which includes individuals who want to remain connected to Covenant House after their journey with us ended. We define alumni as any individual who received services at a Covenant House location since 1972.

Here are a few of the ways the Alumni Community will remain engaged throughout the year. They will:

• Participate in Covenant House’s impactful storytelling efforts – across its social media channels, in email newsletters, during key efforts, and so much more.
• Offer insights from their lived experience that help craft future Covenant House communications and programming that directly impact current residents.
• Connect with current residents at sites and empower them through lived experiences.

The new Alumni Community page on our website includes profiles of alumni from six different Covenant House sites: California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Please read our stories and share this link with any alumni in your community who may be interested in reconnecting with Covenant House.

We never grow tired of hearing stories like this one from Stephaun L.:

“The happiest days of my life were at Covenant House. Before the Cov, I was sleeping on trains, sleeping in hallways or wherever it was warm. The Cov helped me get my driver’s license and helped me to get rid of my legal issues. If I tried to mention everything they did for me, I would be typing forever. I will never forget what Covenant House did for me. The staff are the nicest people in the world, I swear.”

We are looking forward to hearing from you!