Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Being A Teen On The Streets

With so many of our teenagers ending up on the streets, some in trouble, some on drugs, with nowhere to go and no one to turn to I wanted to post a blog today for them.

I know how it is as I myself ended up across the country out in Texas as a teenager and I was homeless. I hitchhiked many times, slept under bridge overpasses, in an old abandoned bus, on the beaches, on sidewalks and in allies and I ate in soup kitchens, bathed in gas station bathrooms, and begged for change from strangers. I was attacked by 3 guys on south beach in Corpus Christi one time and ended up out in Houston where I was almost sucked into a life of prostitution by a Pimp named Sergio among many other horrible things.

Ending up in Houston was the best thing for me because that is where a lady whom saw me on Westheimer one day reached out to me and told me about The Covenant House and I walked in and they took me in and for once in quite awhile I felt safe. 

The streets can be a scary dangerous place especially for kids. If you ever see a teen in trouble and on the streets or know of any teen who needs help please tell them about The Covenant House. Give them a chance to get off the streets and get their life on track.


AS PER THEIR SITE:

Among the services Covenant House provides are:
  • Street outreach
  • Health/Medical care
  • GED High school diploma
  • Job readiness and vocational training
  • Drug abuse treatment and prevention
  • Legal aid
  • Mother/child services
  • Transitional housing
  • Life-skills training

More than just a homeless shelter  

Covenant House is a leading advocate on behalf of street youth – for those who can’t speak up for themselves – at local, state, national, and international levels of government. We are a member of the Non-Government Organization (NGO) Board of Directors of UNICEF, and have taken on a prominent role in The Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

Covenant House Locations and Services Help Thousands of Homeless Kids 

Our facilities are located in Anchorage, Atlanta, Atlantic City, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Managua, Mexico City, Milpas Altas, Newark, New Orleans, New York, Oakland, Orlando, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Tegucigalpa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, D.C.
Last year, Covenant House Street Outreach Teams and Residential and Community Service Center Programs cared for over 70,000 at-risk and homeless kids in 21 cities in the United States, Canada, and Central America.

And for needy kids all across the U.S. and in Mexico – kids who aren’t near one of our sites and need immediate help – Covenant House also operates two 24-hour crisis hotlines. Every year, NINELINE in the U.S. and Acercatel in Mexico promptly respond to over 60,000 crisis calls from frightened youth – and many of the caring adults in their lives.

Learn more about us:

If you want to help the youth today even more become a part of Wish Upon A Teen.



Please if you know of any of our youth who needs help tell them about Covenant House. Who knows what could have happened to me if that lady had not reached out to me that day so many years ago and told me about them. I may not have even been alive today to write this blog.

~Blessings~
TBVG

1 comment:

  1. That was a horrible experience in the street..I never had the same experience in my life..God bless the Covenant House..teenagers should be saved from the dangers on the street

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