12 Kids of Christmas: Meet Anthony

Reason to give #12: Pay it forward.

Did you know that many of our kids who leave Covenant House contact us later to give back? We just received an e-mail the other day from one of our former residents who has clothes to donate. One of our former kids volunteers on a regular basis and looks for opportunities to help the kids who live at Covenant House now.

Meet Anthony.
Anthony is 27 and lived at Covenant House from 2001-2004.

We asked him his story, here's what he said.

Why did you come to Covenant House?
I came to the Cov because I had absolutely no one or nothing to help me in life. I had no family support, no friends and no where to go. I came to the Cov for a second chance in life.

If you could pick one thing that Covenant House has helped you with, what would it be?
The biggest thing that helped me at the Cov was the resources that both Crisis and ROP gave me. They had a lead and answer for just about everything that I needed! I was able to learn how to live my life again thanks to their help.

What are you grateful for?
I’m very grateful for the hard work and dedication of the staff at the Cov. The Staff there truly have a heart for helping us out. The staff members that helped me the most were Carlos, Ms Johnson, Ms Norma, Mr. Johnson, Ms Lumpkin, Ms Robinson, and Ms. Adams. Ms Adams worked behind the scenes to make sure I was doing the right thing and was there when I really needed the intense help.

What's your best memory at Covenant House?
My best memory at the Cov was when Carlos (former Crisis Manager) took me to his church in Mexican Town for the first time. It was an awesome experience! The entire service was in Spanish, but it was as if I was able to understand it! Also the first Christmas we had at the current Crisis Center. We had a lot of people come in and donate their time and we were able to get clothes and presents for Christmas.

And finally, what do you want to accomplish in the new year?
Well I want to give back to the Cov again. Right now I'm working on another partnership with Covenant House and some prospective employers so we can put some of these kids to work.

Yes! I want to give today to help kids move forward in life and bless those that helped them, and to help all your kids, like Anthony, succeed!

Back to the Countdown!