Story
Supporters at our Night of Covenant House Stars event in May had the privilege of meeting a remarkable Covenant House New York youth ambassador, Trackamason, known as “Track.”
Under the bright stage lights, Track stood with an air of quiet confidence, his presence commanding the attention of the packed room. His calm demeanor and steady voice set the tone as he began to speak, sharing his original spoken word piece, Turtles Named Home.
Every word he spoke seemed to hang in the air, as he poured his heart into each stanza, ending with the lines “And home taught me that the only troubles I have are the ones that I create. Swimming through sheets of sand, my shell houses my beautiful mistakes.”
Track spoke with ease, as though he had always belonged on that stage, and in that moment, everyone knew they were witnessing something special — his journey home.
Track has written poetry since fifth grade. He carries a notebook filled with poems in his pocket at all times. But his creativity isn’t just limited to the pages of that notebook. There’s another story, one that he shared with us recently at Covenant House New York, which truly highlights his resilience and growth.
When Track arrived at Covenant House, he was just 17 years old and had been unhoused for quite some time. He moved through the city carrying few possessions — among them, his treasured poetry notebook and a small seedling he’d brought from his previous place of residence. That plant, carefully placed in a plastic bag, traveled with him as he navigated the uncertainty of where he would sleep or eat each day. Despite his instability, he always tended to his plant with water and rays of light.
Upon arriving at CHNY, Track was soft-spoken and asked for very little, but one request stood out: he wanted to find a home for his plant, a place where it could sit in the sun and grow. Our team made sure his request was granted, helping him replant it in a sunny spot on the windowsill in our CovCreative art studio on the second floor. Every day, Track would nurture that plant, watching it grow little by little.
Later, when Track moved into transitional housing in the Bronx, he asked the CHNY staff to continue caring for the plant in his absence. Whenever he’s back in the building, Track checks on it, but now, he’s noticed something different. The plant no longer just survives — it thrives. It grows taller, even when he isn’t around to tend to it daily. And now, his plant is surrounded by six other plants that found their way to the sunny spot on the second floor, not by coincidence, because just like his plant, Track knows that others around him are attracted to his light and that being surrounded by a community helps him flourish. To Track, this plant has become a powerful metaphor for his own life. He is growing, thriving, and learning self-reliance.
Track’s story is one of quiet resilience and transformation. It’s a reminder that our youth need the right environment to grow. And that they deserve to be surrounded by a community — people like you —who care deeply for their well-being. You are the gardeners of dreams, helping young people like Track move to the next phase of their lives, nurturing their growth, and giving them the tools to thrive on their own.
At Covenant House, we see this growth every day, and Track’s journey is a beautiful example of what’s possible when love, care, and support are offered to our youth. His story reminds us that, with the right environment, we all have the potential to grow beyond our circumstances.
