Matthew came to Covenant House at the age of 17 after being pushed out of a highly dysfunctional home. On his own for the first time, he was determined to change his life for the better.

If you met Matthew, you would be impressed by his intelligence and creativity. After only a few months of working and saving, Matthew moved from our crisis shelter to Rights of Passage, Covenant House’s transitional living program. Here, our staff helped him enroll in GED classes and connected him with a culinary training program.

Matthew flourished, gaining confidence with each step he took towards his goal of independent living. By the time he graduated from the training program, he had built up considerable savings that allowed him to move into his very own apartment.

In addition to his full-time job at a cafe, Matthew also works as a freelance artist and editor and even published a small graphic novel. He is currently working on a self-published comic series while staying focused on earning his GED. We’re so proud of Matthew’s accomplishments and are excited about his bright future ahead.