When Adam moved from our crisis shelter to the longer-term housing program, CIBC Rights of Passage, I was told it had been two years since he last spoke in full sentences. He wouldn’t say more than a word or two. One day, I accompanied him on an appointment in the community. Like usual, he was [...]
When Marissa was 16, her mother’s boyfriend tried to make a pass at her. Her mother did not want to believe her and feared any confrontation with him. After Marissa rejected him, he was determined to make her life difficult. She was trapped in her home for days unable to leave except to go to [...]
When Jennifer joined her first meeting of our This is Me! Girls Program, she appeared very anxious about participating and allowing her voice to be heard. We began to gently encourage her by assuring her she was in a safe space. As the other young women in the group began to open up, so did [...]
Rod grew up in a stable family in a small community. At the age of 18, he fell in with the wrong crowd and started using alcohol and drugs, heading down a path that caused friction in his once happy household. His family didn’t know how to help him, and he wasn’t ready to change. [...]
Our second annual Covenant House Month in February proved a bigger success in helping us to raise awareness of youth homelessness and much-needed funds for our work. Throughout the month, our advocacy initiatives highlighted the often-overlooked and misunderstood issue of youth homelessness.