It is youth month at A Little More Good and youth is not always an easy topic to talk about as it seems that hardship is even more troubling when youth is affected by it. This is why I believe places like the Covenant House deserve every bit of praise and promotion there is.
Image provided by Covenant House Vancouver
The people that come to the Covenant House are very young people, aged 16 – 24, most of which have experienced abuse in their past and Covenant House provides not just a home but also a safe haven for youth that have no such thing anywhere else. The only requirement for youth coming to the house is to show “genuine effort” for wanting to improve their lives.
They have three core programs: a Community Support Services, an outreach program, a 24h crisis shelter with 54 beds and the Rights of Passage program, a temporary (from half a year to a maximum of two) transitional living program. In addition, the house itself provides programs, from substance abuse and mental health counselling to the teaching of valuable life skills. All programs are designed to empower the youth that comes to Covenant House and provide them with hope for a better future and the skills to create that future themselves.
An incredible 1400 young people receive assistance from the Covenant House in the form of shelter, food,
Image provided by Covenant House Vancouver
clothing, or counselling. As is the case for most non-profit organizations, this can only be achieved if individuals and organizations donate time, funds, and items to the Covenant House. If you are interested in volunteering or donating, please refer to the second phone number below or visit their website.
If you are interested in reading more about the Covenant House, please refer to the website below. If you are interested to hear stories from the residence or obtain more information about youth homelessness, their blog is an excellent starting point for your exploration.
Contact information:
Website: www.covenanthousebc.org
Email: info@covenanthousebc.org
Address: 575 Drake Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 4K8
Phone Numbers: 604-685-7474 (Crisis Shelter) | 604-638-4438 (Donations/Administration)
Registered Charity Number: BN 897675625 RR0001
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Covenant-House-Vancouver
Twitter: @CovenantHouseBC
