(New York) --Audra McDonald, winner of  a record six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and numerous other honors, has been elected to the Covenant House International Board of Directors, which oversees programs for homeless youth in 27 cities in six countries across the United States, Canada, and Latin America.

On November 20, Audra will join with fellow Covenant House board member Brian Cashman, New York Yankee Senior Vice President and General Manager, and thousands of others who care about homeless youth across the country in a nationwide Sleep Out to raise funds and awareness for homeless youth.  

The powerful evening of advocacy will begin with a Candlelight Vigil in Times Square including inspirational performances by Ms. McDonald and Broadway star and Covenant House board member Capathia Jenkins.

“The more I’ve learned about what Covenant House is doing for homeless youth all over the country and around the world, the more excited I’ve become to join this powerful movement on behalf of homeless kids,” said McDonald.   “I have met many young people at Covenant House, and have been inspired by their courage, resiliency, and goodness.  I’m grateful I have the opportunity to make a difference in their lives in whatever way I can.”

“We’re honored to have Audra McDonald join our board,” said Kevin Ryan, President of Covenant House.  “She is so selflessly using her amazing gifts to bring hope to homeless kids.  As a member of our board, Audra will open new doors of opportunity for the 1,800 kids who are in our shelters each night.  Covenant House is a powerful human rights movement on behalf of forgotten kids, and Audra will be an amazing agent of positive change in their lives.

 “November 20 will be a night when Audra McDonald, Brian Cashman, Capathia Jenkins and people who care about kids all across the country will raise candles of hope during a National Candlelight Vigil, and then sleep on the streets in solidarity with homeless kids,” said Ryan.  “No one is saying sleeping out for one night is comparable to what homeless kids go through. But our Vigil and our Sleep Out will raise awareness and funds needed to save the lives of kids who are right now living and dying on our streets.  It will be a powerful night of hope for our kids.”

For information on Audra McDonald joining the Covenant House Board and her participation in the November 20th Vigil in Times Square and Sleep Out at Covenant House, contact Tom Manning at (212) 727-4920, tmanning@covenanthouse.org,  or Cenia Hampton at (212) 727-6582 or champton@covenanthouse.org.   To learn more about the 2014 Covenant House Executive Sleep Out and how you can help, check our website:

http://www.covenanthouse.org/help-homeless-youth/executive-sleepout

Here are some maddening figures to chew on: according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, about 550,000 unaccompanied youth spend more than a week homeless each year, yet fewer than 10% are served by homeless youth programs, and there are only 4,800 beds funded by the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act available at any given time.

We can do better than that, can't we?

You can help, right now, right from your computer. The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act needs co-sponsors to smooth its passage through the Senate. Last month it passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee, but for it to continue onwards successfully, we need as many sponsors as possible, from both sides of the aisle, between now and early November. The bill, introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has 14 co-sponsors: Senators Richard Blumenthal (CT), Barbara Boxer (CA), Sherrod Brown (OH), Christopher Coons (DE), Richard Durbin (IL), Al Franken (MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Mazie Hirono (HI), Angus King (ME), Carl Levin (MI), Christopher Murphy (CT), Patty Murray (WA), Charles Schumer (NY), and Sheldon Whitehouse (RI). If your senator's name isn't on this list, please urge him or her to co-sponsor the bill by delivering a message through this link, via the National Network for Youth.

The 40-year-old Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, in its updated version, provides for temporary housing, street outreach, family reunification, crisis intervention, counseling, and transitional living programs, including help with schooling and employment, and enhanced services for victims of human trafficking -- homeless young people are particularly vulnerable to such sexual exploitation.

The reauthorization of the bill will provide a safety net for thousands of homeless and trafficked youth across the nation each year. We need Congress to lead the movement for our youth, building for them a bridge from homelessness to hope, from despair to opportunity.

The National Network for Youth, our partners in advocacy for homeless kids, puts it this way:
"This vital federal legislation needs to be updated and reauthorized to enable communities and providers to continue to care for our young people. We hope that Congress will continue to move this legislation through both the Senate and the House."

Federal Department of Education figures from last month increase our sense of urgency about the need to help homeless youth - their numbers are growing at an alarming rate, with a record 1.25 million homeless young people enrolled in public school in 2012-13, up 8 percent from the previous year. In a sampling of states where Covenant House has shelters across the United States, those increases hit hard - Florida was up 10%, New York up 36%, and New Jersey up a whopping 77% (believed to be due to Hurricane Sandy).

Last month I joined five homeless young people to deliver more than 50,000 petitions from Covenant House friends across the country to urge the Senate to pass anti-trafficking bills. (The picture above shows us with Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, a great advocate for young people.)

We are overjoyed that President Obama signed the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act, which gives young people in foster care new protections from human trafficking. It simply makes sense to extend similar help to vulnerable unaccompanied homeless youth, those without family, or foster homes, or child welfare caseworkers to look out for them. Unaccompanied youth need help right now, before they fall into long-term homelessness, or get sick, exploited, mentally ill, or worse, on the streets.

Please join me today in urging your senators to co-sponsor the reauthorization of the Runaway and Homeless Youth bill for homeless kids. Together we can be the movement for change our most vulnerable kids need and deserve.

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

On a windy, chilly night in New York City, over 125 real estate executives participated in the first-ever Covenant House Sleep Out: Real Estate Edition, sleeping out on the street outside the Covenant House crisis shelter in Manhattan.   The result was over $215,000 raised to help Covenant House care for more homeless youth.

"It is a humbling experience to see how many people from our industry have joined together tonight to help our kids at Covenant House," said Matt Schmeelk, Senior Vice President of Kensington Vanguard National Services, co-chair of the Sleep Out and member of the Covenant House New York board of directors. "The young people we have the privilege to meet and support at this Sleep Out tonight have been victims of circumstances beyond their control.  They have been victims of verbal and physical abuse and have suffered on the streets.  But with courage they fought through these hardships and found help at Covenant House.  And tonight everyone at this Sleep Out is giving these kids a chance to dream again.  I can't thank you enough for your support."

"It is an awesome sight to see so many people here tonight," said Arvind Chary, Principal Atlas Real Estate Partners and the Real Estate Sleep Out co-chair.  "Everyone here decided to do something different and give back in a unique way.  I hope this is the first of many Sleep Outs our industry does to help Covenant House, because the staff here is incredibly devoted to changing lives, and the young people at Covenant House are so inspiring."

"We're so grateful for your support, and glad you are getting to meet and know our kids here tonight," said Covenant House New York Executive Director Creighton Drury to the sleep out participants. "Every single one of the over 350 kids in our shelter tonight, as well as all our staff and volunteers, are inspired that you have chosen to become a part of our community, a part of our family here at Covenant House New York.  Because of you, we are able to welcome with open arms every young person who comes to us for help.  That is an amazing mission and it is only possible because people like you see the goodness and the beauty and the promise of these kids.  Thank you all so much."

"All of you here have given me hope.  I know now I have a bright future," said Quincy, a 20-year-old Covenant House resident to the sleep out participants.  "One week ago I walked down the same alley all of you will be sleeping in tonight.  I had no place left to go. I was scared and alone.  Tomorrow, just one week later, I will graduate from the job readiness workshop and will start looking for a job while I live at Covenant House. 

"My goal is to be a principal of a high school one day.  Thank you for giving me and the rest of the kids here a chance to dream and for letting us know you care.  God bless you all."

Read more about the Real Estate Sleep Out here:

Commercial Observer http://bit.ly/111o8ag

GlobeSt.com http://bit.ly/1C1W3uQ

NYC’s AM-PM http://bit.ly/1v4iVLq

HARRISON, NJ (October 18, 2014) The New York Red Bulls, in partnership with Covenant House and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, hosted a Sleep Out on Friday night at Red Bull Arena, raising over $85,000 for Covenant House New Jersey.

More than 70 people, including Red Bulls employees, representatives from Horizon and Covenant House, and even a few fans, slept outside to raise awareness and show solidarity with homeless youth in New Jersey and New York.

“As an organization we want to be part of the community,” said Marc de Grandpre, General Manager of the New York Red Bulls, who participated in the Sleep Out.

“Some of these kids live literally right outside of here,” de Grandpre continued. “Every day they are challenged, and we want to make sure that, with our partners like Horizon, we do what we can to improve their lives.”

One such youth is Charnette, a native of Jersey City who was shuffled between foster homes and relatives growing up. After finishing high school with a 3.2 GPA, she found herself sleeping on a park bench while trying to attend classes at a nearby community college.

“It was the most horrifying experience of my life,” she said. “I was scared, I felt all alone, and worried that someone would hurt me.”

The stress of being homeless and trying to keep up with school caused a mild stroke. Soon after, Charnette was referred to Covenant House during a stay at a short-term shelter.

“We let them know we’re here, but they have to come when they’re ready,” said Jim White, Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning for Covenant House. “No one is forced to come to Covenant House, but when they do, 24/7, we’re there to bring them in. We provide food, clothing, a rest, and we let them know they’re OK.”

In addition to short-term care, Covenant House strives to help residents turn their lives around.

“It requires a lot of care,” said White. “Medical care, legal care, job readiness training, education, psychiatric work… an array of services we’re ready to perform.”

One spot at Covenant House, which relies heavily on private funding, can cost up to $25,000 per year. Events like the Sleep Out help keep the doors open, according to White.

“We’re lucky that the Red Bulls have seen us as partners. They care about kids, they care about homelessness, and we’re honored to partner with them,” said White.

“Covenant House does great work not only here in the local area of Newark and Harrison, but all over the state. It’s really important that we come together,” said Jonathan Pearson, Executive Director of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield’s Horizon Foundation of New Jersey.

“This is a first for me,” continued Pearson, who also slept out at the arena. “I’m looking forward to it. I don’t know what to expect, but I’m here. We’re here to support what Covenant House does and we’re glad to be part of it.”

The Covenant House staff conducted a number of small group activities throughout the evening to help participants learn more about the organization and the issue of homelessness for young people. The group, along with the staff, then slept outside with sleeping bags and pieces of cardboard, to put themselves in the shoes of underprivileged youth for the night.

“It’s really cool that we’re able to host the Sleep Out,” said Red Bulls midfielder Ian Christianson, one of several players that came out to support the event.

“It’s great to raise some awareness and help keep a good cause going.” Christianson also attended a Covenant House cookout hosted by the Red Bulls in September. 

Last year, 756 New Jersey youth passed through Covenant House’s doors. All of them saw a doctor within the first three days of their stay, and 349 received medical attention they needed. 255 received treatment for a mental illness, and 249 obtained employment. Sixty were able to move out on their own. The organization also opened two Supportive Apartment Living Facilities in Montclair and Newark in 2013.

After three years with Covenant House, Charnette now has her own apartment, works to support herself, and is on-course to earn degrees in Early Childhood Education and Sociology by Fall of 2016. She now gives back to the organization by sharing her story at events.

 “Covenant House is forever a part of me. I don’t know where I would be without them,” she said with a smile. “Going there was the best decision I ever made.”

“Hopefully this becomes an annual tradition for us,” said de Grandpre, minutes before announcing that Red Bull had donated an additional $10,000 to the more than $75,000 raised through donations.

 “I think it’s a no-brainer for us to be involved,” he continued. “We have to do it. It’s the right thing to do.”

This article was published on October 18, 2014 written by New York Red Bulls Communication’s writer Gordon Stevenson. You can see the original article here.

What started as a few caring executives sleeping out on the streets for the homeless youth at Covenant House four years ago has turned into a powerful nationwide movement that has raised over $8 million and is saving the lives of thousands of homeless kids. 

You can be part of this incredible, life-changing movement today!

Follow the example of Rick Van Benschoten and Lenox Advisors who organized a company-wide Sleep Out on behalf of our kids at Covenant House.  Or make an immediate difference by signing up to participate in the Sleep Out: Executive Edition at any of our 15 Covenant House sites hosting the event across the U.S. and Canada on November 20.
 
Make a difference in a unique, powerful way.  Join the Covenant House Sleep Out movement today.  Sleeping out for one night is nothing compared to what our homeless kids endure.  But the funds and awareness you raise by sleeping out will save the lives of homeless kids, and change your life as well.
Learn more about the Movement here.

Lenox Advisors spent the night of October 23^rd sleeping outside on the pavement surrounding the Covenant House shelters in New York City and Hollywood, CA. This company-wide Sleep Out, a first-of-its-kind for Covenant House, raised over $120,000 to drive awareness and support of homeless and runaway youth in America. 

Lenox Advisors and Covenant House have partnered to demonstrate the meaningful impact both small and large firms can - and should - have in their communities and across the country. The goal: defray the cost of operating Covenant House youth shelters that provide food, clothing, shelter and, ultimately, the possibility of a vibrant future for homeless youth. 

Following on the success of Lenox Advisors’ Sleep Out, Covenant House plans to roll out Company Sleep Outs with many Fortune 500 organizations who wish to participate. 

“It was an awesome night and a humbling experience,” said Greg Olsen, Partner and President of the Lenox Foundation. “This small idea on how we could give back to one Covenant House shelter has turned into a national, company-wide effort that now has the potential to benefit thousands of homeless children.”

“The impact of last night’s Sleep Out by Lenox Advisors will be far-reaching and dramatic,” said Covenant House President Kevin Ryan.  “The funds raised will be used to rescue more homeless kids from the street. The example Lenox has set for other companies to follow will mean our human rights movement on behalf of homeless youth will gain unbelievable momentum.  Most important of all, by reaching out in such a personal way, our friends at Lenox Advisors showed our kids that they care.  When our kids learn that people care, they carry that support with them, and there is nothing our young people cannot achieve.”

To read more about the night, visit www.lenoxadvisors.com or  www.covenanthouse.org

On a chilly, windy night in New York City, 70 employees from Lenox Advisors slept on the streets outside our Covenant House shelter.  The result was over $120,000 raised and a national spotlight on the issue of homelessness in a story by Good Morning America.

Watch the Good Morning America story here:

More ABC news videos | ABC Health News

A new, anonymous grant of $1 million over three years will result in Covenant House New York and LifeWay Network establishing the Aspire Home in New York, a safe house for trafficked youth. 

Covenant House New York and LifeWay Network will transform an underutilized property into a therapeutic home with a 10 bed capacity, where these young women can transition from victim to survivor.  The home will serve survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and labor and sex trafficking between the ages of 18-24 and offer comprehensive, wrap-around services including mental health and casework services.  Survivors can live in the home for up to 18 months.   Referrals will be made into through Covenant House New York’s main homeless shelter.

“This anonymous grant will save the lives of trafficking victims in New York,” said Creighton Drury, Executive Director of Covenant House New York.  “We are excited to be collaborating with LifeWay Network, whose safe home for trafficked women in New York City is a beacon of hope for trafficking victims.  This program draws on the strengths and experience of both Covenant House New York and the LifeWay Network to establish the Aspire Home in New York, where we will expand our efforts to be a safe haven and a place where trafficking victims can get the help they need to recover and rebuild their lives.”

In addition to providing a life-affirming safe house, the grant will allow Covenant House and LifeWay to address the critical issue of economic self-sufficiency and independence for survivors through job training, mentorship, internship and employment opportunities with committed corporate partners.

“This is a significant breakthrough in our ongoing efforts to support survivors of human trafficking,” said Sister Joan Dawber, Executive Director of LifeWay Network.  “This grant, and our collaboration with Covenant House, will not only get more young women out of immediate danger.  With this program, we will also be able to provide the ongoing support that will transform the lives of trafficking survivors.”

A recent study of homeless young people at Covenant House found that almost a quarter of them had been involved either in trafficking or survival sex, where sex is exchanged for something of value, often food or shelter.  “Half of the trafficking survivors told us that if they had a safe place to stay, they would not have had to give away their dignity and innocence to people who were all too ready to exploit them,” said Drury.  “Clearly, if we provide safe shelter to more young people, there will be fewer of them for pimps, gangs and johns to use and abuse.  Aspire Home will be that safe haven…”

The True Colors Fund, which was co-founded by Cyndi Lauper, and is the leading national organization focused on the issue of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth homelessness, and Covenant House International, the largest network of shelters for homeless youth across North and Central America, announced a groundbreaking partnership to ensure safe, inclusive, and affirming beds and services for the disproportionate number of homeless LGBT youth in need of shelter and supportive services across the country.

Covenant House, which offers shelter to more than 1,900 homeless youth every night in 27 cities across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua is expanding the overall number of beds dedicated to homeless youth, including LGBT youth. The True Colors Fund is partnering with Covenant House to support and strengthen programs and services available for LGBT homeless youth served by Covenant House.

While LGBT youth make up only seven percent of the total youth population, they comprise up to 40 percent of all youth experiencing homelessness in America. Together, the True Colors Fund and Covenant House are committed to reversing this trend and providing help to homeless youth, many of whom become homeless after their families reject them because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

“At the heart of the True Colors Fund's work is supporting service providers in ensuring the safest and most affirming care possible for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth experiencing homelessness. For us, partnering on this effort is a natural fit and speaks volumes about Covenant House's commitment to providing the best possible support to all youth,” said Cyndi Lauper, co-founder of the True Colors Fund. The partnership is beginning with Covenant House in New York City, and will expand to include other Covenant Houses in the US, Canada, and Latin America over the next year.

“We are excited about working with Cyndi and the True Colors Fund team to help homeless youth cross the bridge from homelessness to hope,” said Audra McDonald, a six-time Tony Award winning actress and a member of the Covenant House International Board of Directors.

According to Serving Our Youth, a 2012 report issued by the True Colors Fund and the Williams Institute, the majority of homeless LGBT youth across the country access services from mainstream, or non-LGBT specific, service providers. Given the disproportionate number of homeless youth who are LGBT, it is critical that all organizations are knowledgeable about and able to implement best practices for serving these youth, affirming their identities, and keeping them safe. The True Colors Fund has developed the True Inclusion Assessment, a tool that is meant to do just that, which Covenant House sites are implementing over the next several months.

“Our mission calls us to help kids leave the streets, believe in themselves and celebrate their dignity as they are,” said Covenant House International President Kevin Ryan, who co-authored the national best-seller Almost Home (Turner 2012), which recounts the plight of homeless teenagers in North America, including 18 year old Meagan who was kicked out of her home because she is lesbian. “This is not complicated: we are called to love all homeless young people unconditionally and with absolute respect.”

The True Colors Fund was co-founded by Cyndi Lauper to raise awareness about and bring an end to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth homelessness through a broad continuum of public education and engagement, advocacy and public policy, youth collaboration, research, and community building programs. www.truecolorsfund.org 

Audra McDonald, winner of a record six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and numerous other honors,  will join with fellow Covenant House board member Brian Cashman, New York Yankee General Manager, and business leaders from across the country in a nationwide Sleep Out to raise funds and awareness for homeless youth on November 20th.  

The powerful evening of advocacy will begin in New York with a Candlelight Vigil in Times Square at 6 pm at the 43^rd-44^th Street & Broadway pedestrian plaza that will feature inspirational performances by Ms. McDonald and Broadway star and Covenant House board member Capathia Jenkins.

“The more I’ve learned about what Covenant House is doing for homeless youth all over the country and around the world, the more excited I’ve become to join this powerful movement on behalf of homeless kids,” said Ms. McDonald.   “I have met many young people at Covenant House, and have been inspired by their courage, resiliency, and goodness.  I’m grateful I have the opportunity to make a difference in their lives in whatever way I can.”

“We’re honored to have Audra McDonald and all of these selfless business leaders sleeping out as a unified, powerful voice for our kids at Covenant House,” said Covenant House President Kevin Ryan. “All of these leaders are selflessly using their amazing gifts to bring hope to the 1,900 kids who are in our shelters each night.

 “November 20th will be a night when Audra McDonald, Brian Cashman, Capathia Jenkins and people who care about kids all across the country will raise candles of hope during a National Candlelight Vigil, and then sleep on the streets in solidarity with homeless kids,” said Ryan.  “No one is saying sleeping out for one night is comparable to what homeless kids go through. But our Vigil and our Sleep Out will raise awareness and funds needed to save the lives of kids who are right now living and dying on our streets.  It will be a powerful night of hope for our kids.”

For information about how you can join the Covenant House Sleep Out Movement,  click here:

http://www.covenanthouse.org/homeless-youth-news/join-covenant-house-sle...

In this Yahoo! Finance story, host Jeff Macke visits Yankee GM Brian Cashman at Yankee Stadium and talks about something they have in common ... sleeping on the streets to support our kids at Covenant House.  Both will be sleeping out again on November 20.

Learn more about Covenant House Sleep Out movement here.

See New York Football Club Chief Business Officer Tim Pernetti talk about our upcoming November 20 Sleep Out on Fox Business Network. 

I’m often overwhelmed by gratitude for supporters like you – I try to tell you every chance I get how important you are to everyone here at Covenant House.

In honor of this holiday of giving thanks, I thought you might like to hear about our gratitude from someone else. So today I’m sharing with you a heartfelt letter from Brian, one of our kids.

Dear Covenant House,

When I came to Covenant House, I was a runaway and I had many bad experiences on the streets. To be honest, I didn’t think I would live to see my next birthday. I was afraid and felt so alone.

The staff was so friendly and caring. At the time, I didn’t understand them – for most of my life, people were only nice to me when they wanted something from me.

Covenant House taught me so much, but the most important thing I learned is that there really are good, honest people in the world. How did you find them all?

My life is so much better now, and I know that’s because of Covenant House.

From,

Brian

Letters like this bring tears to my eyes. You are one of those good, honest people Brian is talking about  – and the work we do for thousands of homeless kids each year wouldn't be possible without you.

I hope you are fortunate enough to spend Thanksgiving surrounded by loved ones. As you sit down to enjoy a festive meal with family and friends, I want you to take a moment and feel good about what you’ve done for our kids. At the same time, at each one of our shelters, we’ll be sitting around a table, enjoying good food and talking about how thankful we are for you.

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Thank you so much,

Kevin Ryan

Over 950 leaders from the business, entertainment, and sports industries slept on the streets to raise funds and awareness for our homeless kids at Covenant House shelters.  The result was over $5 million raised to bring food, shelter, home, and hope to homeless youth across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America.

And check out Covenant House President Kevin Ryan and six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald thanking Sleep Out participants from Times Square:

Sleep Out Movement Thank You Interview with Kevin Ryan from CovenantHouse on Vimeo.

NBC40.net

AC Press

OC Gazette

CBS3

Shore News

There is so much to love about Christmas and its wonderful traditions – it’s truly a time full of joy, light and wonder.

Whether it’s an uplifting holiday service, a nostalgic movie or a festive meal with friends and family, each of us has one (or more!) special moments we look forward to and cherish each Christmas.

But what makes Christmas really special – for all of us – is that it’s not just about appreciating our precious blessings. It’s also about extending this happiness to people who are less fortunate than we are.

The opportunity to give is in and of itself a blessing – it brings joy to others and to ourselves.You may have heard about our Just One Kid pledge for Giving Tuesday. Our goal is to get 10,000 people to pledge to reach just one homeless kid in need. It’s not too late for you to take the pledge and help us make Christmas better for 10,000 homeless kids.

This Christmas, I hope you think about our kids here at Covenant House. I know they will be thinking about you, and your invaluable support.

I wish you and your loved ones all the best this holiday season.

The Covenant House Sleep Out movement across the United States and Canada has rallied thousands to spend a night on the streets in solidarity with our kids and has raised millions of dollars.  In this video, watch some of our Covenant House kids across the country share their stories of inspiration and hope at our November 20 Sleep Outs.

Sleep Out Executive Edition 2014 - Media Coverage from CovenantHouse on Vimeo.

IRA Charitable Rollover has passed - What you need to know

This week the Congress approved extending the Charitable IRA rollover provision for 2014, but you have to act now.   Gifts must be made by December 31, 2014.  You can gain a tax benefit by the end of the year while at the same making a huge impact in the lives of our homeless kids at Covenant House.

Here’s how it works.  J.S. (she wishes to remain anonymous) is long time supporter of the kids here at Covenant House. “I love being able to make an impact that helps a young person achieve the great potential that lies within their being.”   

A healthy and vibrant “senior”, once she reached 70-1/2, she was required to take distributions from her IRA.   These distributions can add to one’s tax burden.  

The opportunity to roll the distribution over to her favorite charity and the great kids that pass through our doors was good news for J.S.  

“I used the IRA Charitable Rollover to fund my giving in 2013 and I am delighted that our leaders in Washington have finally signed legislation extending it for 2014.  If I take this distribution, I don't get the full amount because of taxes.  But if I give it to Covenant House, the full amount goes to the kids. It's a great way to relieve some of my tax burden while at the same time helping kids who really need it."

If you need to take a distribution before 12/31/14, consider rolling it over to Covenant House. Your careful planning and saving can now make a wonderful impact and help some truly deserving kids realize a hopeful future.  

For more information, call us at 800-388-3888 and ask about the IRA rollover. 

SENIORS AGE 70.5 AND OLDER - 
You can make a tax-free gift from your IRA before year-end!
You must act before December 31, 2014.

Op-ed: That Time Audra McDonald Spent a Night on the Streets

By Audra McDonald

Originally published on Advocate.com December 24 2014 6:00 AM ET

As I lay wide awake on the cold pavement in the middle of a November night in New York City, I thought about our children.

Children bounced from one foster home to the next until, at age 18, they’re told to make it on their own.

Kids who survive unspeakable abuse at home and run to the streets for their very lives, only to find pimps and traffickers waiting to buy and sell them like pieces of merchandise.

I thought about LGBTQ teenagers who are told to leave home by their parents for being true to themselves and their sexuality, and end up living on the streets.

That night in November, my mind racing with the faces and voices of children, I joined 1,000 advocates across the United States and Canada in a Sleep Out sponsored by Covenant House, on whose international board of directors I serve.

At Covenant House, we care for more than 2,000 homeless and trafficked youth every night in 27 cities across six countries. I became involved last year after watching a homeless boy make his way from the streets into the safety of Covenant House’s New York City program. A few weeks later, Covenant House president Kevin Ryan introduced me to an amazing, diverse, motivated group of formerly homeless kids, and the dedicated staff and volunteers who help them, and I decided to do whatever I could to help.

That day led me to meeting more Covenant House kids across the United States. I’ve listened to their hopes and been uplifted by stories from LGBTQ youth across the United States describing Covenant House as the first safe place they felt accepted. Their big dreams and inherent courage led me to sleep outside the Covenant House crisis shelter on November 20 — Transgender Day of Remembrance — to raise awareness and funds to support this movement for homeless youth.

Please understand — I was not under the delusion that one night on the street is anything like what homeless kids endure. The kids knew that too, and they got it. I’ve found that homeless youth are genuinely touched that anyone would take even one night out of their lives to care.

In fact, every young person I have met at Covenant House has been traumatized in some way. Nearly one in four have been sexually exploited, many as human trafficking victims. And up to 40 percent of homeless youth have been abandoned, rejected, or discriminated against due to their sexual orientation.

So our goal for the sleep out was not to pretend we were homeless, but to raise money that goes directly for food, clothing, shelter, medical attention, education, job training, and short and long-term housing for homeless kids.

The result was life-affirming and incredible. On this one night we raised more than $1.8 million in New York City and more than $5.2 million across Canada and the United States.

Every person who sleeps out gets the opportunity to meet some of the Covenant House kids, so homeless youth are no longer the distant, camouflaged strangers we too often pass on the streets. I’m told that many Sleep Out participants continue their service by volunteering their time in Covenant House shelters and sharing their financial resources. And by raising money from family, friends, and co-workers, Sleep Out participants also inspire thousands more to work toward a day when kids won't have to live on the streets.

Earlier the same evening, I stood on a makeshift stage in the middle of Times Square with more than 20 representatives from different, diverse organizations who bring help and hope to homeless youth in New York City. We rallied together in a candlelight vigil for homeless youth, lifting flames to the sky in remembrance of the hundreds of thousands of homeless youth on the streets of America, especially LGBTQ young people. From the stage we looked out on an ocean of beautiful young faces, including hundreds of homeless youth now getting life-saving help at Covenant House, the True Colors Fund, the Peter Cicchino Gay and Lesbian Youth Project, the Door, and GEMS, and so many other great organizations.

As I looked into the faces of the children, I thought of the lyrics of one of my favorite Billie Holiday songs, "God Bless the Child."

Mama may have, papa may have
But God bless the child that's got his own
That's got his own

It occurred to me that this gathering of so many diverse organizations working with homeless youth was really all about one thing … re-dedicating ourselves to making sure all young people have a chance to rise up in love, to embrace the great promise of their lives, to “get their own.”

This movement is about giving homeless young people what all children deserve … love, trust, safety, good food, a safe bed to sleep in, mentors, people who care about them. 

It is about giving young people the chance to dream of finishing school, of first jobs, of homes, and of course, families of their own.  This movement is about gathering as a family to let these kids know we love them. This is not about tolerating our youth; this is about celebrating them for exactly who they are. 

May 2015 be the year that this movement on behalf of all homeless youth gathers momentum, so that every young person who needs a safe bed can find one.

God Bless the Child.

AUDRA McDONALD is a Tony- and Grammy-award winning actress and singer. She sits on the advisory board of the advocacy organization Broadway Impact and has been featured in campaigns for Freedom to Marry, NOH8, and PFLAG NYC. In 2012 she and her now-husband, actor Will Swenson, received PFLAG National’s Straight for Equality Award. Follow her on Twitter @audraequalitymc

Charities like Covenant House get valuable feedback from the public they serve. And these reviews help donors understand which nonprofits are making a difference on the ground than from the people who experience it. 

That's why we are so grateful that our stellar reviews helped name us one of Great NonProfits top-rated charities in 2014 for our work with homeless youth

Read more here:

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-rated-nonprofit-list-2014-perla-ni

Like so many of our homeless youth, Anderson is a survivor.

His childhood in Florida was filled with family conflict.  He remembers spending nights sleeping under bridges, in abandoned buildings and parks.

But through it all, he never gave up.  He found his way to Covenant House, where he worked hard to obtain his GED, ran a half marathon to raise money for other homeless kids, and worked on his true passion – music.

 “I have a genuine love for Covenant House,” Anderson says.  “It’s a place where you can have a relationship with people who the rest of the world has ruled out to be nothing.”

This week, Anderson will share his amazing story – and his incredible talent – on American Idol.  Please watch on Fox this Wednesday and Thursday at 8 pm.  And as you do, know that there are 2,000 more amazing kids like Anderson at Covenant House, and thousands more on the streets, each with their own stories, their own hopes and their own dreams.  We’re proud of all of them.

Watch the American Idol trailer below

http://idol.ly/1tGHKIC

The start of a new year is incredibly special for Covenant House kids. Do you know why?

It’s because no matter what they’ve been through, 2015 is a second chance at a life of hope and happiness. Our kids know that Covenant House is committed to helping them build promising futures… and that’s only possible because of people likeyou.

You don’t have to take my word for it, though! Below are some of the amazing milestones we reached with our dedicated friends and supporters in 2014.

We made a difference to thousands of young people in need.

No matter what our kids have been through, we give them the help they need. Our brave outreach team reached over 25,000 kids on the streets while 1,800 mothers and their babies found shelter and safety in our Mother/Child Program. We also expanded our network for LGBT homeless youth by forming a groundbreaking partnership with True Colors Fund.

We urged the government to pass 5 sex trafficking bills designed to protect our kids.

An unbelievable 121,497 of you signed petitions asking the Senate to prioritize 5 anti-trafficking bills designed to protect victims of sex trafficking. Thanks to this overwhelming support, some of our kids and I had the honor of delivering 48,851 signatures to Cory Booker in Washington, DC on September 8, 2014. Together, we showed the Senate that we will never stop fighting to protect our country’s children – and neither should they.

We turned compassion into meaningful action.

This year, an amazing 2,000 people took time out of their busy lives to proudly take their support for homeless kids to the streets. Our Sleep Out participants spent a night on the freezing streets in solidarity with homeless young people and raised over $6 million to provide our kids with the lifesaving food, shelter and support they need.

We took a stand for vulnerable homeless children… everywhere.

After a violent incident involving José Guadalupe Ruelas, director of Covenant House Honduras, we knew we had to do something to show our support for brothers and sisters in Latin America. 18,409 of you pledged solidarity with our shelters and staff in Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua… and the forgotten children they rescue. Then thousands of you helped us get the word out on social media.

In 2014, we served 57,000 homeless kids in 27 cities across the Americas.

None of these accomplishments would have been possible without people like you. In moments like these, I’m not how we got so lucky to have your heartfelt support… but it humbles me every day.

Thank you for an incredible year of hope, inspiration and progress. Let’s make 2015 even better! Learn how you can get involved or make a special gift in honor of the New Year today.