Why We Sleep Out

Every night, millions of young people across the Americas will go to sleep without a safe place to call home. Some will sleep in cars parked in public lots. Some will sleep on their friends' couches. Some will sleep outside, or in an abandoned building. For 16 years, Covenant House has asked that you consider spending one night on the pavement in solidarity with youth experiencing homelessness.

The first Sleep Out was held in 2011 with 48 executives. Today, it is a movement, where individual Sleepers and Sleep Out teams come together and give up their beds to sleep outside and raise funds for Covenant House and awareness of the youth homelessness issue.  The impact is major. Since that first Sleep Out, more than 65,000 people have participated and raised over $185 million to support our mission to end youth homelessness as we know it.

In Their Own Words

The young people we serve know better than anyone what Sleep Out means. Some Covenant House residents and former residents join Sleep Out events across the country to share their stories, answer questions, and remind Sleepers that every youth matters. These are real people, with real lived experiences of pain, poverty, neglect, abuse, violence, illness, but also joy, abundance, healing, and resilience.

For our youth ambassadors and alum, Sleep Out is a full-circle moment, where they get to share their stories in the hope that they will inspire Sleepers’ solidarity and uplift other youth who are experiencing homelessness.

One young resident, Grim, says he feels the solidarity Sleepers bring. "When they Sleep Out, it is a show of support. They're saying, 'We see you and support you to get the things you need.'"

Marbin, an alum, says he's noticed how "Sleep Out creates awareness about how it feels to not have a roof over your head or a place to call home. People who Sleep Out get into our shoes, even for a little while, and imagine what it is like to have no home."

Grim and Marbin remind us what Sleep Out means for youth who are experiencing homelessness. The funds Sleepers raise support Covenant House programs providing housing, safety, therapy, meals, education, and career development that allow youth to heal from their experiences and move toward sustainable independence.

Sleep Out Now

What began as 48 executives giving up their beds for a night has grown into an international stadium-filling, multimillion-dollar-raising movement to get youth like Marbin and Grim the support services they need to overcome homelessness.

Join Us for Sleep Out this November

Here are three ways you can get involved with Sleep Out.

• Find an upcoming Sleep Out near you and Sleep Out.

• Start a Sleep Out: If you don’t see a Sleep Out in your community, create your own — and call on your family, friends, and community to join you.

• Fundraise: If you’re unable to attend a Sleep Out, consider supporting other Sleepers in your community. Make a donation or help spread the word.

Sleep Out is a night of solidarity and so much more. It’s a night of purpose, and reminds us that ending youth homelessness is actually within reach when we come together to build solutions.