WASHINGTON, D.C.
Last fall, a Covenant House Washington resident testified before the Council of the District of Columbia Committee on Human Services. Here are excerpts from that testimony:
Every day I see teen moms and dads, various friends and family members who are "couch surfing", living in cars, shelters or simply on the streets. I feel the need do something about this growing problem.
I am what we call a "couch surfer." I currently reside in three different homes, and I'm financially unstable. I am not able to find affordable housing, nor have I been able to obtain a Section 8 voucher due to the housing list being so long that it could take years before my name is chosen. We can try to help ourselves, but there is only so much that we can achieve without a helping hand or adequate support services.
I am currently at Covenant House Washington, but there are only a few youth serving organizations like this in the District which provide services to homeless youth. Therefore, many youth get left behind because these youth organizations need additional funding to provide services to this population. More funding for these programs means more opportunities for youth.
Ask yourself this question when you are with your families, loved ones, or friends, "What if it were me or my child?" Would you be willing to watch your children slowly shrink away to nothing because there was no one there for you or them? Thank you for the opportunity to speak today on behalf of homeless youth.
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MISSOURI
A crucial part of the Covenant House mission states "commitment calls us to serve suffering children of the street, and to protect and safeguard all children". One way that we carry out our mission is through Advocacy efforts. Covenant House Missouri is committed to promoting legislative advocacy through public policy, programs and services that support and protect the rights and well being of children, youth, homeless individuals and families. To further these efforts, CHMO collaborates with local, state, regional and national organizations that advocate on behalf of the youth we serve.
Another important part of our efforts lies in teaching youth to effectively advocate for themselves, and learn that they do have a voice. Whenever possible, we provide youth with opportunities to speak directly with lawmakers and policymakers, on both a local and state level. Youth are also involved with projects like the Annual Voter Registration Drive as well as speaking at board meetings and our Annual Candlelight Vigil.
CALIFORNIA
Mötley Crüe founder and bassist Nikki Sixx knows first-hand what it's like to have to fend for yourself on the streets, which is why he has launched "Running Wild in the Night," a fundraising initiative for Covenant House.
"I chose to work with Covenant House after a lot of research," says Nikki. "I visited the Los Angeles location and was impressed by the whole operation. I saw what they were doing and it was exactly what I had envisioned for helping at-risk kids."
George Lozano, Executive Director of Covenant House California, says, "Having someone like Nikki associated with Covenant House is great. He's passionate about what he does, he's passionate about the cause, he can relate to the youth in our program and they can relate to him. He's a great role model for these kids."
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