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."