How One Report Card Changed Everything 

Inside an abandoned house, dust thick in the air, Kenny Greer, associate director of housing at Covenant House New Jersey, searched through the debris with a young man. The youth had once sought shelter here before coming to CHNJ.  Now, the goal was simple: find anything — a birth certificate, a social security card, a passport — that could help the young person apply for his first ID.  

The result? A lone, middle school report card. To most, just a scrap of paper. But Kenny knew it could be the first step toward the young man’s independence and freedom. 

At Covenant House, our staff is dedicated to going above and beyond for the young people we serve. Kenny made a lasting difference for one young man by helping him obtain his very first ID card. 

This youth never had access to essential identifying documents. Without those records, getting an official ID seemed impossible. 

But Kenny persevered. After finding the report card, he brought the young person to the DMV, explained the situation, and asked a supervisor to accept the report card as a form of identification. The story touched the supervisor’s heart, and, against all odds, they granted the youth his first ID. 

“You don’t even know how long I’ve been trying to get an ID,” the young man said. From that moment on, whenever Kenny offered advice, the youth responded with, “Alright, Mr. Kenny knows.” 

See more of this story in the video below.