Our Beneficiary
Mission:
Covenant House PA (CHPA) builds a bridge to hope for young people experiencing homelessness, human trafficking and other systemic injustices through unconditional love, absolute respect and relentless support. CHPA's doors are open 24/7 and their high quality programs are designed to empower young people to rise and overcome adversity, today and in the future.
Housing:
As the largest provider for youth experiencing homelessness in Philadelphia and the only one exclusively supporting youth ages 18-21, CHPA operates three facilities in Germantown, Kensington and York County.
Young people arrive at CHPA with dreams that have been disrupted by systemic injustices. The doors are open 24/7 to all young people who need shelter, food, medical and mental healthcare, crisis intervention, educational and vocational support, and an array of supportive services – regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression, in order to provide them with the best chances for success in independence. Since 1999, CHJPA's free, trauma-informed and youth-centric continuum of care has served over 53,000 young people.
Supportive Services:
Street Outreach
In vans and on foot, Covenant House outreach workers go out to the neighborhoods, riverfronts, parks, and other places where youth facing homelessness often seek refuge. They offer food and counseling and invite them to come to Covenant House, where their immediate, basic needs can be met. Through sustained contact, CHPA outreach workers build trust with the young people, the first step toward encouraging them to come into our shelters and connect to our services.
Medical & Mental Health
Homelessness impacts young people’s physical and mental well-being in many ways, and because youth are still developing cognitively, physically, psychologically, and emotionally, those impacts can have deep effects. This is even more the case for young people of color and those who identify as LGBTQ, who face unique challenges associated with racism and prejudice. Covenant House welcomes all young people facing homelessness with unconditional love and absolute respect and provides them access to a range of health and well-being services that they can use to heal and rediscover their potential. CHPA's trauma-informed, resilience-focused programs and services range from medical care at their on-site health centers to yoga classes, music lessons, counseling, religious and spiritual services, and sports. In these activities, young people retake control over their lives, build on their strengths, and nourish their self-confidence.
Career & Education
Young people arrive at Covenant House with dreams that have been disrupted by homelessness. Only about 21% are enrolled in school at the time of intake. Advancing educationally and preparing for the world of work are key to a young person’s prospects for leaving homelessness behind. Either directly or through referral, CHPA guides youth to appropriate educational and vocational opportunities, matching each young person’s strengths and abilities with their career interests. CHPA helps them hone the skills they need to join the workforce, become independent, and turn their back on homelessness.
