Why Jennifer is Smiling
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Jennifer smiles when she talks about Covenant House. “It means a lot to me.” She says. It’s clear that she feels that her experiences here have changed her life. “I’ve learned a lot of things from this place. I’ve learned to live my own life.” This 21 year-old Covenant House youth is more than grateful for what CHC has done for her.
Jennifer came to Los Angeles when she was 17 years old. She lived with her uncle for a while but says the living situation became “difficult” for her. Yet even with no place to go, Jennifer still packed her things and left.
“I remember it being cold at night.” She says. “I had nothing to eat. No clean clothes. I had to carry all my stuff with me wherever I went.” Eventually, Jennifer found an adult shelter but she says that staying there was difficult as well. “The place was always dirty and it smelled.” She says. “Most of the people were a lot older than me. It made me feel uncomfortable just to be there.” Jennifer says she feels fortunate that she found out about Covenant House California (CHC).
Things were different for her when she arrived at CHC. “I was around people my age which made it easier for me.” She says. “Here, they gave me more than a roof over my head. They gave me three meals a day and helped me prepare for a job too.” Jennifer says she also benefited from the Life Skills program that CHC provides. “The program taught me how to deal with people and how to show respect to others. It was things I needed to learn if I was going to get a job.”
Her time at Covenant House has proven to be beneficial to her. She now has a full time job and plans to take the GED sometime in the future. She also just moved into her own place. “If it wasn’t for Covenant House, I’d be nowhere.” She says.Click here to make a gift to help Jennifer and other kids like her.
