Covenant House New York is the city’s largest privately funded youth care agency, with crisis centers and transitional living facilities open 24-hours-a-day to service youth between the ages of 18 - 21 in need. Originally founded in 1969 in Manhattan’s lower east side when six young runaways were given shelter from a snowstorm, Covenant House, over the past 30 years, has become an international organization serving more than 77,000 youth annually.

Covenant House New York (CHNY) is committed to the city’s youth in crisis. The services and programs offered provide the tools that these adolescents need to become self-sufficient adults. Through its advocacy efforts, CHNY aims to influence public policy on all levels regarding homeless and at-risk youth.

The Crisis Center is a 24-hour emergency shelter for homeless youth. Everyone is accepted on an open intake policy, and their needs of shelter, food and clothing are immediately met.

Its transitional living facility, known as Rights of Passage, offers long-term housing along with vocational training in order to assist each youth with employment, basic life skills, and an opportunity to become self-sufficient and independent.

Community resource centers were established in the ‘90s to provide vocational/educational training, along with counseling services, to youth within the community. The vocational and educational programs provide the skills needed for job placement. These resources centers are found in all five boroughs of the city.

Covenant House New York provides opportunities to become volunteers or mentors for its various programs and events. For more information on volunteering, e-mail volunteers@covenanthouseny.org or call (212) 613-0300.

A portion of the ticket sales for the StarChefs International Chefs Congress will benefit Covenant House’s residential center for at-risk youth, which offers a culinary arts training program.