>>> A HEARTBREAKING FACT.

IN JUNE OF THIS YEAR NEW YORK

CITY REPORTED OVER 60,000

HOMELESS PEOPLE, ALMOST 27,000

OF THEM CHILDREN AND YOUNG

ADULTS.

AS PART OF OUR ON GOING

INITIATIVE "CHASING THE DREAM,

POF TERITY AND OPPORTUNITY IN

AMERICA" WE'RE TAKING A DEEP

DIVE INTO THE PROBLEM OF

HOMELESS YOUTH.

THE COVENANT HOUSE, A YOUTH

SHELTER LOCATED IN THE HEART OF

MANHATTAN HAS TRANSFORMED AND

SAVED THE LIVES OF OVER 1

MILLION BOYS AND GIRLS SINCE

OPENING IN 1972, PROVIDING YOUTH

BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13 AND 20

WITH HOUSING, SUPPORT AND

EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES, THE

ORGANIZATION CONTINUES TO GIVE

THESE YOUNG ADULTS ALL THE TOOLS

NECESSARY TO LEAD A LIFE OF

SUCCESS.

A CELEBRATED CHARITY FOR

DECADES, BUT ONE THAT HIT HARD

TIMES AFTER THE FOUNDER, FATHER

BRUCE RITTER WAS FORCED TO STEP

DOWN AFTER ALLEGATIONS HE HAS

SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH YOUTH IN

HIS CARE AND HE MISUSED

DONATIONS OF CASH TO THE HOUSE.

NEITHER CLAIM WAS EVER

PROSECUTED BY THE NEW YORK

DISTRICT ATTORNEY WHO SAID THERE

WAS NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE OF

MISCONDUCT TO CHARGE RITTER WITH

A CRIME.

NOW, REENERGIZED AND ON A FRESH

COURSE WE'RE JOINED BY COVENANT

HOUSE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SISTER

NANCY, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

DIRECTOR SHAKEEMA NORTH AND

GRADUATE CHEVYONNE.

>> THEY COME TO US HURT, THEY

COME TO US BROKEN, THEY COME TO

US WITH THEIR GUARDS UP.

THAT'S A DEFENSE MECHANISM FOR

THEM.

IT'S ABOUT THEIR SAFETY, BECAUSE

THEY DON'T WANT TO BE HURT

ANYMORE.

>> BUILDING UP KIDS WHO SUFFERED

FROM TRAUMA IS SHAKEEMA NORTH'S

LIFE'S WORK.

SHE SAID AT COVENANT HOUSE THEY

SERVE KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN

PHYSICALLY ABUSED, EMOTIONALLY

AND ALL TOO OFTEN SEXUALLY.

AND THE STEP TO HELP THEM

FUNCTION AS ADULTS IS HELP THEM

MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THEY'RE

SAFE.

>> NOT EVERY YOUNG PERSON IS

OPEN TO THE HELP THAT YOU'RE

TRYING TO GIVE, BUT ANY TIME

THEY LET US IN, IT'S AN

OPPORTUNITY TO BE HELPFUL AND TO

SHOW THEM THAT THIS WORLD IS NOT

ALL BAD.

>> ONE YOUNG WOMAN WHO

SUCCESSFULLY TURNED HER LIFE

AROUND IS CHEVYONNE.

IT DOESN'T AN EASY DECISION FOR

HER.

>> WHEN YOU HEAR COVENANT HOUSE,

YOU HEAR SHELTER.

NO ONE WANTS TO LIVE IN A

SHELTER.

>> AT 18 SHE FOUND HERSELF

KICKED OUT OF HER MOTHER'S

BUSHWICK HOME.

AGED OUT OF THE ADMINISTRATION

FOR CHILDRENS SERVICES SYSTEM

AND WAS COUCH SURFACE, WHEN IT

WAS SUGGESTED SHE TRY TO FIND A

BED AT THE YOUTH SHELTER.

THERE WAS THERE SHE SAID, THAT

SHE BEGAN TO RECLAIM HER

IDENTITY.

>> SISTER NANCY HELPED ME GET

EVERYTHING, MY CITIZENSHIP, MY

SOCIAL SECURITY GUARD.

I GOT MY FIRST NEW YORK STATE ID

WORKING HERE AT COVENANT HOUSE.

I DIDN'T HAVE THAT BEFORE.

ALL I WAS WALKING AROUND WITH

WAS MY SCHOOL ID BECAUSE THAT'S

ALL I HAD.

>> IN ADDITION TO TRAUMA

COUNSELING, JOB TRAINING,

PARENTING CLASSES, SILLS CENTER

NANCY BROWN SAYS THE KIDS AT

COVENANT HOUSE WANT TO THRIVE.

>> WE SEE THE HOPE IN OUR YOUNG

PEOPLE.

DESPITE HAVING BEEN BADLY TRAUM

MIZED, THERE'S THE INNER HOPE

THEY'LL HAVE A WONDERFULLY

SUCCESSFUL LIFE.

>> THE LIFE CHANGING WORK ISN'T

ALWAYS THROUGH INTENSE

INTERVENTION.

SHAKEEMA NORTH SAYS IT'S CRUCIAL

FOR THEIR YOUNG PEOPLE TO ALSO

REMEMBER THEY ARE STILL KIDS.

>> I DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO

GO THROUGH WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE

A HOMELESS YOUNG PERSON.

I DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO

EXPERIENCE THAT LEVEL OF HURT

AND PAIN, TO EXPERIENCE

REJECTION.

A LOT OF THAT COMES FROM THEIR

FAMILIES.

IF WE COULD STRENGTHEN THE

FAMILY UNIT, THEN MAYBE THEY

WOULDN'T HAVE TO END UP IN

SITUATIONS WHERE THEY'RE

HOMELESS AND THERE'S A NEED FOR

COME NANT HOUSE.

>> FOR CHEVYONNE, THE LESSONS

SHE LEARNED AT COVENANT HOUSE

ARE NEVER FAR BEHIND.

SHE WORKS THERE NOW AS A WEBSITE

COORDINATOR AND LIVES ON HER OWN

WITH HER YOUNG DAUGHTER.

CHEVYONNE SAYS COVENANT HOUSE

BROADENED HER HORIZONS AND SHE

WANTS TO PASS THAT ON.

>> I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A

WORLD OUTSIDE OF MY LITTLE

COMMUNITY.

IT'S NOT JUST ME, YOU AND THE

PEOPLE YOU KNOW.

THERE'S MORE TO THIS WORLD.

THERE'S MORE OUT THERE.

THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.