November is Hunger and Homelessness Awareness month and Covenant House is a resource for teen homelessness and human trafficking.
When we think of homeless teens, we could imagine a teenager with an attitude that doesn’t want to follow the rules. In some cases, this may be true, but in other cases, teens are left with no choice. They will runaway from home to seek a safe place from an abuser. To get away from a place that doesn’t support them in their decisions to become who they want to be. Or, to help them deal with a mistake they may have made by getting pregnant or using drugs.
Where can these teens go?
The next step after being either kicked out of their homes or leaving them is to find a place to stay. Sometimes they may stay with a close friend on their couch temporarily. Or, they will find a place to sleep on the streets.
If they seek out a resource to help them with shelter and to deal with the issue that put them onto the street, one great option, is Covenant House.
What is Covenant House?
Since 1972, Covenant House has opened their doors to more than 1.5 million young people experiencing homelessness and survivors of human trafficking. Every young person at Covenant House receives a warm bed, food, health and wellness services, a case manager, and, most important of all, unconditional love and absolute respect. Through their outreach into the community, they are able to meet homeless teens where they are, on the street, and provide them with assistance.
Here are a few facts about them
- They are open 24/7 to take in teens
- More than 2200 teens wake up in a Covenant House bed every day
- They provided over 790,000 nights of safe housing to youth in the past year
- There are twenty-seven locations in the United States and eight additional locations in Canada and Latin America.
What services do they provide for Homeless Teens?
According to their website, Covenant House provides shelter and support to teens facing homelessness which includes,
Crisis Care
They provide emergency services like short term housing, mental health services and legal aid to teens and young adults ages 16-22.
Housing and Stability
Their doors are open 24/7 to provide shelter for teens. They are also able to respond to the needs of people who are young survivors of human trafficking, those who identify as LGBTQ+, and those who are pregnant or parenting solo.
Mental Health
Covenant House offers counseling and wellness programs to help teens deal with the trauma of being homeless. They also help them take control of their lives to build up their lives and their self confidence.
Education and Workforce Development
Obtaining education and preparing or the world are key skills to have when getting out of teen homelessness. Covenant House provides programs that teens and young adults are excited to participate in. These programs will help them grow professionally, have a livable wage, and help them become independent.
What can we do?
How do we help teens who are homeless? We can start by listening to what they have to say about what happened. Then, help them find resources like Covenant House to help them start making things better for themselves.
To keep teens from becoming homeless in the first place?
- Create a safe place for your teens to come and talk to you about what is bothering them.
- Be open minded about what they are going through and what they see as the solutions.
Sometimes that two way conversation can help both sides come to a solution for the issue. If you are in need of any resources for the issues your teen is facing, be sure to check out our Resources page.
The Streets Way is about teen homelessness
Do you know about The Way Series? It’s a series of coming-of-age novels for teens and young adults about the challenges they face. The Street’s Way, the third book in The Way Series, is a continuation of the storyline in books one and two and focuses specifically on Teen Homelessness.
The Streets Way introduces a character to the storyline who is running away from home and a bad situation, Mikala Kalani. She arrived at the bus station in Manor City looking for a place to escape, believing it would be harder for them to find her in a big bustling city. One thing she didn’t think about was the dangers of being a homeless teen in a place she knows nothing about. Do you wonder how Mikala navigates being a teen runaway? Find out in The Streets Way.
Follow this link to Selma’s books tab to learn more about her series and to pick up your copy of The Streets Way or any of the other books in The Way Series!