(NewsNation) — As Americans gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, an estimated 4.2 million young people across the nation are struggling with homelessness.
Covenant House, a national nonprofit organization that provides hope and support to unsheltered young people in cities like Chicago, is trying to brighten the holiday for those it serves.
Covenant House is not just a homeless shelter, but a sanctuary for the millions of American at-risk young people who do not have a permanent place to call home. At locations around the country, the shelters will be providing Thanksgiving meals for clients as part of ongoing efforts to help young adults get back on their feet.
The organization has provided support services to more than 1.5 million clients since 1972. Covenant House offers job training as well as mental health support services that help to provide many of those at-risk teens a second chance.
“You have to make a bunch of short-term goals and long-term goals to help yourself,” Sonmontez Paramore, one of the clients Covenant House serves said. “You can look at the resources, you can get all the help you need, but only you can really help yourself.”
Much of Covenant House’s funding comes from its annual Sleep-Out event, a fundraiser that provides people with an idea of what it is like to experience homelessness. A recent event in New York City raised $1.2 million that helps Covenant House continue to serve the country’s youth.
