This Thanksgiving, you can make an incredible impact on the lives of your people like Derrick.
MAKE YOUR THANKSGIVING DONATION
For just $50 today, your donation can provide clean clothes for youth like Derrick, who arrive with only the clothes on their back.
Every dollar of your tax-deductible donation makes an impact.
$26
Provides 3 meals and a hygiene kit on a youth’s first day at CHC
$50
Provides two clean outfits for a youth when they arrive with nothing but the clothes on their back
$100
Provides one night of safe shelter and three hot meals for a young person
$250
Provides 1 youth with shelter, meals, career & education support
$500
Provides 5 youth with medical and mental health care
$1000
Provides 1 youth with 1 month of rental assistance
Derrick’s Story
Nearly 10 years ago, Derrick was living on Skid Row with his mom and sister, staying in a family shelter, when he aged out of the program. Hoping to avoid sleeping on the streets for a few more days, he couch-surfed with friends, who told him about shelter and sanctuary at a place called Covenant House California. A few days later, Derrick moved into his new home at the Cov. After his time on Skid Row, he didn’t have much for clothing. “They had a lot of clothes in the closet,” Derrick remembers. “I got some new clothes, and I started feeling alive again.”
When Derrick first came to the Cov, he felt very grateful, but kept to himself. Slowly but surely, staff helped him come out of his shell. They would start up conversations and ask how he was doing. Derrick quickly realized: “I’m not just staying at a shelter… they really care. It was like family.”
As Derrick began to stabilize and feel better, he started to think about his future – where he wanted to be and how he could get there. He was determined to reach his goals. With the help of the dedicated team at the Cov, Derrick soon was hired for an internship, working as an intern with our maintenance team, where he built his employment skills. Soon after, the team connected him to employment opportunities at a grocery store and then a vet clinic. Feeling motivated by his growing savings, he decided to get another job. When he got an interview for a position at a gym, he was nervous and excited. The job was perfect for his interests and skills, because for Derrick, “Fitness is a big part of my life.” He remembers the day of the interview: “The career center helped me dress. They told me how to talk in the interview, everything. They had me write my resume down, type my resume, and make it official. Man, they did so much for me. So, I put the tie on, and put the shirt on, and went to that interview. And they said, ‘you’re hired’.”
Just a few years later, Derrick is thriving, living in his own apartment. “I wouldn’t be in the place that I stay in right now, if it wasn’t for the Cov,” Derrick shared. “The Cov made me.”
