Eddie
Eddie spent much of his life in the Child Welfare system when he wasn’t living on the streets with his family. Our Street Outreach team knew his family well and often stopped by their encampment to bring them basic needs items. After three years, Eddie eventually made his way to our facility, but struggled with feeling guilty that his family remained on the street.
Early in his stay with us, Eddie would regularly try to help his family by bringing food provided to him at CHC, doing their laundry at CHC and would give them any money he earned. Eddie had difficulty believing that adults would take care of him, and kept to himself for a very long time, not trusting or engaging much with his peers or staff members.
Over time, Eddie has developed positive relationships with staff and peers. He has maintained his housing at CHC for 17 months, was involved in job preparation trainings, worked on his resume, went to job fairs, took a forklift training class and was certified, received his guard card and is now currently employed! He is working 40 hours a week and he has started his savings with his first $200.00. Eddie has also enrolled in Five Keys Charter School to complete his high school education. He is committed to his education and job and is beginning to do what has never been a focus in his life… planning for a stable future!
Zuri, 23
Zuri, came to us after being attacked on the streets in the Bay Area. She was scared and tired of living day-to-day without a sense of security. Our Safe Haven program staff instantly surrounded her with love, gave her a warm meal and clean clothes, and provided her with a bed to make her feel safe. Zuri was able to rest, heal, and restore. Throughout this quiet time, she began to believe in herself and focused on finding her way. With the help of some of our staff, she found a job as an in-home health aid and ended up unselfishly helping a patient who was COVID-19 positive. While quarantined at the Cov, Zuri was determined, now more than ever, to work hard and move out on her own. Guiding her was one of our Rapid Re-housing Case Managers who successfully found and helped Zuri move into her very first apartment! Today, Zuri has a steady job in the health industry, a safe place to call home, and overwhelming pride in herself.
Ashley Burns, Staff
Meet Ashley Burns, CHC’s Interim Director of DreamCatcher & our soon to be Hayward site! Ashley has had a passion for helping young people all her life. Being able to motivate young people to believe they deserve more in life, is just one part of the job that brings her and her staff joy. “Watching them grow into their personality and into their job brings a smile to my heart.” Ashley works closely with her team to not only provide a dignified place for the youth to live but to also encourage them to find a job by giving them the tools they need to retain that job.
“Seeing how far a youth has come is the most exciting part of the future of our youth.”, says Ashley. “I always tell our youth, whatever you do be consistent.” She makes sure that every youth is ready for the next step and checks in on them every step of the way.
Ashley’s loving spirit and excitement for our mission brings so much to the Cov family!
Nikki Sixx, Donor
In 2007, Nikki Sixx released his NY Times bestselling memoir, The Heroin Diaries chronicling his worst year of addiction in the mid-80’s during which he overdosed, was clinically dead for several minutes and which ultimately lead to his path of recovery. Today, Nikki has been sober for 17 years.
Coinciding with the release of the Heroin Diaries in 2007, Nikki partnered with Covenant House California, Los Angeles to pay forward his good fortune and create a music room for the homeless youth finding shelter at the Covenant House campus. The music program that’s been put into place as a result has been Covenant House’s most successful and popular program amongst its residents to date.
In October 2017, Nikki proudly presented his first ever photography exhibition in partnership with Leica Camera. He has often called photography “his new drug that has replaced addiction in his life and helped keep him sober”. Nikki once again partnered with Covenant House to raise money to create a Photography Room and program to benefit the residents of Covenant House California, Los Angeles and expand the creative endeavors of the organization. Nikki shared, “Looking forward to expanding the music program we have here to other locations and building another program to inspire these beautiful kids to express themselves creatively.”