“It Takes a Village”: Lorraine’s Mission to Love and Uplift Young Families at Covenant House 

When you talk to Lorraine Ruzich about her work with young families at Covenant House New Jersey, one thing becomes immediately clear: this isn’t just a job — it’s a calling. 

Lorraine serves as the resource specialist at Raphael Life House, a transitional housing program for young moms and their babies. Tucked inside a former convent in Elizabeth, NJ, Raphael’s Life House is a place of refuge, community, and renewal. But it’s Lorraine — and her big-hearted, faith-filled approach — that truly makes the house feel like a home. 

“Our goal is that every young mom who comes through our doors will never experience homelessness again,” Lorraine shares. “We wrap around them with love and respect and ask, ‘What does your bright future look like?’ And then we help them build it.” 

A Safe Place to Dream 

Lorraine’s days are full: She and her colleagues run programs like “Baby Dove Club,” a volunteer-led respite babysitting service that gives moms time to rest, attend job interviews, or simply breathe. They bring in students from Seton Hall University, host resume-building workshops and organize spring baby showers and trips to the local zoo.  

“It’s like a little village,” Lorraine says. “There’s always something going on — moms in the kitchen, volunteers upstairs with the babies, someone headed to a workshop in the old chapel. It just works because everyone here is part of something bigger.” 

But the true magic of her work happens in the quiet, in-between moments — like the time she saw one of the moms quietly help a new resident up the stairs. The new mom was struggling to bring in her bags while also holding on tightly to an infant in a carrier.  

“She said to me, ‘I’ve been there. It’s scary walking in for the first time with a baby and not knowing anyone,’” Lorraine recalls. “That’s sisterhood. That’s what we’re building here.” 

And for so many of the young moms, Raphael’s Life House becomes more than a place to sleep — it’s the first place they’ve ever felt safe enough to start dreaming again. 

“Many of the young women we serve come from families where they didn’t have the mom they needed,” Lorraine says. “They tell us, ‘I didn’t know how to be a mother until I came to Covenant House.’” 

Building a Caring Village  

Lorraine knows the challenges these young families face. Many are aging out of foster care. Most have experienced trauma. Many are navigating systems — housing, health care, childcare — with no safety net. 

“Poverty is quicksand,” she says. “But we’re here, doing the work, creating a village around them. And we need others to be part of that village, too.” 

That’s where donors like you come in. Your generosity helps us provide housing and programs for young parents and families across our federation. Your support helps Covenant House staff like Lorraine offer stability, dignity, and deep, unconditional care — not just for one young mom and her child, but for generations to come. 

“When you help a young mom, you’re helping her baby. You’re helping her build a new legacy,” Lorraine says. “That’s generational change. That’s what we do here.” 

Want to be part of the village? 

Support Lorraine and young families at Covenant House by making a gift today.