Greg Hernandez -- A Covenant House Texas Success Story

Greg Hernandez has a special reason for giving so much of his valuable time to Covenant House.

He used to live here.

"I was a ward of the state for my entire childhood, and after seventeen years of foster and group homes, I arrived at Covenant House Texas."

At Covenant House, Greg was a part of our Rights of Passage program, which provides long-term shelter, job training and educational opportunities for homeless and at-risk youth. "I remember it felt like family. And I was grateful that I had a place to go.

"While I was living at Covenant House Texas, there was a program offered by the state to children who were aging out of the state's care called Preparation for Adult Living (PAL). The program was designed to help foster children find jobs. The PAL program partnered with businesses around town which offered entry-level positions. I was lucky enough to get a job in personnel at a bank. I was so proud to have the job. It was just an opportunity of a lifetime for me."

Greg was grateful that Covenant House gave him a solid foundation. "But living at a shelter was also motivation for me," he says. "I didn't want to live there any longer than I had to. I always felt I had something to prove. I had two jobs at one point, and I would still catch the bus an hour ahead of schedule so that my co-workers at the bank didn't see my mode of transportation."

Greg says there is no secret to how he got to be Senior Vice President. "I worked hard. The Chairman of the bank approached me one day to tell me that I had a great attitude. I was offered a promotion and have worked my way up since."

Today, as a Covenant House Texas board member and member of the Program Committee, Greg reviews the progress of the Rights of Passage program, the number of youth participating in the GED program and other statistics relating to the success of various programs.

"I obviously have a clear understanding of where these kids are coming from. It's tough to be in their situation. It's hard for anyone to be successful, but harder when you don't have opportunities. That's why Covenant House is so important, and our services so valuable."

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