For 23 years, Covenant House Pennsylvania has opened its doors to thousands of young adults experiencing homelessness and trafficking. In Philadelphia and York County, close to 200 young people sleep in a Covenant House PA bed each night. No one is ever turned away without support of some kind. And our services and support are available at no cost. Covenant House PA meets immediate needs for shelter, food, safety, medical and mental health care. We have specialized programs for young parents and their small children and for human trafficking survivors. And we help young people experiencing homelessness to advance their goals and achieve sustainable independence with education, job readiness, and career pathways programs. Through a strengths-based, trauma-informed practice model, refined over time through decades of outcome data, we help young people discover and develop their power to overcome adversity and achieve their dreams. Our continuum of care includes outreach and immediate care, short-term housing, transitional housing, public education and prevention and aftercare. Our mission is one of absolute respect and relentless support for all young people facing homelessness. Welcoming young people who identify as LGBTQ+ to our programs has been a part of who we are since our founding. LGBTQ+ youth are more than twice as likely to experience homelessness as their non-LGBTQ+ peers. And, while LGBTQ+ youth make up only 7% of the total U.S. youth population, they comprise an astounding 40% of all young people experiencing homelessness in the country, according to one estimate. Covenant House PA knows that close to 50% of young people we serve identify as LGBTQ+. To learn more about Covenant House and their mission take some time to watch the video below!
