Angela Gets Great Satisfaction
in Giving

Angela first volunteered to do some work for the Covenant House California during Christmas break from her job about six years ago. She had been thinking of becoming a mentor for a while and when her friend told her about CHC, it was the perfect time for her to check it out.

“I had looked at mentoring programs for other organizations and some of them wanted a two-year commitment. The Covenant House was more flexible and when I heard how CHC is structured and what their mission is, I knew it was the right place to devote my time and energy.”

Angela enjoys being a mentor because she gets to be a sounding board, sometimes being a voice of reason, maybe even a fresh perspective for the kids. There’s no agenda and eventually they open up… “Taking the kids out for coffee or a meal, it makes them feel like an adult. They don’t feel like they’re being schooled or lectured. You can just hang out and be normal and let them feel what’s it like in the real world—it’s a whole other universe for them.”

She says that the opportunity to be a mentor for Covenant House California kids is very satisfying for her. “In a weird way, it’s also sort of a creative outlet for me because I get to help mentees in guiding and directing them in their career goals.”

“I find this place to be so practical. Follow the rules and go out and make a good life for yourself. One of the things so appealing about CHC is that they have programs here for the residents – it not just a shelter – giving anybody who comes here tools to go out into the world to not only survive but to become successful."