This is what it's like to be a homeless kid in Philadelphia

This is the abandoned house that Markus stayed in for a few months;

The alley he'd walk through;

The back door where he'd go in;

Where he'd do his homework;

And where he'd sleep.

Alone and frightened, until our Outreach team brought him in to stay with us.

Every kid like Markus deserves a safe place to live, food to eat, people who care, and the opportunity to work hard to transform their lives. That's what we offer at Covenant House Pennsylvania.

Markus stayed in school the entire time he lived in this house and kept his grades so high that he was offered a full scholarship to college.

On Thursday and Friday I'm sleeping outside to help kids like Markus. Can I ask for your support? Any donation, no matter how great or small, is much appreciated.

Donation page here: http://bit.ly/2Aztqwg

Thank you!

"I know Covenant House."

Last year during the holidays we were talking with one of our long-time Covenant House Pennsylvania supporters who every year raises money to buy a couple dozen winter coats for our kids. Both work and holiday preparations had kept her very busy and she was behind schedule and a bit stressed. Although she loves doing this for our kids, in her words she “just wasn’t feeling it.” But she pushed through and headed out.

At the store she found a salesperson, a young woman in her late twenties, and said: “Would you mind just picking out two dozen coats and I’ll pay for them?” While she was getting the coats, the saleswoman asked what they were for. Our supporter explained: “I donate them to Covenant House, it’s this organization that serves--- ” and the saleswoman interrupted her and said “I know Covenant House. Covenant House saved my life.”

She had lived with us years ago. She’s now married with a family of her own, working in an insurance company full time, and she had decided to pick up seasonal work to bring in a little more money for extra holiday presents for her kids.

In this season of joy and gratitude, I am joyful to have the privilege to serve these kids and grateful for the generosity of so many of my Facebook friends who have chosen to support our kids throughout the year. From my family and our Covenant House family to yours, happy holidays!

For kids like David.

Another amazing Sleep Out weekend!

During the Sleep Out, one of our Board members asked one of our youth if he had any questions for our participants. He asked, very simply, why? Why would we sleep outside to help him and kids like him?

Me? I Sleep Out for kids like David.

David’s earliest memory was of his father duct-taping him to a car seat.

He went into the foster care system and was adopted, but his adoptive father abused him too. For years and years.

Last spring his adoptive father was beating him with a boat oar and had him pinned down. He couldn’t get up, couldn’t get away. He was trapped.

He fought back the only way he could. He bit his father. He got away.

Then the police came.

He spent three weeks in jail. Until our Covenant House team went to court and told the judge that “we have a place for him.” “He belongs with us,” our team said.

David has lived with us for the last seven months. He’s gained 40 pounds and he’s still thin - he was that undernourished.

He’s also come out of his shell. He’s shown his true personality. Even with all the challenges he’s faced he is positive, upbeat. He’s happy, despite what his family did to him. Because, as he told us while gesturing around the room at our other Covenant House kids and staff: “she’s my sister, he’s my brother, she’s my mom, and he’s my dad. I have a whole new big family now.”

We Sleep Out for David.

We Sleep Out to raise money to make sure that David and so many young people like him have food, clothes, a safe place to live, and the opportunity to transform their lives. But most important, we Sleep Out to build a community of people who care about our kids. Our kids aren’t homeless because they don’t have a home. They’re homeless because they don’t have a family. So we Sleep Out to build a community that says to every young person facing homelessness, abuse, neglect, violence, exploitation, and apathy: “We have a place for you. You belong with us.”

This Thanksgiving holiday, please know that we – our kids, our staff, and all of us - are deeply grateful for you and your generous support of our Sleep Out.

With gratitude,

John