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October 17, 2008 -- Karaoke at Covenant House
 On October 16th, it was not a regular Thursday. It was a time to have some indoor fun. With it getting chilly outside, we certainly had some hot voices in the house. It was the Mentor Department’s first Karaoke Night and the residents came out to represent at this new entertaining event. The music category selections ranged from R&B to Rock to Hip Hop. The resident host was Corey C. who introduced the brave Taisha Brandon. She kicked off the night and rocked the crowd with “My Humps” by Black Eyed Peas. With Dan Brown’s rendition of “Gold Digger” and Tiffany Shefton’s “Irreplaceable”, these two certainly were the numbers for much crowd participation, hype and enjoyment. After performing two songs, Taisha Brandon said “It was fun!”
Between the night’s performances was a selection of three spoken word pieces and a solo piano recital. “With the weather starting to change a bit, we decided to try something a little different this month than the usual indoor game night or CH Idol. So with the resources of a borrowed Karaoke machine, thanks to Mentor David Brooks, we gave it a try and it looked like the residents had a blast and genuine good time.”-Kim Cumberbatch, Mentor Facilitator
August 22, 2008 -- Covenant House Institute Created to Study Issues of Youth Homelessness Worldwide
Bruce Henry, longtime leader of Covenant House New York, to head multidisciplinary initiative; First research initiative planned with Columbia University NEW YORK, NY, August 12, 2008 – Covenant House International, one of the world’s largest privately funded agencies serving homeless, runaway and other youth in crisis, today announced the formation of a multi-disciplinary, research-based initiative, the Covenant House Institute (CHI). With a mission to effect profound change in how such youth are served, the Institute will study issues related this population, provide data critical for policy and funding decisions, and train emerging social-service leaders.
The Institute will collaborate with a range of academic and social-service partners, as well as leverage the vast expertise that resides in the international Covenant House organization gained from more than 35 years working with homeless youth in the U.S, Canada and Latin America.
The Covenant House Institute will be led by Bruce Henry, a nationally recognized expert on youth homelessness, who also played an integral role in its development. To fill his new role, Henry will leave Covenant House New York, where he has served as Executive Director for 22 years.
The Institute will conduct its first research initiative with Columbia University Center for Homelessness Prevention Studies, an official partner to CHI and one of academia’s few interdisciplinary research centers focused on issues related to homelessness.
“This unparalleled initiative allows Covenant House to serve as an even stronger voice for struggling youth around the world, who, despite pasts that many of us find incomprehensible, are still just children,” said Henry. “The Covenant House Institute’s partnerships will give us research that confirms our anecdotal experiences and provides a foundation for change to help these youths transcend what they’ve endured and become independent, successful members of society.”
Youth homelessness remains a pressing social and economic issue worldwide, with estimates indicating that homelessness disrupts more than 1.6 million young lives annually in the United States alone. These young people are at high risk of joining the ranks of the world’s chronically homeless adults, whose lives of extreme hardship often end in premature death. Over many years of serving homeless youth, Covenant House has found that programs rooted in safe housing, educational and/or vocational training and real job opportunities with a potential for growth help young people turn their lives around.
“The focus, scope and scale of the Covenant House Institute’s work will make it a respected, effective advocate for youth in crisis worldwide, and we’re pleased to contribute our knowledge as a partner in this forward-looking endeavor,” said Carol Caton, Ph.D., Director of the Columbia University Center for Homelessness Prevention Studies. “The more data CHI can capture and study – on everything from underlying ‘trigger issues’ to program effectiveness, mental health or long-term outcomes – the better we’ll be able to assist these young people and keep more of them out these situations in the first place.”
In a related effort, Covenant House International is formalizing an additional research partnership with the Italian Federation of Therapeutic Communities to develop a pilot project educating and training young workers to better assist street youth in Honduras. The initiative will commence at the agency’s local site, known as Casa Alianza Honduras, and aims to expand to other Covenant House locations in Guatemala, Mexico and Nicaragua. It will be led by Jose Manuel Capellin, the Executive Director of Casa Alianza Honduras, who was recently named a “Hero Acting to End Modern-Day Slavery” by the U.S. State Department. The Covenant House Institute will also work to strengthen management and organizational capacity among local, national and international social-service agencies. To that end, the Institute will implement an agency-wide management training model that will create leadership opportunities for youth and rising staff, and host annual leadership conferences for executives and program managers to foster discussion on critical themes and pressing issues.
“The Covenant House Institute is a natural and important extension of our mission to provide youth in crisis with shelter, care and support,” said James White, interim president of Covenant House International. “We hope that by matching our strengths with those of experts in complementary areas, we can broaden and deepen our service to these children, from whom we have learned so much over the years.” About Covenant House International
Covenant House International is the largest privately-funded agency in the Americas providing shelter and other services to homeless, runaway and throwaway youth. Incorporated in New York City in 1972, Covenant House International has facilities in 21 cities throughout the United States, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. Covenant House International also operates 24-hour crisis hotlines in the United States (Covenant House NINELINE) and Mexico (Acercatel). In addition, Covenant House International and its member sites are leading advocates on behalf of street youth at local, state, national and international levels of government. Covenant House International is a member of the Non-Government Organization (NGO) Board of Directors of UNICEF and has taken on a prominent role in The Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC.) About Covenant House New York (CHNY)
CHNY is New York City’s largest nonprofit adolescent care agency serving homeless, runaway and at-risk youth between the ages of 18 and 21. With particular expertise in helping some of the most hopeless teens grow into independent, successful and productive adults, CHNY plays a special role in the lives of young people struggling to find their way – and in the city’s larger social services arena.
July 16, 2008 -- 2008 Golf Invitational
 With more than 200 golfers teeing off at Hackensack Golf Course for Covenant House’s Annual Golf Invitational, now in its seventeenth year, was a smashing success. This year, Rich Calhane – Wakefern Food Corporation – was honored for his tireless support and dedication to the event. Rich Culhane has acted as the chairperson for the journal committee, ensuring that major corporations help contribute to the mission of helping homeless and at-risk youth to receive a second chance.
Following the day of golf, everyone came together for dinner and an opportunity to learn about the services offered to the young people at Covenant House. Dominique Demunn, a CHNY resident in the Mother/Child Program, shared her story of trials and tribulations while growing up in an unsupportive environment, which allowed the audience to truly grasp the importance of the services offered to the young people at Covenant House. The Annual Golf Invitational is one of the many fundraising event held each year. During the live auction segment, numerous tickets to Broadway shows were available, along with a trip to Italy. Special thanks goes to Jim McGuire, founder of this event, for acting as this year’s auctioneer and for providing lively entertainment. Covenant House would like to thank everyone who made this year’s Golf Invitational a huge success and we look forward to seeing everyone back next year!
June 11, 2008 -- Covenant House New York Board of Directors – Reverend Walter J. Modrys, S.J.
 It is with great pleasure that we honor Reverend Walter J. Modrys, S.J. For the past nine years, Rev. Modrys served on Covenant House New York’s Board of Directors providing guidance and leadership. His calm demeanor and patience throughout his tenure allowed Covenant House New York to make enormous strides in creating programs and services that continually met the needs of those young people we serve.
Reverend Modrys has decided to step down as an active member of the board of directors in 2008. On June 5, 2008, Covenant House New York honored Rev. Modrys in a garden ceremony, held out our main facility on 41st Street. Covenant House New York is honored to have had Rev. Modrys on the board of directors and part of the Covenant House family. We know that he will remain dedicated to our mission and young people as his ventures forward in pursuit of other endeavors. Thank you Reverend Walter J. Modrys, S.J. for all of your hard-work and commitment. Your presence at our board meetings will be missed but never forgotten.
May 15, 2008 -- 21st Annual Lifeline Award Dinner Dance
 On May 8th, the Real Estate and Construction Industry once again gathered together to support Covenant House New York (CHNY) with its 21st Annual Lifeline Award Dinner Dance. Held at the Marriott Marquis, more than 800 individuals participated in supporting the thousands of young people served each year by Covenant House New York.
Returning as the Master of Ceremonies, WCBS news anchor – Chris Wragge, displayed his charm and overall enthusiasm while ensuring that the evening went smoothly and all of the honorees received their time in the spotlight. He also took on the role of auctioneer, helping raise more than $10,000 on the Tuscany, Italy vacation. “Having Chris Wragge return as our Master of Ceremonies was amazing” stated Bruce J. Henry – Executive Director, Covenant House New York. “It is an honor to have him part of the Covenant House family. His talents were certainly on display this evening.” During the evening’s program, two of the industry’s most dedicated supporters of Covenant House New York were honored. Frank A. Freda – Executive Managing Director of Cushman and Wakefield – received the Lifeline Award for his tireless work over several years on the Lifeline Dinner Committee in assisting CHNY to obtain needed resources to service the young people in crisis. Richard Singer – CEO of Franklin Square Iron Works – received the Humanitarian Award for employing more than 100 young people from CHNY throughout the past six years, giving the young people valuable career opportunities. The evening also honored two kids from Covenant House’s Rights of Passage program, a long-term transitional living program, by providing each with a scholarship toward college. Richard Twumasi and Shapira Troutman, recipients of the John and Evelyn Griffin Scholarship Award, were selected for their tremendous dedication and desire to further their education. Overall, the evening was a huge success and after 21 years of support from the Lifeline Committee, the dinner has raised more than $10.5 million on behalf of CHNY.
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