A program committed to helping young people make the transition from homelessness and hopelessness to stability and success is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Each year, more than one million young people under age 21 find themselves homeless in the United States. Many are runaways, throwaways (young people asked to leave home) or youths who have aged out of the foster care system.
For these homeless youths, life on the streets means not knowing where or when they will get another meal. Often, life on the streets can lead to more dangerous and damaging activities such as drug abuse, gang affiliation, prostitution and panhandling.
Fortunately for these young people, Covenant House administers a program called Rights of Passage that’s designed to assist motivated young people ages 18 to 21 who need a place to stay while they train for a job with a future.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Rights of Passage program enables young people to live at Covenant House for up to 18 months while they learn a vocation, earn a GED, work a steady job or take college courses. When these young people graduate from the program, most are in a...