Covenant House Vancouver News and Events

Night of New Beginnings Raises $85,000 for Covenant House

michelle — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:17:46 -0800

TD Waterhouse Private Investment Advice held a successful gala to benefit our "30 days for 30 nights" campaign which aims to raise $279,000 or the cost of operating our crisis shelter for the entire month of December (our busiest month). Global TV's Chris Gailus MC'd the event where an amazing silent and live auction resulted in $85,000 (or the equivalent of 9.5 days) for Covenant House.

Sincere thanks to the folks at TD Waterhouse Private Investment Advice for their hard work and for hosting such a wonderful event. Thank you also to the event's major sponsors: Birks, Diva at the Met and Marquis Wine Cellars and to everyone who supported the evening.

30 days for 30 nights campaign receives matching gift

michelle — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:41:14 -0800

Covenant House has just received an anonymous donation of $279,000 as a matching gift to support our "30 days for 30 nights" campaign.

Covenant House Vancouver's "30 days for 30 nights campaign" aims to raise enough funds ($279,000) to fully fund the operation of our crisis shelter for the month of December - our busiest month. Our 37 bed crisis shelter provides youth with a safe place to stay, 24/7 individualized, professional care, food, clothing and most importantly, hope for a better future.

A gift of $9,000 will entirely fund our shelter program for one full day and one full night.

Click here to support our 30 days for 30 nights campaign and thanks to our anonymous donor, your gift will be matched, thereby doubling the impact of your gift!

Covenant House Christmas cards available by donation

michelle — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:49:07 -0700

Covenant House has a set of 4 Christmas cards that are available at a minimum suggested donation of $5.00. Please contact the office at 604-638-GIFT (4438) if you would like to order some cards. See cards below:

Night of New Beginnings Fundraiser for Covenant House

michelle — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:20:03 -0700

TD Waterhouse Private Investment Advice is holding a gala event to benefit our 30 days for 30 nights campaign which aims to raise enough money to cover the cost of our crisis shelter for the entire month of December (our busiest month).

Global TV's Weekend News Anchor, Chris Gailus will be the Master of Ceremonies. Enjoy an amazing silent and live auction, cocktails and Hors d'oeuvres, and raffle prizes.

When: Thursday, November 27th, 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Where: Birks Vancouver - 698 West Hastings Street

For event information, please contact Shelley Holmes at 604-482-5131 or shelley.holmes@td.com.

To explore sponsorship opportunities or to donate an auction item, please contact Adil H. Chagani at 604-482-2524 or Adil.Chagani@td.com

New Radio Ad Campaign

michelle — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:31:10 -0800

Covenant House has a new radio campaign playing on CKNW (980AM) and QMFM (103.5FM).

We are very grateful to both CKNW and QMFM for their generous contributions of PSA time for this campaign.

Click to listen to the ads:

QMFM #1
QMFM #2
CKNW

Casual Day for Covenant House

michelle — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 10:18:12 -0700

WHAT'S CASUAL DAY ALL ABOUT?

Casual Day is the culmination of our ‘30 days for 30 nights' Campaign.

Our goal is to raise $279,000, the cost of running Covenant House's Crisis Shelter program during the month of December.

WHEN IS IT?

Monday, December 1st (December is our busiest month of the year!

WHAT DOES IT COST?

Your staff purchases Casual Day stickers encouraging them to "go casual for Covenant House" on December 1st. There is a minimum cost per sticker of $5.00 (corporate) and $3.00 (schools), BUT your organization may suggest a donation amount.

ARE TAX RECEIPTS ISSUED?

For donations of $20.00 or more.

WHO BENEFITS?

We provide a sanctuary from the street for homeless youth between the ages of 16-22. While staying at the Crisis Shelter, our youth are provided with 24-hour care, food, clothing, shelter, one-to-one counseling and life-skills coaching; everything that is need to begin the process of healing from the severity of life on the street.

WHAT DOES COVENANT HOUSE DO?

Covenant House Vancouver is comprised of a residential crisis shelter, outreach, a drop in centre and a transitional living program. In our last fiscal year we assisted 1969 young people.

WHAT DOES IT COST TO RUN COVENANT HOUSE?

$9,000 per day - to operate Covenant House's Shelter Program at maximum capacity.

HOW IS COVENANT HOUSE FUNDED?

We are almost entirely privately funded by our private donors. 85-90% of our operating costs are dependent on individual and corporate supporters within the community.

Click here for participant information:

Homelessness Action Week - October 12 - 19, 2008

michelle — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:57:01 -0700

There are many events planned for the week of October 12 - 19, Homelessness Action Week. Covenant House will be at the Homeless Connect event Friday October 17, at Belkin House, 555 Homer Street, 10:00 - 3:00 p.m. A vareity of direct services to homeless people will be provided including:

* Haircuts
* Footbaths
* Pro bono legal services
* Acupuncture and complimentary medicine for addiction, stress, etc.
* Income Assistance application intake
* Youth, aboriginal, mental health outreach workers
* Street nurses (HIV testing, outreach style nursing treatments)
* Employment training programs (Bladerunners)
* Outreach staff to connect people to shelters
* Help with old age pension
* WISH Mobile Access Van to provide a safe place for women
* Info on how to deal with bedbugs
* Music
* Food
* Hygiene kits
* Clothing (socks, rain ponchos, shoes, coats, pants, sweaters)
* And more!

For more information contact Celine Mauboules 604.871.6848 or email celine.mauboules@vancouver.ca

To learn more about Homelessness Action Week, visit www.stophomelessness.ca

Covenant House Wins Board of Trade Spirit of Vancouver Award

michelle — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:02:36 -0700

Covenant House is proud to have won the Vancouver Board of Trade's Spirit of Vancouver Award luncheon on Thursday, September 25 at the Pan Pacific Vancouver. Individuals, companies, and community organizations were nominated for awards in six categories, as well as special awards Police Officer and Firefighter of the Year.

Covenant House gives parenting advice on CKNW's The Christy Clark Show

michelle — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:37:59 -0700

When, if ever, is it alright to read your teen's diary?

What should you do if you suspect your teen is abusing drugs?

If you are struggling with parenting a teenager or just want some advice on how to face the day to day challenges of raising teenagers, catch CKNW's The Christy Clark Show. Every month, Covenant House Vancouver's crisis shelter manager Paul McClelland provides on-air advice and answers your questions about the teenage years.

Podcasts are available for one week after a show airs. Click here to catch October 15th's show.

If you would like to be notified in advance of when Paul will be on The Christy Clark show, please call: 604-639-8936.

Covenant House nominated for 2008 Spirit of Vancouver Award

michelle — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:51:53 -0700

Covenant House is proud to have been nominated by the Vancouver Board of Trade for a Spirit of Vancouver Award in the community organization cateogry.

Winners will be announced on September 25th.

Thank you BCAB

michelle — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:46:49 -0700

Our sincerest thanks go the BCAB (British Columbia Association of Broadcasters) for their support of Covenant House through the Humanity Award. Television and radio stations across British Columbia donated $3M in advertising from July 07 - June 08.

Covenant House benefited from this campaign with increased donations and public support of our shelter expansion project and we are so grateful to the BCAB for their support.

Men's new underwear, jeans and running shoes needed

michelle — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:14:59 -0700

For those of you who like to donate clothing, please consider donating new men's underwear (s-m-l-xl). We also need men's running shoes sizes 11 and up as well as men's jeans (new or gently used) size 36.

We also are in need of clean pillows and blankets.

Our front desk is open 24 hours/day so dropping items off any time day or night is possible. Many thanks!

Covenant House opens 15 extra beds

michelle — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:48:47 -0700

Covenant House is thrilled to report that we have opened the first 15 extra beds (for a total of 32) of our shelter expansion. Due to overwhelming need, we turned 400 young people away during each of the last two years and we have been working to expand our shelter services for the past 18 months.

In addition to the support of over 50,000 individuals, Covenant House is grateful to the Province of British Columbia, Service Canada and VANOC for their one-time support of our shelter expansion.

We opened the extra beds in renovated space at our Pender Street building on June 2 and were full by the end of the first week, underscoring the tremendous need these extra beds are filling for Vancouver's street youth.

Covenant House to Expand Shelter

reyebrow_cov — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800

The demand for shelter and service for homeless youth has doubled at Covenant House since 2005. During the last two years over 400 young people (as many as were served) were turned away from the shelter more than 2,100 times due to overwhelming need. In order to reverse this distressing trend, Covenant House asked the Provincial Government for seed money which is allowing us to expand our shelter from 22 to 54 beds over the next year thereby providing an additional 400 young people the chance for a better life each and every year

On April 14, 2008, Premier Gordon Campbell announced The Provincial Government’s one-time gift of $4,750,000 towards our expansion project; VANOC is contributing $250,000 for a total of $5,000,000. This generous support will allow us to open an additional 32 beds, the first 15 of which will be opened by June 2008. Covenant House applauds the Province for the commitment they are showing to the issue of homelessness and the progress they are making.

In addition, the support of our more than 50,000 donors will allow us to continue keeping up with the increased demand and will enable us to continue delivering specialized care that ultimately prevents these vulnerable young people from becoming part of the street-entrenched adult population.

Click here to read the Provincial Government's press release.

Covenant House Goes to Victoria

reyebrow_cov — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Covenant House is planning to expand our shelter so that we never have to turn away a young person due to a lack of space. Last year, due to overwhelming need, we were forced to send 424 young people (more than we served) back to the streets.

We currently have a $5M funding proposal before the Provincial Government for seed funding (we will need the public's help to fund the shelter once the seed money runs out) that will allow us to provide shelter to an additional 400 youth each year. In order to underscore Covenant House’s successful track record of service to young people, we met with the Minister for Children and Families, Tom Christensen, in Victoria and introduced him to Sheldon Vance.

Tying in with our 10th anniversary, we welcomed Sheldon back to Covenant House, where 10 years ago, he stayed when his life had taken a turn for the worse. Sheldon was one of the very first youth to access our shelter when we opened and credits us for helping him turn his life around. In addition to meeting with Minister Christensen, Sheldon and Covenant House executive director, Krista Thompson also met briefly with Premier Gordon Campbell (pictured right) As visitors in the House, we received a warm welcome from Minister Christensen.

Minister Christensen’s introduction:

Many members of the House will be very familiar with the good work done at Covenant House in Vancouver. In fact, Covenant House opened its doors in Vancouver ten years ago tomorrow. Since that time, more than 10,000 street youth have been helped off the street by the folks at Covenant House.

Today we are joined by three guests from Covenant House. We have with us the executive director Krista Thompson, and her communications and media relations director Michelle Clausius. They are joined by a very special guest, one of their many success stories and alumni, Sheldon Vance.

Ten years ago Sheldon was having a difficult time leaving the streets of Vancouver. Thanks to the good works of Covenant House, he was put on a very strong path. Today Sheldon is finishing his master's degree in child psychology. He is the director of the Okanagan Youth in Care Network and runs a program called the circle of courage at Métis Children and Family Services.

He is married and has two small children and has a continued passion for youth participation by supporting many youth-driven activities within the city of Kelowna. He is definitely making a difference to youth in his community. That is, in part, thanks to a good start at Covenant House.

Covenant House Celebrates 10th Anniversary

reyebrow_cov — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Covenant House Vancouver recently celebrated its 10th birthday and in these last 10 years, over 10,000 youth have received our help. The past 10 years have been filled with laughter, sadness, joy, successes and set-backs; relationships were created, friends lost and every up and down imaginable occurred. However, the feeling that sums up our 10 years the most for me is HOPE.

At our 10 th Anniversary party, we welcomed Sister Patricia Cruise from our international office in New York who helped us celebrate our anniversary. She was able to take part in events around Covenant House that week and many of our youth, volunteers and staff were able to meet and speak with her.

Sister Tricia spoke eloquently and surprised us when she presented Covenant House with a cheque for $10,000 to mark our 10 years of service. Krista Thompson, our executive director, was also on hand and gave an emotional speech that reminded me of the importance of our work and all that we have accomplished over the last 10 years.

Our speal guest speaker was Sheldon Vance, a young man who was one of the first youth to use our services 10 years ago. Sheldon credits Covenant House for helping him get to where he is today: married with kids, finishing his master’s degree and working in his home community of Kelowna helping youth. Sheldon’s speech brought everyone to tears and served as a poignant reminder that everyone deserves to be loved and supported.

HAPPY 10TH ANNIVERSARY COVENANT HOUSE VANCOUVER! A big thanks to all of you that made the last 10 years possible and for the opportunity to be here for young people in need.

Casual day for covenant house

reyebrow_cov — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Fact Sheet

WHAT'S CASUAL DAY ALL ABOUT?

Casual Day is the culmination of our ‘30 days for 30 nights’ Campaign. Our goal is to raise $279,000 – the cost of running Covenant House’s two core programs at maximum capacity.

WHEN IS IT?

Friday, November 30th (December is our busiest month of the year).

WHAT DOES IT COST?

Your staff purchases Casual Day stickers encouraging them to “go casual for Covenant House” on November 30th. There’s a $5.00 minimum cost per sticker BUT your company can suggest its own donation amount.

ARE TAX RECEIPTS ISSUED?

For donations of $20.00 or more.

WHO BENEFITS?

Over 500 youth in our residential crisis shelter and drop in centre. Your efforts will provide our young people with a safe haven, food, clothing, one-on-one counseling and life skills training during the holiday season.

WHAT DOES COVENANT HOUSE DO?

Covenant House Vancouver is comprised of a residential crisis shelter, outreach, a drop in centre and a transitional living program. In our last fiscal year we assisted 1836 young people.

WHAT DOES IT COST TO RUN COVENANT HOUSE?

$9,000 per day – to operate Covenant House’s two core programs at maximum capacity.

HOW IS COVENANT HOUSE FUNDED?

We are almost entirely privately funded by you, a family member or your friends – 90% of our operating budget comes from caring individuals.

Click here for participant information

Covenant House Wins British Columbia Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) Humanity Award

reyebrow_cov — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Covenant House is thrilled to have won the BCAB Humanity Award which will give us $3Million in radio and television advertising across the province for one year. Both ads are a call to action for the public's support of our plans to expand our shelter. For more information, contact Michelle Clausius, 604-639-8936.

Bring More Sarah's Inside (mp3 | 1.1MB)
Open Doors Quicktime | 4.7MB Windows Media | 5.2MB

PR Students Raise $8800 for Covenant House Vancouver

reyebrow_cov — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0800

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VANCOUVER, B.C. November 14, 2005 —Covenant House Vancouver received two welcomed donations from two very different sources.

With $8800 raised at a cocktail party and silent auction for Covenant House Vancouver at Ginger 62 last week, the Mending Broken Wings event was a huge success. The event was organized by Kwantlen University College ’s graduating public relations students.

During the event, Catherine Douglas, Manager of RBC presented a cheque of $50,000 to Covenant House Vancouver in support of its Learning for Immediate and Future Enrichment (LIFE) program. LIFE is a modular program with three key focuses: drug and alcohol education and relapse prevention; pre-employment and job maintenance; and essential life skills.

“The people at Covenant House put the kids first,” said Mayor Larry Campbell who spoke at the event. “Those kids know they are valued.”

Members of the Vancouver Police Department and spoke on the important role Covenant House plays in helping youth get off the streets of Vancouver. Deputy Chief Constable Bob Rich, Sergeant in Charge of the Youth Services Unit Mario Giardini, Lindsey Houghton Detective who works in the VPD’s High Risk Youth Car Y20 and Karen Zilke, a first responder social worker also from Y20 added their support.

“After attending over 25 elementary schools and many more foster homes,” said Sarah Watson, recent “graduate” of Covenant House Vancouver, “my 2 years at Covenant House was the longest I had spent anywhere that resembled a home.” Guests were brought to tears as they listened to Sarah Watson‘s heart-filled story of her journey to Covenant House Vancouver.

Mending Broken Wings was sponsored by Taylor Jordan Chafetz Barristers & Solicitors, Starbucks, Printplicity, University of British Columbia, Kwantlen University College, The Vancouver Giants, Ginger 62, BC Hydro, and Metaphor Communications.

-30-

Media contact:

Dhiren Mahiban, Cell: 778-238-0956
mendingbrokenwings@gmail.com

www.covenanthousebc.org

Catherine Douglas, Manager of RBC presented a cheque of $50,000 to Covenant House Vancouver in support of its Learning for Immediate and Future Enrichment (LIFE) program

Covenant house launches 30 days for 30 nights 2005

reyebrow_cov — Wed, 19 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700

October 19, 2005 (VANCOUVER, BC). Covenant House Vancouver launched its $270,000 “30 days for 30 nights” campaign to fund its two residential programs for the first 30 days of December - the organization’s busiest month. December 31st has been committed by Covenant House staff. Lead by Campaign Chair Benz Gillani (TD Waterhouse) and Honourary Co-Chair Coleen Christie, (CTV News @ 5:00 Anchor), the campaign utilizes the following leadership volunteers:

Andrew Rae (iCo Therapeutics Inc.)

Jill Leversage (TD Securities)

Kingsley Noel (Synergy Properties)

Jim Grey (former CEO, Radiant Communications)

Covenant House’s 24 hours crisis shelter welcomes young people aged 16 - 22 on a first-come first-served basis and provides food, clothing, and counselling to 22 young people every night. The Rights of Passage program (ROP) is a 6 - 24 month transitional living program that provides 44 young people with supported living as they solidify their exit from street involvement. Together, over a course of a month, these shelters provide over 100 youth with a safe place to live.

Covenant House also announced details of its inaugural “Casual for Covenant House” day aimed to get schools and businesses dressing casual on a Thursday (December 1st) rather than the traditional Friday for a minimum $2.00 donation.

The event kick-off/fundraiser, held at sugarandsugar, raised $9,000 or the equivalent of one day and night at the two shelter programs.

5th Annual Pro Organics foundation Golf classic Raises $46,550 for Covenant House

reyebrow_cov — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700

August 15th 2005, Burnaby, BC: The 5th Annual Pro Organics Foundation Golf Classic was a tremendous success, thanks to the generous support of sponsors and participants!

On Tuesday, August 9th, 156 enthusiastic golfers from Canada and the US played where the pros play -- at Surrey’s Northview Golf and Country Club Ridge Course, former site of the PGA Tour’s Air Canada Championship. For the 5th year in a row, golfers were greeted with blue skies and blazing sun – the perfect setting for a day of golfing to raise funds for Covenant House Vancouver. Craig Nielsen - CTV sportscaster and MC for the evening’s events, joined other major sponsors and organic sector businesses to golf in support of this valuable cause.

Covenant House Vancouver offers a clear exit from life on the street to youth aged 13 - 24. This is made possible through a carefully designed continuum of care including a daily drop-in, a 22 bed crisis shelter, transitional housing, and life-skills training.

Each day young people come to Covenant House damaged from the abuses of their past, desperately needing love and guidance. Over the next year more than 1,400 homeless young people will come to Covenant House Vancouver and take the first steps in creating a better life for themselves.

Good food is so important to these youth as many are malnourished and have compromised health systems as a result of their time spent living on the streets. This donation will help to create over 30,000 meals over the coming year and will give these young people the strength and energy they need to reclaim the lives they deserve.

Steve Boyle, Director of the Pro Organics Foundation, proudly presented the cheque to Sandy Cooke, Executive Director of Covenant House Vancouver. “The Pro Organics Foundation is gratified to have the support of so many individuals and corporations for this important cause. Every contribution, large and small, is an integral part of the success of this event and makes our support of Covenant House Vancouver possible”, said Steve.

The Pro Organics Foundation was created by Pro Organics as a vehicle to connect the organic industry with the communities and citizens that support it. The primary goals of the foundation are to make fresh organic foods accessible and available to people who are ill and/or have special needs, and to promote healthy lifestyle habits to communities and local schools. Since its inception in 1997, the foundation has donated close to $250,000 to numerous causes.

For more information, please contact:

Tracy Susheski – Marketing, Pro Organics

Tel: (604) 253-6549 ext #164; 1-800-461-1122; Fax: (604) 253-0439

email: tsusheski@proorganics.com

Steve and Debra Boyle present cheque to Executive Director Sandy Cooke.

RBC Clothing drive for Covenant House

reyebrow_cov — Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

(From left to right) Reiner Dy, Jim Payn, Gina Sahota,Andrea Vinet, Martin Szpyra, Bob Morehouse, Jeff Starchuk represented the thirteen RBC Royal Bank branches that took part in the “Deposit Warmth” Clothing drive for Covenant House Vancouver.

Over 600 pounds of business and casual clothing were donated by RBC staff and clients.

Sandy Cooke , Executive Director of Covenant House Vancouver, said “Having appropriate clothing helps our young people blend back into the community and increases their chances of finding and keeping employment.

RBC Financial’s commitment to help young people in need transcends all levels of the organization from individual donations, organized drives like this one and significant corporate support. They truly are a corporation that cares about the communities in which they do business and we are honoured to have their support.”

Thank You!

Immortalize yourself in a mural

reyebrow_cov — Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

A fabulous opportunity to support Covenant House and be immortalized has presented itself. For just $100, artist Teresa Waclawick will paint a likeness of you as part of a large mural she is painting on a wall at Cambie and 18 th in Vancouver. (City of Vancouver approved). Widely known for her murals, Teresa also paints cards, banners, and was one of the “Orcas in the City” artists.

Those looking for artistic immortality will sit for 10 minutes to have their caricature done, then Teresa will take a copy to reference when she paints the mural. Participants will receive the caricature, a tax receipt for $50, and a photo of the completed mural.

If you are interested in this fun opportunity to support Covenant House, please contact Michelle Clausius @ 604-685-5437 ext. 36 or clausius@covenanthousebc.org.

Teresa's "Orca in the City"

Casual day for covenant house - a letter from CTV's Coleen Christie

reyebrow_cov — Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0800

Download the Casual Day Poster in PDF

Dear Friend of Covenant House,

As the anchor of CTV News at 5, it is a privilege to be invited into the living rooms of people throughout the Lower Mainland, providing vital, engaging, and original news coverage. I am equally proud to be a citizen of Vancouver , a city filled with caring and considerate people; I am always amazed by the generosity and the kindness that is reflected in our community.

Over the last few years, I have been a supporter of Covenant House Vancouver, a local agency that provides help and hope to hundreds of homeless and at-risk youth living in our city’s streets. As such, I am honoured to be writing to you as the Chair of the 30 days for 30 nights campaign for Covenant House. Our goal is to fund the operation of two Covenant House shelters for the month of December, ensuring that over 100 youth will have access to a safe place to stay, 24-hour individualized professional care, food, clothing, life-skills training and, most importantly, hope for a better future.

In support of this initiative, we will be launching a city-wide Casual Day for Covenant House on December 1 st. It is my hope that you and your colleagues will join us by purchasing a Casual Day sticker and “going casual” to show your support for Covenant House!

Please find enclosed in this package a detailed information catalogue and step by step guide about Casual Day and how to engage your workplace in participating in this event. Covenant House staff will also be available to answer any questions you may have and to provide any assistance you may need.

My involvement in this campaign has afforded me a better understanding of the issues and challenges faced by street-involved young people and the incredible courage and determination they demonstrate as they work to overcome their obstacles. Covenant House is providing life-changing assistance every day and I have been truly inspired by their commitment to our youth.

Please join me on December 1 st and help us find an answer to homelessness – one young person at a time.

Yours truly,

Coleen Christie, Anchor CTV News at 5
Honourary Chair, 30 days for 30 nights Campaign

Download the Casual Day Poster in PDF

The Crofton Manor Christmas Fair

reyebrow_cov — Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Crofton Manor Assisted Living is located in the Kerrisdale community of Vancouver and has provided warm, friendly service to seniors since 1973.

The Christmas Fair is Crofton Manor Assisted Living's most popular annual event, attended by friends, family, and neighbours. Residents participate throughout the autumn months to create, bake, and prepare a variety of craft items to be sold at the Christmas Fair. They work diligently to prepare gift boxes, candles, ornaments, salsa, cookies, rum balls, and much more to the immense delight of family, friends, and community visitors!

The proceeds from the Fair are donated to a charity selected by the residents themselves at the monthly Resident Council meetings. Last Christmas, the Crofton Manor Christmas Fair raised $2,600 to support the youth of Covenant House Vancouver, enabling us to provide food, shelter, clothing, counseling, and life skills training to one youth for an entire 8 months! Betty Duthie, Chair of the Crofton Manor Assisted Living Resident Council, explained the decision to donate the proceeds to Covenant House. "We know you people are doing good work. You are working hard to help those children."

The entire Covenant House family thanks everyone at Crofton Manor Assisted Living for their tremendous generosity and inspiring efforts! Thank you all for celebrating the spirit of Christmas with our young people. We will always be grateful for your kindness.

An Angel in Steveston

reyebrow_cov — Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0800

In the historic fishing village of Steveston , an angel quietly goes about her day. She is a wonderful daughter and sister to her family, an excellent high school student, a caring and loyal friend, and an active fundraiser for Covenant House Vancouver. In a time when the most newsworthy headline is often the most tragic or the most disturbing, Emily Robertson's remarkable example of compassion, consideration, and contribution has made a lasting impression on the community she has generously reached out to help.

When Emily heard about Covenant House's matching gift program, she endeavoured to raise $1,000 on her own, knowing every dollar would be doubled by an anonymous donor. Emily started her own bottle collection program enlisting the help of the Steveston community. The Steveston Bottle Depot even opened a special account for Emily's bottle drive, and asked customers to consider donating 10% from their own bottle returns to support Emily and Covenant House.

Most recently, the Steveston Rotary Club sponsored a booth for Emily at the Steveston Fishboat Festival. To date, Emily has raised over $1000, including matching funds, for Covenant House.and she's not finished! Emily will continue the bottle drive for the rest of the school year and, along with matching gifts, hopes to reach a final total of $2,000!

Quote from Emily:
"Personally, I don't think anybody should have to go through what these youth have experienced. I'm so blessed with such a good life but I know I'm one of the lucky ones. Covenant House needs money to give kids a good bed and food and another chance. I'm just trying to do what I can to make that happen."

For more information about Emily's bottle drive program, please contact Elaine Lui at 604-685-5437 ext. 30.

ROP Idol

reyebrow_cov — Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0800

10 Minutes with the Rights of Passage (ROP) Idol

This past July, 12 Covenant House youth competed for the right to become the first ever ROP Idol. Held before a capacity audience of staff, guests, and residents, the contest showcased a wide range of performances including singers, dancers, beatboxers, rappers, poets, comediennes, and guitar players. A panel of judges - including our very own "Simon Cowell" - was assigned the arduous task of critiquing each routine and selecting the eventual winner.

Among the talented stars-to-be.the Idol emerged. Her name is Sarah W. and the Good Samaritan Newsletter had the exclusive opportunity to get up close and personal with the comedienne and find out just how she's handling her newfound celebrity.

GSN: Thank you, Sarah, for giving us this exclusive. We understand we were selected over People Magazine and Newsweek and we really appreciate this opportunity.
SW: Hey, you can't turn your back on your roots.

GSN: So did you always know you'd be famous?
SW: It came so suddenly. One day I was just a resident at Rights of Passage. The next I'm the Idol. It's crazy!

GSN: What's the downside of fame?
SW: All the autographs I have to sign.

GSN: What's the most amazing fan experience you've ever had?
SW: When people jumped up on stage with me after I won. That was a lot of fun.

GSN: What do you want your fans to know about you?
SW: It doesn't take much to be famous!

GSN: What's your inspiration? How did you get to this point in your career?
SW: Comedy is how I've gotten through the hard times in my life. I've been through horrible things and I find humour in the darkest situations. It's how I've coped and I've channeled it in to a place where I can deal with it.

GSN: Who is your comedy idol?
SW: Definitely Chris Rock. It's intelligent comedy, humour with a message.

GSN: So what's next Sarah? What do you have planned?
SW: I'd like to go on tour and I'm currently negotiating my own tv series based on my life.

GSN: Who has been behind your success?
SW: Everyone at ROP, the staff and youth who put on the show. Otherwise I'd never have gotten discovered.

GSN: So you've realized your first dream. What's the next one?
SW: I'd like to give back to the community. That would be cool.

And with that, she disappeared in a cloud of stardust: a new comedic legend on the rise.

On behalf of everyone at Covenant House we congratulate Sarah and all the ROP Idol competitors for a most memorable evening with the stars!

Gearing up for Christmas

reyebrow_cov — Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0800

As we enter the fun-filled festive holiday season, many of us wonder what we can do to give the youth who come to Covenant House as Merry Christmas.

The following is a list of the much-needed items we need for our Shelter, our transitional living program, and our drop-in centre:

Backpacks
Underwear
Raincoats
Socks
Gloves
(Sweaters) Hoodies only - men & women
Rubber boots/runners - sizes 10 & up only
(Female hygiene products) Tampons with applicators only
(Warm coats) Men's coats only
Men's jeans
Women's dress shirts/blouses only
Deodorant
Hair Gel
Lip Balm/Blistex
Shaving Cream

Xmas present donations in past years.

Volunteers launch "30 days for 30 nights"

reyebrow_cov — Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0800

Covenant House volunteers come in all shapes and sizes and do many things to help carry out our mission, from greeting youth at our reception desk and serving warm meals to sorting clothing for our clothing room or making thank you phone calls to donors.

This fall season, a special group of volunteers have gotten together to do something very big for Covenant House - raise $258,000!

Led by Andrew Rae, Geoffrey Ballard, Jill Leversage and Kingsley Noel, the goal of the "30 days for 30 nights" campaign is to fund the operation of both our Crisis Shelter and Rights of Passage facilities for an entire month.

This amazing team has given themselves a deadline of November 30th to reach their goal.and the clock is ticking! They are out in full force asking their friends, colleagues and business contacts to each consider sponsoring one day in the year.

Covenant House staff, board members, and volunteers appreciate the time and energy our campaign team is devoting to helping our youth.

We are behind you all the way! "Go Team Go"!

Sponsoring a day for $8,600 provides 50 youth with a safe place to stay, food, clothing, 24-hour individualized professional support and life-skills training.
Sponsoring a day for $172 provides one youth with a safe place to stay, food, clothing, 24-hour individualized professional support and life-skills training.

*For more information on how you can sponsor a day at Covenant House please contact Justine at 604-685-5437 ext. 40

Covenant House wins CKWX News1130 Spirit Award

reyebrow_cov — Thu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 -0800

CKWX News1130's commitment to the community continues with the News1130 Spirit program. This initiative provides Lower Mainland not-for-profit organizations with an opportunity to raise awareness and target supporters. Recipients receive a 1-month advertising campaign on News1130 worth $25,000 . Listen to CKWX News1130 for the month of December to hear Covenant House's ads.

Thank you to CKWX News1130 for your support this Christmas season!

Covenant House Vancouver News and Events

Night of New Beginnings Raises $85,000 for Covenant House

30 days for 30 nights campaign receives matching gift

Covenant House Christmas cards available by donation

Night of New Beginnings Fundraiser for Covenant House

When: Thursday, November 27th, 5:00 - 8:00 pm Where: Birks Vancouver - 698 West Hastings Street

New Radio Ad Campaign

Casual Day for Covenant House

WHAT'S CASUAL DAY ALL ABOUT?

WHEN IS IT? Monday, December 1st (December is our busiest month of the year!

WHAT DOES IT COST?

ARE TAX RECEIPTS ISSUED?

WHO BENEFITS?

WHAT DOES COVENANT HOUSE DO?

WHAT DOES IT COST TO RUN COVENANT HOUSE?

HOW IS COVENANT HOUSE FUNDED?

Homelessness Action Week - October 12 - 19, 2008

Covenant House Wins Board of Trade Spirit of Vancouver Award

Covenant House gives parenting advice on CKNW's The Christy Clark Show

Covenant House nominated for 2008 Spirit of Vancouver Award

Thank you BCAB

Men's new underwear, jeans and running shoes needed

Covenant House opens 15 extra beds

Covenant House to Expand Shelter

Covenant House Goes to Victoria

Covenant House Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Casual day for covenant house

Fact Sheet

WHAT'S CASUAL DAY ALL ABOUT?

WHEN IS IT?

WHAT DOES IT COST?

ARE TAX RECEIPTS ISSUED?

WHO BENEFITS?

WHAT DOES COVENANT HOUSE DO?

WHAT DOES IT COST TO RUN COVENANT HOUSE?

HOW IS COVENANT HOUSE FUNDED?

Covenant House Wins British Columbia Association of Broadcasters (BCAB) Humanity Award

PR Students Raise $8800 for Covenant House Vancouver

Covenant house launches 30 days for 30 nights 2005

5th Annual Pro Organics foundation Golf classic Raises $46,550 for Covenant House

RBC Clothing drive for Covenant House

Immortalize yourself in a mural

Casual day for covenant house - a letter from CTV's Coleen Christie

The Crofton Manor Christmas Fair

An Angel in Steveston

ROP Idol

Gearing up for Christmas

Volunteers launch "30 days for 30 nights"

Covenant House wins CKWX News1130 Spirit Award

When: Thursday, November 27th, 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Where: Birks Vancouver - 698 West Hastings Street

WHEN IS IT?

Monday, December 1st (December is our busiest month of the year!