Youth Homelessness Awareness Month

Our rally is free and open to the public but we do encourage you to RSVP in advance.

When: November 1, from 6-8:30 p.m.

Where: Times Square, NYC

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This rally is being held in Times Square. You can get here by any of the major transit lines in New York City, but the closest are the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, and S subway lines and Port Authority Bus Terminal. We do have parking available for the event.

There will be entertainment, giveaways, and interactive experiences with Covenant House youth, alumni, and partners.

You must RSVP to be entered in the giveaways and have access the Partner Village.

In 2021, the U.S. Senate designated November as National Youth Homelessness Awareness Month. In recognition of Covenant House sites across 34 cities in five countries we bring together our global community each November to confront this crisis head-on. We urge you to get loud, take action, and shed light on the growing issue of youth homelessness.

Covenant House is the largest, primarily privately funded charity in North and Central America providing immediate and long-term support for young people facing homelessness and survivors of human trafficking.

We provide housing and support services to youth facing homelessness. We help young people transform their lives and put them on a path to independence by giving them access to strengths-based programs that are designed to empower them to rise and overcome adversity, today and in the future.

Our doors are open 24/7 and our programs and services are available at no cost.

In 2024, Covenant House began a new expansion of our prevention, direct services, and aftercare work in a strategy called The Journey Home, the goal of which is to end youth homelessness as we know it.

Covenant House has historically focused its primary work on direct service interventions, creating best-in-class programs and services that meet the needs of young people facing homelessness. The need to focus more intentionally on prevention and restoration, or aftercare, has emerged over time as our data, which represent our youth’s experiences, indicated that efforts to both prevent youth entering homelessness at the front end of their journeys and remaining stably housed at the back end were essential to the longer-term goal of ending youth homelessness as we know it today.

A few of our Covenant House affiliates have already begun to explore or implement new strategies relative to prevention and restoration, including preventive services that target children and families at risk of homelessness and the opening of new affordable-for-youth housing to ensure youth have a stable place to live after leaving Covenant House. Our road map, The Journey Home, contemplates our adding more programs and services aligned with prevention and restoration, while also continuing to enhance and expand our critical intervention services.

Learn more about the Journey Home here

Sleep Out events are hosted by local Covenant House sites across North and Central America. Find an upcoming event near you and complete the registration form to sign up. Sleep Out events have varying age and fundraising requirements, so please double-check the event details prior to registering. If you can’t find an event near you, consider starting your own.

In advance of Sleep Out, you will be contacted by your fundraising coach who will provide tips and tricks to spread the word and reach your fundraising goal. You’ll also hear from the event coordinator with the schedule, venue, and list of what you need to bring with you (this info is also available on the event website). A typical Sleep Out hosted by a Covenant House site starts around 8 p.m., with time for registration and a light dinner before the welcome program begins.

We always take time to thank our fundraisers, share about our mission, and show the impact of the funds you raised. You may be broken up into smaller groups for deep-dive conversations on different topics related to youth homelessness with your fellow Sleepers, Covenant House experts, and youth or alumni speakers.

When it’s time to Sleep Out, usually around 11 p.m., you will head out to a secure outdoor location with your sleeping bag (check with your event coordinator if you need to bring your own). You’ll have the opportunity to change your clothes (layers are recommended!) before settling in. Sleep Out is a rain (or snow!) or shine event, though there is always indoor space available and Covenant House staff on-site should you need them in the night.

In the morning, Sleepers wake up, grab a cup of coffee, and join a morning reflection to talk through the experience, reflect on how it differs from what youth facing homelessness experience, and ask questions before continuing on with your day.

You’ll hear from your event coordinator after the Sleep Out with ways to stay involved.

Groups and companies can lend their support by participating in a volunteer event where participants purchase and package essential items to meet the basic needs of our young people. Kit packing events can be tailored to your specific needs and no matter which option you choose, our team is here to help engage your volunteers and shine a spotlight on the positive impact your project will have on our youth.

Here's how it all comes together: Take your pick from our seven kit options (Mental Health, Toiletries, Kitchen Goods, Holiday Gifts, Bedroom Basics, Shower Resources, or Cleaning Supplies).

Your group will provide a project budget, and Covenant House will ship the necessary items to a location of your choice. Your team can then begin to pack your kits - virtually, at multiple locations, or during a single event that suits your schedule. Once your kits are ready to go, we'll ensure they reach a Covenant House site that requested these items.

Ready to plan your event?

 Email Us to discuss specifics and logistics

Kit Packing Challenge includes:

• Kit materials and supplies
• Shipping costs
• Covenant House introduction and instructions
• Recognition on social media and website as a Youth Homelessness Awareness Month Kit Packing Challenge participant
• Invitation to join us in Times Square on Thursday, November 1st for a portion of our Sleep Out event, the marquee event of Youth Homelessness Awareness Month. (Limited spots available)

Ready to plan your event?

 Email Us to discuss specifics and logistics

Some of our Kit Packing Challenge participants are:

• Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Anywhere Real Estate

• Boston Consulting Group

• Bumble & Bumble

• Compensation Advisory Partners

• Critical Role

• Databricks

• Elemis Skincare

• Guggenheim Partners

• Holocene Advisors

• JP Morgan

• KIA

• L&L Holding Company

• McKinsey & Company

• Melt Water

• METS

• Schroders

• Thrive Global

• Weyerhaeuser

Ready to plan your event?

 Email Us to discuss specifics and logistics