Nourishing Hope: Fighting Youth Homelessness with Hot Meals 

“When you’re a youth coming off the streets, or from a broken home, or just getting to Covenant House, it’s very important that when you get to me, I’m gonna feed you well, and you’re gonna feel welcome. You’re gonna feel at home,” says David Holt, food and facilities manager at Covenant House Michigan. 

At CHMI’s two locations, in Detroit and Grand Rapids, David is responsible for everything from managing the food budget and sourcing food and meals, to training, motivating, and managing the chefs and food services teams. His disciplined passion is based on years of experience as a chef in busy kitchens and his deep embrace of Covenant House’s mission of unconditional love, absolute respect, and relentless support for the youth we serve. 

“When food insecurity is removed,” David says, “it allows our youth to focus on other critical areas of their lives — such as education, housing stability, and mental health. Knowing they can count on a warm, nutritious meal provides them with a sense of consistency and security. Meals often become a grounding moment in their day.” 

But as David and CHMI well know, it’s important that youth continue to be well nourished after they leave our care, too. Ensuring that young people have consistent access to nutritious food and the tools to prepare it supports them in their next steps toward a healthy, happy, and independent life.  

“Teaching our youth about nutrition, meal planning, and basic cooking skills helps normalize their day-to-day lives and builds confidence as they work toward independence. Cooking gives them the ability to make choices, adjust to budgets, and prepare meals they enjoy,” David notes. 

“Food also brings people together,” he says. “Everyone loves to talk about meals, recipes, and family traditions. We strive to create that sense of family here at Covenant House by encouraging teachable moments between our youth and kitchen staff during meal service. These experiences help foster a sense of home, culture, and belonging that youth can carry with them when they’re on their own.” 

You, too, can help equip our youth with food and important life skills for the next leg of their journey. Do you have a favorite family recipe you’d like to share with our Covenant House chefs and food service providers? Just use this form to share your recipe, and we’ll share it with youth at Covenant House, just as we did over the recent holidays at Covenant House New York, to help them build their knowledge of easy-to-prepare recipes that are nutritious and delicious.  

To inspire you, David shares below one of his recipes that you can make at home. 

Chicken Pesto with Summer Vegetables  

Ingredients: 

Cavatappi pasta 

Chicken 

Zucchini squash and yellow squash, medium, diced 

Cherry tomatoes, sliced 

Basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika 

Freshly made pesto (see recipe below) 

Heavy cream 

Cheese (Parmesan or white cheddar) 

To make the Chicken Pesto with Summer Vegetables: 

1. Boil cavatappi pasta in water until al dente; set aside and cool.
2. In a separate pan, sauté medium diced zucchini squash, yellow squash, and sliced cherry tomatoes. When tender, add fresh basil, oregano, and black pepper.
3. Lightly season your chicken breast with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Sear in a pan, finish in the oven, and let it rest.
4. Slowly warm the fresh pesto. Add the pasta and enough heavy cream to thicken the sauce. Add the vegetables. Slice the chicken and add it on top.
5. (Optional) Add cheese. 

Pesto ingredients:  

2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed, stems removed) 

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

½ cup extra virgin olive oil 

⅓ cup pine nuts (you can substitute walnuts or almonds) 

2–3 garlic cloves, peeled 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

(Optional) a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for brightness 

To make the pesto:  

1. Toast nuts (optional): Lightly toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until golden. This deepens their flavor. Let cool.
2. Blend base: In a food processor (or blender), add basil leaves, garlic, and nuts. Pulse until finely chopped.
3. Add Parmesan cheese and pulse again.
4. Stream in oil: With the machine running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until smooth and creamy.
5. Season: Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired. 

Good nutrition is so important for young people at Covenant House because it’s key to their healing after the trauma of homelessness and to the success of their ongoing journey. Across our federation last year, Covenant House provided more than 1.9 million meals to youth overcoming homelessness and trafficking.  

Please be sure to submit your recipe, as it will be a much-appreciated resource for our young people as they step into the next chapter of their lives: Independence.