Meet Our Youth

What Youth Say About Homelessness and Life on the Streets

"I never thought it would happen to me. I never thought that I would be hungry, in a shelter or unable to clothe my son."
"Covenant House gave us a warm, clean place to stay and hot food at the Crisis Center. At the time, I had no clothes, hadn’t eaten in days, and my son had no socks. I had no hope anyone would take us in. They were such a huge help to me."
"I had four children of my own, and I was taking care of my younger brother and sister while my mother struggled with a drug addiction. I turned to the streets, selling drugs for extra money, and wound up in jail several times before I was 18."
"Covenant House is my second home. It’s a place where I can come, relax and get my problems solved."
"I was hanging around people with nothing on their mind. I was dodging the police. People were shooting at each other; there was no peace, just a lot of chaos."
"For any youth who needs help, who’s doing the wrong thing, I’d recommend going to Covenant House because of all the opportunities it can offer. It can help them make a change for the better—turn their life around."
"I was embarrassed to take my kids to a shelter, but I knew I had to do what I had to do. When I got here, I was surprised—I pictured cots and lots of people; but it was totally different, it was like a home."
"I had my first child at 15 and moved in with a man I thought loved me. After I had my daughter, my boyfriend became abusive, locking me in the apartment and beating me. I went into protective custody and was referred to Covenant House."
"Covenant House Washington was my last hope. I learned how to take care of myself, how to love and respect myself."
"Covenant House is more than just a place—it’s a spirit, and no one can take that away from us."