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H & R Block Campaign To Boost Awareness About Covenant House

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Publish Date: 
Tuesday, March 4, 2014 at 3:15 pm
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Young Professionals To Sleep On the Streets For Homeless Youth

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On March 21, 200 young professionals in business, government, media and sports from New York and New Jersey will sleep out on the streets of New York City in solidarity with homeless youth. 

“These young professionals have decided to stand with homeless youth and be their voice in a very unique and powerful way,” said Kevin Ryan, President of Covenant House.  “They’ll sleep on the concrete outside our Covenant House shelter in solidarity with our kids.  Many of the young professionals participating won’t be much older than the homeless kids inside our shelter that night.  Together we’ll become a unified voice for the thousands of homeless young people being abused and beaten and forgotten on our streets.”

This second Young Professional Sleep Out continues a nationwide movement that follows a November effort that included over 500 executives who slept out on the streets in the United States and Canada and raised over $4 million.  Last summer, some of Broadway’s biggest stars slept out in support of homeless youth at Covenant House, and this May, there will be the first ever Sleep Out: Mother’s Edition.  

There are 2 million homeless kids in the United States in any given year, but they are largely invisible.  “Homeless teenagers blend in, they couch-surf, they hide in the wide open,” said Ryan.   “They’re running from violence and abuse.  Or a parent died.  Or poverty crushed their families. Or drug addiction scalded their homes and they have no one left to look out for them. The money and awareness raised during this Sleep Out will help us reach more homeless kids before the streets rob them of their dignity, their spirit, and their lives.

 “These Sleep Outs raise critical funds to help us save more kids,” said Ryan.  “They also show homeless kids in a very powerful way that they are not forgotten.  Once our kids see that, there is no goal they can’t attain.”

In addition to New York, young professionals will be sleeping out at other Covenant House locations around the country.

The Sleep Out: Young Professional Edition in NYC will begin at 7 pm, at the Covenant House facility at 460 West 41st Street.  You can learn more at the event website www.ypsleepout.org.

Publish Date: 
Thursday, March 6, 2014 at 10:15 am
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More Ammunition in the Fight Against Child Trafficking

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We've gotten another piece of ammunition in our fight against the trafficking of minors: A U.S. Federal Circuit Court has ruled that customers who arrange for or have sex with children under age 18 are to be considered human traffickers, and should be punished accordingly -- with sentences ranging up to life in prison.

Wow. That's a big and heavy stick we can use to protect kids who are forced into having sex for someone else's profit. It hasn't been used widely yet, but I am encouraged that, with the help of the court ruling and new proposed legislation, we may finally be able to reduce the demand for sex with children, and reduce the number of children raped and traumatized to meet that demand.

The opinion also raised the likelihood that a person who takes advantage of young people sexually because they are desperate for food or shelter could be prosecuted for the crime of trafficking as well. 

For those of us who see firsthand young people who've been devastated by commercial sexual exploitation, the opinion, issued last January, is a rallying point. Known as U.S. v. Jungers, the decision reversed the acquittals of two men in Sioux Falls, SD who had arranged to pay for sex with children, an 11-year-old girl and 14-year-old twins. They were responding to ads places by undercover police officers. Juries convicted them of attempted sex trafficking of a minor under the Trafficking Victim Protection Act (TVPA), but the district court overthrew those guilty verdicts.

The Eighth Circuit Court, however, noted that the laws protecting trafficking victims apply to anyone who "knowingly ... recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, obtains or maintains [a child] by any means" and ruled that it "readily includes the actions of a purchaser whose sole purpose is obtaining a child for sex."

The decision cites precedents that include "barter" in the definition of trafficking ("traffic" is "the activity of exchanging commodities by bartering or buying and selling,") which will help convince people that if they make kids have sex with them in exchange for food or a safe place to sleep for the night, and not money, are also considered traffickers.

So will this help people who buy children's bodies realize the stakes are too high? Will this make them stop trying to enslave kids? Anti-trafficking advocates have long been calling for reducing the demand for the sexual services of minors. In the typical scenario, an adult in power compels them to be used for sex. And those adults in power wouldn't do that if there weren't people eager to buy girls and boys.

The Jungers decision could break new ground in reducing demand. According to theLawyer's Manual on Human Trafficking, in a Buffalo study, more than half the johns interviewed said being arrested was their biggest fear, and in a Chicago study, 83 percent said that jail time would deter them from buying sex.

In its excellent plan for ending sex trafficking, the nonprofit group Demand Abolitiondescribed a 40 percent drop in recidivism for purchasers of sex who attended San Francisco's john school -- the lessons they learned about how sexually exploited women and children are treated helped them realize they shouldn't buy people. A broader effort to reduce prostitution in Jersey City, which included reverse stings to cut down on demand, resulted in a 75 percent reduction in prostitution, according to a 2006 report cited in Demand Forum, an online resource for combating trafficking. 

We've also seen some indication that U.S. Attorneys will use the Eighth Circuit ruling to reduce demand.

"The decision provides my office additional tools to prosecute those who prey upon these victims of commercial sex trafficking," said United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson, soon after the decision. He represented the government in the South Dakota case.

He made good on his words in August, when, with the help of local, county, state and federal offices, law enforcement officials arrested nine men attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. They were charged with commercial sex trafficking after agreeing to pay for sex with minors. They face sentences of 10 years to life, and/or a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins, in Mr. Johnson's office, is the prosecutor in the cases.

Grace M. Broughton, staff attorney with the National District Attorneys Association'sNational Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse, also hailed the Jungers decision.

"By addressing demand the Court took a very important step towards ending the commercial sex trade of children," she wrote.

I've been a little surprised not to see more sting operations like the one in Sturgis, frankly. But Samantha Healy Vardaman and Christine Raino of the anti-trafficking advocacy group Shared Hope International, noted that some legislators worry that a differing ruling in another circuit court could confuse matters, leaving johns considered traffickers in one state, but not another. We are glad to see pending legislation in Congress, the End Sex Trafficking Act of 2013, which aims to clarify the federal law governing trafficking, to broaden the definition of traffickers to include those who "purchase and solicit" sex acts with minors.

But even when prosecutors are armed with the sturdiest laws, they need the resources to enforce them. Ms. Vardaman and Ms. Raino estimate that far too often, U.S. Attorney's Offices are declining to prosecute cases charging commercial sexual exploitation of children, because of a lack of resources, and because of the need for training and coordination with local law enforcement in investigations.

It's time for us, as a nation, to put our money, and our best energy, behind prosecuting people who buy sex with children. Actually, it's long past time. Kids are waiting for our help, and they are in danger. Right now.

Follow Kevin M. Ryan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/covhouseprez

 

Publish Date: 
Thursday, March 6, 2014 at 1:00 pm
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Young Professional Sleep Out Featured on CBS Channel 2 News

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Publish Date: 
Monday, March 17, 2014 at 10:00 am
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Follow the Young Professionals Sleep Out Live

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Right this minute, hundreds of young professionals are sleeping outside to help raise awareness of teen homelessness.  You can follow along as these heartly supporters use the power of social media to give you an inside look.  Watch now

Publish Date: 
Friday, March 21, 2014 at 6:45 pm
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Young Professionals Making a Difference

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Over 300 young professionals in five cities across the country slept out on the streets Friday night to support the formerly homeless youth getting help at Covenant House.  Watch news coverage here:

 

 

Publish Date: 
Monday, March 24, 2014 at 10:45 am
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ABC Special Highlights our Kids

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Publish Date: 
Monday, March 24, 2014 at 11:15 am
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Unique New Documentary Tells The Story of One of Our Kids

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Screening of Award-Winning Film at Villanova Friday

 

Unique film documents groundbreaking work being done by Hand2Paw connecting homeless youth with homeless pets.

On Friday March 28th at 7 pm in the Driscoll Hall Auditorium at Villanova University, there will be special screening of Villanova Social Justice Documentary, Heel’d.

The evening will feature guest speaker Hugh Organ from Covenant House Pennsylvania, a nationally respected expert on issues faced by homeless youth. 

“People think that because I work with homeless youth that I work with bad kids every day,” said Organ.  “That’s not the reality.  I work with a lot of really good kids, kids who have been traumatized, put down, and cast aside.  This documentary shines a light on one of our great kids, Jerome, and how Hand2Paw and the Pennsylvania SPCA reached out and made an incredible difference in his life.” 

“Youth homelessness and animal homelessness are both huge problems in this country,” said Penny Ellison, Executive Director of Hand2Paw.  “But they both tend to be invisible problems.  What Hand2Paw is trying to do is bring both of those problems out into the light, make people notice that there are millions of homeless animals and millions of homeless young people.”

The film focuses on the experience of Jerome, a formerly homeless teenager living at Covenant House, who began volunteering at Hand2Paw and then landed a job at the Pennsylvania SPCA.  It documents in a powerful way the change that occurs in Jerome’s life from bonding with the animals at the shelter.

Heel’d was created by students at Villanova who each year produce a documentary about a social justice issue highlighting an organization making positive changes in society.  Past films produced by Villanova students have won national and international film festival awards and have been featured in The New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the CBS Morning Show, and the ABC and NBC affiliates in Philadelphia.

The screening is open to the media and the public.  For more information, contact Penny Ellison, penny@hand2paw.org

Publish Date: 
Thursday, March 27, 2014 at 1:00 pm
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New York City Triathlon

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New York City Triathlon
Sunday, August 3, 2014 at 7:00 am

Swim, bike, and run for at-risk and homeless youth who have no voice of their own as a member of the Home Team. Each year, thousands of athletes brave the waters of the mighty Hudson River before biking along Manhattan's West Side highway. Finally, athletes put on their running shoes for a run through New York's famed Central Park in the final stage of this iconic race. Click here for more information.

Contact: Rachelle Albach at 212-727-4934, hometeam@covenanthouse.org

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New York, NY
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Rose's Tragic Story

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Just One Story, Out of Thousands

In a few days I will join hundreds of anti-trafficking advocates at the United Nations to raise our voices in the fight against modern slavery. I worry the magnitude of our global cause sometimes obscures the depths of individual human suffering at stake here, but the youth of Covenant House never let me forget. That is especially true for Rose, whose name and small identifying information I am changing in this post to protect her privacy.

During the beatings over the six months she was forced to turn tricks on the street, Rose kept one innocent face in her mind -- her ten-year-old sister, nine years her junior. Day by day, the thought of her, "the sweetest little girl," kept her from giving up, while her pimp kept her under 24-hour surveillance and deprived her of food and of the medicine she needed to stay alive.

"That was my motivation -- I've got to get back to my little sister. That's my heart," she said.

Rose is now poised and unflappable as she tells the story of being kidnapped from a city street by two men. One had a gun and pistol-whipped a friend walking with her, the other pushed her in the car and punched her hard in the face. He was the one who became her pimp. She tried to call for help, only to watch them throw her phone out the window. 

That first night, the pimp (I'll call him Sludge) took her to his grandmother's house. Rose thought maybe she could ask the older woman for help. Instead, after Sludge made Rose change into the kind of clothes a pimp would provide, he showed her to his grandmother, saying "So, how's this one?"

And the grandmother, aside from saying Rose needed a little more meat on her bones, approved. Rose remembers thinking, "Your grandmother's in on this?"

The violence continued that night. "I just kept crying and crying, and he punched me in the face. And I'd be crying harder after that, and he was beating me and saying, 'just shut up!' and I thought then I'm just going to keep getting beat, because I can't stop crying."

Soon, he took her to a distant, impoverished city, not realizing she had friends there.

Rose spiraled into a nightmare of exploitation, rape and servitude. The johns did not help her, as Sludge kept her in sight, and they never chose to notice that she was trapped. After one choked her for refusing a particular sex act, Sludge beat him up, and then proceeded to beat her as well. "You don't deny nothing," he told her.

She wanted to fight back, but he had threatened to kill her family. And he'd remind her he knew her address, and what her little sister looked like.

Sludge made sure his beatings never showed. He forced Rose to wear makeup to cover the purple splotches on her side. She remembers how she prayed, to get through her ordeals: 

"'Lord please help me thru this day, put me under your wing, protect me right now, Lord.' I'd say that all the time, a silent prayer, to myself."

Sludge pushed her, making her sprain her ankle once, and dragged her by her hair until clumps of it came out, but none of the injuries required a doctor. That is, until she lapsed into a coma for a day, because Sludge wouldn't give her the seizure medicine she needed. 

Rose thought the hospital would provide her a chance to break free. Sludge pretended to be her caring boyfriend, insisting on staying with her every minute. Rose tried to make eye contact with the nurses, and shake her head and silently plead for help, but it didn't work. Finally, after she'd left the hospital, an old girlfriend recognized her and helped hide her when Sludge stepped outside. The friend acted as a lookout and coached her to run to her relative's house. The pimp threatened to kill Rose, but couldn't find her.

Unable to reconnect long-term with any family or friends, she became homeless. Rose spent three nights on buses before entering the city shelter system, eventually finding one of our Covenant Houses via a Google search.

At Covenant House, we found in our recent study with Fordham University of commercial sexual exploitation that almost a quarter of the young people we serve in New York City have either been trafficked or have engaged in survival sex, the exchange of sex for something of value, usually a safe place to stay. And we know that more than three quarters of young people who are prostituted had run away from home first. (Thanks for the citation, Trafficking in America Task Force!)

Some of our kids have been kidnapped and treated as brutally as Rose was, but it's actually more common that young people are forced into prostitution not at gunpoint, but under psychological or emotional pressure. Often pimps will pretend to be boyfriends first, and treat the young person with more affection and generosity than he or she may ever have experienced at home. If a kid has been abused physically or sexually at home, or kicked from one foster care placement to another, it may appear that a pimp is the best alternative, at first. When the pimp turns violent and exploitative, yet still doles out occasional affection, the young person can be held hostage by the emotional manipulation, a kind of Stockholm syndrome.

Such bonds can be harder to break than handcuffs, especially when a young person has been told for years that they aren't worth anything, and they have few skills, no diplomas, and few prospects for supporting themselves outside the sex industry.

While Rose reported her kidnapping and exploitation to three different police departments, officers either passed her to another jurisdiction or refused to believe her. They asked why she was reporting the kidnapping six months later. She said she'd just gotten away from the pimp, and mimics their sarcasm when they asked her if she had simply walked out his front door.

With Covenant House's help, Rose is deciding whether to pursue prosecuting Sludge and keep him from exploiting other girls and young women. She's also searching for a job, finding it kind of fun. "You watch them, and they're watching you, and I don't want to blink, because you might win!" she said.

To help deal with the memories of her trauma, Rose keeps a journal and listens to music. It helps a bit she said, but not enough: "I really want it to take it away, make it all disappear."

Sludge stole something from her she'll never get back, she said, "from having sex when you don't want to, and being forced to do all these things for what? A little bit of money? I don't care if it's a million thousand dollars, I'm not doing it. That's not me."

Rose is telling her story because she wants to save other young people from having to go through a similar situation. If young people think of prostitution as a viable way to make money, she would counsel them against it -- she never saw any of her earnings, and can barely stand to be touched by a man, even now, almost three years after escaping.

"I just felt so nasty," she said, putting her hand over her heart, "knowing that I gave myself to a whole bunch of people. I wanted to end my life. I wanted to just curl up in a corner and die." She attempted suicide twice, but is glad she didn't succeed -- she has dreams of becoming a nurse and helping other people, including those closest to her.

"My little sister, my little sister," she said, smiling. "I'm not going to leave her by herself on this earth."

So what can we do to keep Rose and others like her free from the scourge of trafficking? We need to get violent and exploitative pimps off the street, and we need to place the shame where it belongs -- not on the victims, many of whom have few choices in the matter. Instead, let's shame the johns who can have sex only if they pay vulnerable, often trapped people for it. Let's shame the pimps for living off the profits of rape and slavery.

And we as a society need to provide safe housing for every at-risk young person. Otherwise, they come to believe the only way to shelter their bodies is to sell them. Then, we need to teach our kids how to keep themselves safe from exploiters, and how it's never ok to buy another person.

The lives of kids like Rose depend on it.

Follow Kevin M. Ryan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/covhouseprez

 

Publish Date: 
Monday, April 7, 2014 at 10:45 am
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New Jersey Democratic and Republican Leaders To Sleep On Streets for Homeless Youth

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TRENTON, NJ -- On April 11, the grounds outside the State House will be the site of an unprecedented event that will cross party lines and bring funds, awareness and hope to New Jersey’s homeless youth.

The first-ever Covenant House Sleep Out: Legislative Edition, will unite some of New Jersey’s most prominent leaders, who will sleep on the concrete outside the State House in support of homeless youth.

The Sleep Out’s title sponsor is NJM Insurance Group. "By reaching out and sponsoring our Covenant House New Jersey Legislative Sleep Out, NJM Insurance Group has made an incredible impact in the lives of New Jersey's homeless youth," said Covenant House New Jersey Executive Director Jill Rottmann.  "This sponsorship will help us give homeless youth the practical gifts of food, clothing, shelter, medical care, job training and long-term housing.  It also gives us the great opportunity to show our kids there are people and companies who care about their lives and their futures.  When our kids start believing someone cares, there is no limit to what they can achieve."

“For 25 years, Covenant House has been a beacon of hope for homeless youth in New Jersey,” said Assemblyman Jay Webber, who will be sleeping on the streets on behalf of homeless kids.   “I am happy to continue my support of their amazing work. We know that sleeping on the street for one night cannot compare to the real life struggles homeless youth face.  But by raising money and awareness, this event will make a difference.”

“I am sleeping out so that homeless youth don't have to,” said Senator Joe Vitale.   “It will be long. It will be tough. But for one night, I can give up the comforts of home knowing it can bring warmth and hope to young people who need it most. Having witnessed the work of Covenant House and the life-saving work they do, I know first hand of the hope, comfort and love these rescued children feel, and in the lives and works of Covenant House employees and volunteers.”

 “There are 2 million homeless kids in the United States in any given year, but they are largely invisible,” said Covenant House President Kevin Ryan.  “Homeless teenagers blend in, they couch-surf, they hide in the wide open.  They’re running from violence and abuse.  Or a parent died.  Or poverty crushed their families. Or drug addiction scalded their homes and they have no one left to look out for them. The money and awareness raised during this Sleep Out by such prominent leaders will help us reach more homeless kids before the streets rob them of their dignity, their spirit, and their lives.”

Co-chairs for the Sleep Out: Legislative Edition include: Assemblywoman Celeste M. Riley, Democrat, District 3; Senator Jennifer Beck, Republican, District 11; Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, Republican, District 11; Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, Democrat, District 15; Assemblywoman Donna M. Simon, Republican, District 16; Senator Joe Vitale, Democrat, District 19; Assemblyman Jay Webber, Republican, District 26; Senator M. Teresa Ruiz, Democrat, District 29; and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Democrat, District 37.

In addition to the event co-chairs, these other New Jersey leaders have committed to sleeping on the streets for homeless youth: Assemblywoman L. Grace Spencer; Assemblyman Reed Gusciora; Senator Nellie Pou; Assemblyman Timothy Eustace; Senator Peter Barnes, III; Assemblywoman Maria Rodriguez-Gregg; and Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly.

 

For more information, contact Tom Manning, Covenant House, Office 212 727-4920, cell 845 300-2126, tmanning@covenanthouse.org or Cenia Hampton, 212 727- 6582, cell 501 517-4476, champton@covenanthouse.org.

 

About NJM Insurance Group:  In 1913 NJM Insurance Group was incorporated by factory owners who needed workers’ compensation insurance from a reliable, local, safety-orientated carrier.  NJM still writes nearly all of its business in New Jersey, and has earned high marks in published surveys, always embracing its role as a corporate neighbor by supporting the many communities in which its employees live and work. 

Publish Date: 
Friday, April 11, 2014 at 11:00 am
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Bipartisan Group of NJ Lawmakers Raise Money and Awareness For Our Kids

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Camped under the stars outside the Statehouse last night, New Jersey lawmakers raised over $25,000 for homeless youth in Covenant House’s first ever legislative sleep-out.

“It was a worthwhile night; a notable and meaningful event,” said Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-26), co-chair with state Sen. Joe Vitale (D-19). “There was a lot of learning and sharing going on, and for those of us participating on the legislative side, we came away with an appreciation for these kids.”

Founded in New York City in 1972, Covenant House is the largest privately funded charity in the Americas providing services to homeless, abandoned, abused, trafficked, and exploited youth. The state’s largest service-provider to homeless and at risk adolescents under 22, Covenant House New Jersey provides healthcare, educational and vocational services, counseling, drug abuse treatment and prevention programs and transitional living programs. 

Early Friday evening, the bipartisan gathering of 16 legislators broke into groups inside the Statehouse to hear the testimonials of young people between the ages of 18-22.

“These are kids who live in Newark or Atlantic City who were homeless and found their way to Covenant House,” said Vitale. “These kids are very resilient. We heard a lot of tragic stories. Many of these kids were raised by someone other than biological parents and left because the abuse was so great. At Covenant House their future was restored, and now they are excited to be able to dream again.”

The following lawmakers participated: Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande (R-11), state Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-11), Assemblywoman Maria Rodriguez-Gregg (R-8), Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson-Coleman (D-15), Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-15, Assemblywoman Celeste Riley (D-3), Assemblywoman Grace Spencer (D-29), Assemblywoman Donna Simon (R-16), state Senator Pete Barnes (D-18), state Sen. Nellie Pou (D-35), state Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz (D-29), Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-35), Assemblyman Tim Eustace (D-38), and Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-37).

The group of legislators and youth took their sleeping bags, pillows and ponchos and trooped outside around 11 p.m. Friday night, to the grass in front of the Statehouse Annex facing West State Street.   

After a conversation and song, some impromptu Evita and Carole King, most people nodded off around 1 to 2 a.m. in a night without rain.

“It was uncomfortable,” Webber said of sleeping on the ground. “But we were so much more comfortable than the homeless youth we were trying to help. We had access to restroom, we were with our colleagues, we had a patch of grass, and we were safe. A lot of these kids don’t have that. The experience doesn’t compare to what they go through, but it was a good reminder to us of their challenges out there. We were fortunate to raise awareness and keep them in our consciousness.”

This was Webber’s first over-night with Covenant House.

Vitale has participated in sleep-outs three consecutive times in New York City prior to Friday night.

Both lawmakers were proud to have helmed the first legislative sleep-out in the country and look forward to more in the future.

“Some of the kids said we were crazy to be out there,” Vitale said. “A bunch of old folks on the ground – but they appreciated the time we spent with them, and we appreciated them and the chance to raise awareness about what it’s like to be a homeless kid.”

The group woke around 6 this morning and headed in their separate directions.

“The experience was eye-opening and alarming when one considers the resources that are not readily available to these young people,” said Spencer. “Covenant House is saving the lives of youth who would otherwise be lost.”

“Covenant House is always there, when no one else is, to help homeless, at risk adolescents,” said Casagrande.  “I was moved to get involved by the stories of those whose lives have been changed by this remarkable organization.  It is my hope that my participation in this ‘Legislative Sleep Out’ will bring attention to the work of Covenant House and encourage others to get involved.”



This article was published on April 12, 2014. It was written by Max Pizarro. You can read the original here.

 

Find more coverage of the Legislative Sleep Out here:


http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2014/04/photos_nj_legislators_sleep_outside_statehouse_in_effort_to_raise_awareness_and_money_for_homeless_y.html

http://www.njherald.com/story/25224014/homeless-teens-find-allies-in-nj-legislature

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/25224030/homeless-teens-find-allies-in-nj-legislature

http://www.assemblydems.com/Article.asp?ArticleID=8012

http://www.njassemblyrepublicans.com/?tag=legislative-sleep-out

http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1084&DateTime=4%2F11%2F2014+5%3A14%3A36+PM&Term=Covenant+House&PlayClip=TRUE

http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=150&DateTime=4%2F11%2F2014+3%3A54%3A00+PM&Term=Covenant+House&PlayClip=TRUE

http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=4925&DateTime=4%2F11%2F2014+7%3A17%3A59+PM&Term=Covenant+House&PlayClip=TRUE

Publish Date: 
Monday, April 14, 2014 at 1:45 pm
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How Ashley Found Covenant House

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Hi everyone, my name is Ashley. I’m 18 years old, and I live at Covenant House. I would like to share my journey with you all.

I was born in Trenton, New Jersey. My relationship with my parents was difficult. My mother and father fought a lot, and when I was 12 years old, my father went to jail.

After he was released, my mother feared for the family’s safety, so she moved my sister and me out of our home. We had no place to go. We were homeless.

We lived in my mom’s car for a while. It was horrible. We would go to a parking lot and sleep there for the night. When people would pull up next to us, they would point and stare. I hated it.

My mom and I began to fight a lot. It was really hard for me to keep my grades up in school when I didn’t know where we were going to sleep that night or when my next meal would be. My mom never had money to buy me school supplies, but I still managed to graduate from high school.

The physical and verbal abuse from my mother escalated, and eventually she kicked me out. I moved to New York to stay with a family member, but it didn’t work out. I was on the street.

I went to a women’s shelter in the Bronx, which was scary. The women were much older than me and had been through a lot. It was cold and dirty. A woman told me that there was a better place for me, and that I should try Covenant House.

When I arrived at Covenant House, they took me in right away. It was a lot different than the adult shelter. The people staying there were my age, and I could connect with them. I completed the Workforce Development program, got a job, and was accepted into the Independent Living Program.

The staff on my floor are always making sure I’m staying on track with what I need to do. My goal is to go to college and become a nurse. That way, I would be able to help people every day.

Covenant House is part of my master plan, and I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity I can. I know it’s going to be tough, but I will do it. Covenant House has helped me grow as a person and opened the door to so many opportunities for me.

Thank you so much for reading and God Bless.  

Note: This is Ashley’s speech from a recent candlelight vigil at Covenant House. She is doing really well and just ran in a half marathon with Covenant House staff! Thanks to several generous donors, we were able to take her shopping for a new pair of running shoes and cold weather gear for the race. She had a great time and especially loved running through Times Square with her teammates!

Ashley's Story

From sleeping in a car to fending for herself on the streets of New York, Ashley spent most of her childhood homeless. Now 18 years old, she is living at Covenant House and on the road to success.

Kidnapped into Sex Slavery

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Rose was kidnapped off a city street by two men. One had a gun and pistol-whipped a friend walking with her. The other pushed Rose in the car and punched her hard in the face. He would later become her pimp.

That first night, one of the men took her to his grandmother's house. Rose thought maybe she could ask the older woman for help. Instead, he showed her to his grandmother and said, "So, how's this one?"

The grandmother approved… and the violence continued that night. "I just kept crying and crying,” Rose remembers.

Soon, her pimp took her to a distant, impoverished city. Rose’s life quickly spiraled into a nightmare of exploitation, rape, and servitude.

When one john choked Rose for refusing a particular sex act, her pimp beat him up and then proceeded to beat her as well. "You don't deny nothing," he told her.

Rose wanted to fight back, but he threatened to kill her family. He reminded her that he knew her address… and what her little sister looked like.

"That was my motivation...[I had] to get back to my little sister…" 

Though her pimp continued to beat her – even dragging Rose by the hair until clumps of it came out – none of the injuries required a doctor. That is, until she lapsed into a coma one day when her pimp wouldn’t give her the seizure medicine she needed.

Rose thought the hospital would finally provide a chance to break free, but her pimp pretended to be a caring boyfriend and insisted on staying with her every minute. Finally, after she'd left the hospital, an old friend recognized her and helped her run to her relative's house.

Even though Rose reported her kidnapping to three different police departments, officers either passed her to another jurisdiction or refused to believe her.

Unable to reconnect with any family or friends, Rose became homeless. She spent three nights on buses before entering the city shelter system. Luckily, she soon found Covenant House.

Today, Rose is learning how to heal… slowly but surely.

It’s not easy. She can still barely stand to be touched by a man, almost three years after escaping. "I really want to take it away, make it all disappear," she says.

To help deal with her trauma, Rose keeps a journal and listens to music. She's also searching for a job and has dreams of one day becoming a nurse so she can help people.

Rose's Story

For six months, Rose was beaten and forced to turn tricks on the street. Her pimp kept her under 24-hour surveillance and deprived her of food and vital medicine. 

Combatting Slavery in the 21st Century

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As we gathered at the United Nations earlier this month, I felt the emergence of a movement. Advocates and activists convened for "Combatting Slavery in the 21st Century," determined to shine a light on the forced sexual exploitation and forced labor that enslave millions across the world.

We heard about varying forms of slavery over the centuries, domestic workers earning a pittance an hour, and the effects of deep poverty and immigration law on trafficked people. Professor Melissa Breger of Albany Law School observed that, worldwide, two children are sexually trafficked every minute.

I told the story of young Raquel, who, at great risk to her safety, testified against her traffickers in Guatemala, and, when asked what their sentence should be, asked that they be jailed, "so they won't be able do that to other girls." (My comments start here, at 1:33:50.)

The most compelling sentence of the day? "Consent is irrelevant...in the face of great vulnerability." That's the gist of the Palermo Protocol, the United Nations document setting forth the terms of our global fight against human trafficking, which 159 countries have signed.

That one sentence sums up what we see too often among trafficked people, particularly the homeless youth we serve at Covenant House -- If you're a prostituted person who is younger than the age of consent, society sees you as a criminal, when you are actually a victim of statutory rape. If you are prostituted and raped through force, fraud, or coercion, you had no real choice in the matter. And, on a larger scale, if you're prostituted because it was the only way you can obtain shelter, or food, or because your life is devoid of financial security and opportunity, you too are being exploited.  

We see that far too often at Covenant House, where we care for homeless, runaway and trafficked youth across 30 cities in 6 countries. In our New York City shelter, we discovered through a recent study that 23 percent of the young people surveyed reported either being trafficked or engaging in survival sex. In New Orleans, which saw a doubling of reported human trafficking incidents between 2012 and 2013, another study showed a quarter of our male shelter residents and a third of our female residents reported having traded sex for money or shelter. Given that 1.6 million young people experience an episode of homelessness each year in the United States, the potential scope of this problem is mind-blowing.

Warda Henning, an international lawyer with the United Nations, said human trafficking is a $32 billion industry worldwide, and children make up 27 percent of trafficked people. The vulnerability of kids feeds this marketplace. Women and girls account for two-thirds of trafficking victims, and only one in 100 trafficking victims ever gets rescued. 

We heard talk of nation-wide policies that have reduced the number of trafficking victims. Dorchen A. Leidholdt, director of the Center for Battered Women's Legal Services at Sanctuary for Families, spoke about how in countries like The Netherlands and Germany, the legalization of prostitution went hand-in-hand with increases in trafficking and crime, leading to the conclusion that legalization was "a well-meaning law that was little more than a subsidy for pimps."

Then she described Sweden's anti-trafficking laws of 1999, criminalizing traffickers and those who purchased sex, but not prostituted people. An intensive public education campaign, including slogans like "It's time to flush the johns out of the Baltic," proved effective, according to Leidholdt. These laws, which have become the inspiration for the Nordic Model, adopted by a handful of other countries, focus on women's rights and human rights, the right of a person never to be bought and sold by another. Several years after the passage of Sweden's laws, only 11 percent of Swedish men surveyed said they had bought or would buy sex, compared to much greater percentages of men in The Netherlands, where prostitution was legalized.

If we could do half as good a job of creating a meaningful taboo in the United States around buying and selling young people for sex as we do around smoking, we'd be so much further along the road to eliminating demand.

We must create the widest possible anti-trafficking movement, and there are burgeoning signs the movement is taking root and is bigger than the labels that often divide us. I've seen feminists and evangelicals holding hands in this 21st Century abolitionist movement, planning together how to achieve progress. And the movement must grow broader and deeper -- our abolitionist ranks should include experts in child welfare, anti-poverty, affordable housing, technology, and immigration law. We have to transcend ideological and partisan lines and keep our eyes on the prize of justice for commercially sexually exploited children and young adults. Together, we can build a better world for the exploited, if first we allow ourselves to be led by them, and if we allow their truths and yearning for justice to help us construct a world where freedom for all means freedom for all.

Building a movement is never easy, but we can start by listening to the voices of survivors and placing their intelligence and experience at the front of our work. We must follow their light, and magnify it.

Follow Kevin M. Ryan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/covhouseprez

Publish Date: 
Monday, April 28, 2014 at 10:45 am
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Living up to his name

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In Caribbean culture, the name Okavian means “strong.”

Every day, Okavian does his best to live up to the name he was given… but it hasn’t been easy.

"I want to thank Covenant House for being here when I needed them, and for helping me turn the corner in my life"

When he was just three years old, his father left home. At 17, he and his mother were evicted from their apartment.

Not wanting to burden his mother, Okavian went off on his own… but knew he couldn’t live on friends’ couches forever. Thankfully, he found Covenant House, where he was welcomed with open arms.

Initially, Okavian spent his time joking around and testing the patience of the security staff. But after some deep thought, Okavian realized it was time to get his life back on track.

“I began to respect the security staff here,” recalls Okavian. “They were always straight with me. I could see myself as a professional security guard like them.”

In fact, Okavian just finished the Covenant House Security Training and even received a Challenge Award Medal. This was a big step for him.

His next steps are becoming certified and getting a job. To achieve these goals, he plans to complete our Rites of Passage program and finish his GED. Eventually, he plans to move into his own place and help his mother.

Today, Okavian is filled with gratitude and optimism for his future. "I want to thank Covenant House for being here when I needed them, and for helping me turn the corner in my life"

To him, we say, “Our pleasure.”

Okavian's Story

In Caribbean culture, the name Okavian means "strong." Every day, Okavian does his best to live up to the name he was given... but it hasn't been easy. 

Mothers Sleep Outside to Fundraise for Our Kids

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Shatia couldn’t hold her tears back talking about the bright future she envisions for her daughter. She was optimistic about her own future too, planning a career in animal care. But things could have been quite different, as just months ago Shatia was facing homelessness.

Having a mother addicted to drugs, Shatia (who declined to give her last name) grew up feeling abandoned. Before long she was acting up against her guardian, skipping school, and roaming the streets instead.

But everything changed when she got pregnant. “I have to do something different now,” she realized. “I had to find a better way to live.”

She was no longer a minor, however, and society expected her to take care of herself. Then a friend of hers told her about the Covenant House.

Covenant House has been around for 42 years. It is a non-profit that provides shelter and support to 50,000 young homeless people in 21 cities in the United States, Canada, and Central America.

Shatia was accepted to a Covenant House program for young mothers in New Jersey. “I’m so grateful to have a roof over our heads,” she said. Perhaps even more importantly, she said she felt loved and supported there.

“I am focused on being the best mother I can be to my daughter,” she said on Friday, sharing her story with a room filled with mothers. “I’m giving her a great childhood and a life that I never had.”

Almost 100 ladies in the audience listened attentively, some with tears in their eyes.

Soon after Shatia and others grabbed their sleeping bags and cardboard sheets and hit the streets. All of them participated in the Covenant House Sleep Out, a fundraiser that brought home some $240,000.

The concept is unusual, yet it works: Participants spend a night outside in sleeping bags in a parking lot in front of the Covenant House facility. They tell their friends about their decision and ask for donations for the cause: “I sleep out so homeless youth don’t have to.”

Mothers Edition

This time the sleep out was dubbed Mothers Edition—that is, only mothers were invited to participate. Each mother had a goal of raising at least $2,000 through their donation web pages set up by Covenant House.

Some struggled to solicit the sum, saying they learned about the event too late. On the other hand, some of those who started early went much further. Jennifer Satz Enslin from the Upper West Side scored at the top, raising over $20,000. “It’s just something that resonates with people,” she said. Two of her friends joined her, together rising over $30,000.

The atmosphere of the event was both intense and encouraging. Participants enjoyed a short reception followed by numerous stories shared by Covenant House staff and some of the 400 young people sheltered in the West Side Manhattan facility.

Kevin Ryan, president of Covenant House International, told a story of a girl he met in a Covenant House facility in 1992. She never knew her father, lost her mother when she was 12, and was raped and forced into prostitution at 15. At 17 she became homeless. Thanks to Covenant House the girl was able to get a job, put herself through nursing school, and now she’s a charge nurse in a New Jersey hospital. “How does that happen?” Ryan asked. His answer is that Covenant House tries to be the “love in the world for young people, who haven’t felt that or touched that.”

Next Morning

Around midnight the mothers were ready to say good night, getting a mild taste of what sleeping on a street is like. The sleeping bags were warm enough, but due to a busy Manhattan street just a few feet from their heads, they didn’t get a good sleep.

“I was happy, but very tired,” said Pam Hess, a special education teacher from New Jersey. “I tried to put myself in the shoes of a homeless teenager facing their first night without a home,” she said in an email.

“As we were settling down for the night, my friends and I reflected on how loneliness is one of our greatest fears. The teenagers … spoke of how the Covenant House staff really listen to and care about them, something their parents were not able to give to them. What a wonderful gift of ‘being present’ Covenant House has given them.”

This article was published on May 4, 2014. It was written by Petr Svab .

To read the original article click here

Check out more coverage from News 12 New Jersey

News 12 New Jersey

Interview with NJ mom, Mary Beth Flanagan  http://bit.ly/Q6tRWh

News  12 anchor, Della Crews, talks about Sleep Out: Mother’s Edition in http://bit.ly/1uqn7TB

Publish Date: 
Monday, May 5, 2014 at 11:30 am
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Broadway Stars Join with Jon Bon Jovi in Philadelphia to Support Our Kids

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More than 450 people joined Covenant House President Kevin Ryan, Jon Bon Jovi, Craig Spencer and some of Broadway's most talented stars at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in a celebration of Covenant House's 15th year in Pennsylvania. A Night of Broadway Stars honored the work of Craig Spencer, President & CEO of the Arden Group, and the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation.   

Covenant House youth also shared their remarkable journeys from the dangers of the street to opportunity, inspiration, and hope.  

The evening raised more than $450,000 for homeless youth, making it the most successful A Night of Broadway Starsevent ever for Covenant House Pennsylvania.  Since opening our doors in Philadelphia 15 years ago, Covenant House has helped more than 35,000 youth in crisis.  Many of these young people are victims of violence, abandonment, and abuse, and have aged out of the foster care system. Covenant House provides the emergency and long-term care that helps to transform their lives.

To make a donation in honor of Covenant House's 15 years of serving homeless youth in Pennsylvania, or to learn more about our work, visit covenanthousepa.org.  

See more coverage of a A Night of Broadway Stars on local NBC and ABC affiliates here:

http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1074&DateTime=5%2F8%2F2014+1%3A45%3A24+AM&Term=Covenant+House&PlayClip=TRUE

http://mms.tveyes.com/Transcript.asp?StationID=1084&DateTime=5%2F8%2F2014+4%3A26%3A26+AM&Term=Covenant+House&PlayClip=TRUE

Publish Date: 
Thursday, May 8, 2014 at 3:00 pm
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Brave Moms Sleep Out to Benefit Our Kids

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Read about Vivian and more of our moms in this feature article in Catholic New York:

http://bit.ly/1h8Ewas 

Publish Date: 
Wednesday, May 21, 2014 at 1:00 pm
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Homeless Kids Hurt by For-Profit Colleges

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05/21/2014 - 2:30pm

After she had experienced a bout of homelessness, Satrice T. attended a for-profit college in Newark, NJ in 2008, studying to be a medical assistant. She felt very engaged in school, enjoyed learning about the medical world, and did well in her seven months of classes. The school at the time offered $350 in stipends every two weeks, plus transportation to the school. But Satrice couldn't find an internship, a requirement for finishing her course of study.

Before she had signed her contract with the college, she said, the school had guaranteed her that she would find an internship and promised to assist her in doing so, but provided her no help at all. "They were just worried about getting youth in the building," she said.

After awhile, she was unable to keep up with her rent, and faced eviction. "As an ex-homeless youth, it was a major thing for me," she said, "getting to work, getting money, as I wouldn't end up in the same situation, in the street, not able to pay for books." When she called the school one last time to try to finish the program, they told her she had been terminated, and there was nothing they could do for her.

"It was a real hard time for me," she said. "I couldn't find employment, and definitely couldn't find employment in that field."

Satrice's remaining debt, she said, played a major part in her becoming homeless again. Her $9,800 loan required a $300 a month payment, or $120 with a hardship exception. The school threatened to garnish her paychecks while she was living at the Covenant House shelter. Eventually, the college sent her account to a collections agency.

For-profit colleges and schools like Satrice's account for almost half of all defaults on federal loans, receive about a quarter of those loans, but educate only about a tenth of all college students, according to consumer advocates. Such schools often appeal to homeless young people by recruiting at shelters and presenting themselves as a quick solution -- some don't require a long application process, some require no admission tests or very basic 12-minute ones, and some promise to provide students with a high school equivalency diploma as well as college credit.

But the quality of education the schools provide can be questionable. Senator Tom Harkin, an advocate for reform of the for-profit school system, noted that one school spent, per student, $2,700 for recruiting and marketing, and only $892 on education.

Andre' J. Ford, the education manager at our New York shelter, said that of the 80 to 100 young people he works with each year, 12 or 15 have had bad experiences with for-profit schools, usually the larger ones. 

Some for-profit schools often promise students the chance to get their high school equivalence diplomas while they take college classes, he said. The schools don't make it clear to the students that they will accumulate more debt than necessary that way, and that they may not be ready for college. Sometimes Covenant House will contribute a small amount toward helping the student get their loan out off default and onto a payment schedule, so the student can still receive financial aid from the government.

David Halperin, a lawyer who writes for the Republic Report and works with a coalition of civil rights and consumer groups on this issue, criticizes the schools' tactics in searching out at-risk students. "They go recruit in homeless shelters, they recruit runaways, and foster children. They're looking for people who have low self esteem, who feel vulnerable," he said, "who are struggling to earn a living."

As publicly-traded corporations, they are obligated to find new students, but may not care whether their students are qualified. "There are a whole bunch of people who are destined for failure" in the programs they signed up for, he said.

As a result of their aggressive recruiting and their low investment in actual education, for-profit schools saw more than half of the students enrolled in 2008 leave within a median of four months, without a degree or certification, just troublesome debt.

Although two-thirds of the students at such schools qualify for Pell Grants because of their low income, many end up getting expensive private loans to cover the rest of their tuition. These, unlike government loans, accrue interest and require payments while a student is still in school. Students at for-profit schools can pay 18 percent interest while still in school, and can end up owing up to $150,000, Mr. Halperin said. Public colleges can cost a third of what for-profit schools cost. 

"The price is too high, and the quality is too low, so even if you get the job you were seeking, that they promised you'd be training for, you're an apprentice chef making $30,000, but you owe $130,000," he said. 

When they have trouble repaying their private loans, students see their credit scores plummet, making it nearly impossible to get a federal student loan for a better school, or a mortgage or car loan. In one study of 500 for-profit programs, less than a fifth of the students were able to repay even a portion of their debt, with some loan payments accounting for 70 percent of their discretionary income.

Argh! It makes me want to pull out my (non-existent) hair, that so much federal money could be wasted, while we see significant cuts in government funding for homeless young people, some of whom are being victimized by such schools while fighting uphill for a decent job and independent living. Where's the outrage? Where are those advocates for belt-tightening, who are squeezing the hard-working kids we see, rather than the schools that exploit them?

The Obama administration is trying for a second time to create tighter rules for such schools, but the schools have deep pockets, and can hire big-name lobbyists and spokespeople. The first time around, the for-profit industry took the administration to court, fighting proposed rules, and the battle promises to be a tough one.

I am heartened by many state and federal investigations into for profit schools, and am encouraged by one federal lawsuit charging a parent company of two dozen for-profit colleges with defrauding the government. If the plaintiffs are successful, they could win triple damages, enough to put the schools out of business. But shouldn't there be a faster solution than the courts?

New York City seems to get it. Its "Know Before You Enroll" campaign includes subway ads of former students of for-profit schools who were lured in by subway ads, and a free review of enrollment contracts and loan applications by volunteer experts.

Meanwhile, a letter to President Barack Obama signed by more than 50 concerned agencies described what happens when a one sector of the economy has such sway in how well it is regulated:

"Even after the [Education] Department made multiple changes requested by the for-profit college industry representatives that dramatically weakened the draft regulation, the for-profit college industry representatives objected to it. The changes would have made the regulation so weak on predatory colleges and so hard on low-cost, high-performing colleges that not a single negotiator voiced support for the Department's last proposal. ...For example, federal funding should not be available for dental assisting and other medical programs whose graduates are ineligible for the licensing exam required to work in that field. ...The debt-to-earnings standards in the Department's last proposal were so weak that literally thousands of programs with median and mean debt levels that exceed their graduates' entire discretionary incomes would not fail the standards."

Mr. Halperin's group advocates for regulations that require schools to ensure that a certain percentage of students graduate, find gainful employment, and do not fall in to overwhelming debt. You can sign a petition to the U.S. Department of Education asking for stricter regulations here

"There ought to be a lot more public education by the government, and law enforcement actions, to make the schools themselves make stronger and clearer disclosures about their graduation rates, which they lie about, and their placement rates," he said.

Reforms should cut off exploitative programs and give companies incentives to help students, he said. 

"They get about 86 percent of their revenue from federal financial aid money, and they're not entitled to that money in perpetuity unless they're helping students," he said.

Jahad R., 20, spent years in foster care, and first came to Covenant House at 16, after a relative kicked him out. He attended a for-profit college, studying business management, for a year.

"It was Grade A trash," he said. "They teach you what you already know." He said the school was good at manipulating him and lying to him, telling him he was eligible for both New York State's Tuition Assistance Program and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which he knew would be highly unusual.

"I was so happy, but they were lying," he said, adding that he didn't receive the state aid. He attended classes but did not graduate, and estimates he owed between $4,000 and $5,000 before his account was sent to a collection agency. Covenant House helped him fix his credit by paying down some of what he owed. As he spoke, a commercial for the school came on the television.

Jahad, who is no longer homeless, said he has three friends who lost their apartments while attending the school. "They couldn't pay their rent, and they had to stop going to school," he said.

Andre Ford, the educator at Covenant House, said counselors are urged to send young people to the shelter's education department to get help in planning their post-secondary education, and to learn of the risks of for-profit schools. He wants to protect their native resilience from the disappointments of exploitative schools.

Now 24, Satrice is aiming for a public college, after making payments to get her loan out of default. Recently, she looked back at her notebooks from when she took a Life Skills course. "In one of my short term goals was employment, a high school diploma, getting a drivers license, and having my own apartment," she said. "I've accomplished all of that...I won't give up. I won't get discouraged. I'll think positive, and I will get my degree."

Follow Kevin M. Ryan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/covhouseprez

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