On November 20, a group of 40+ local business and community leaders slept in a city alley, to raise funds and awareness for youth homelessness, during our annual Sleep Out event.
During the evening, we heard from youth who previously accessed Covenant House Vancouver’s services, a youth in care, and a member of our case management team.
They discussed what brings youth to our doors, their hopes and dreams, how to respond with compassion, and the value of empathy. It is a one-of-a-kind experience to better understand the work Covenant House does and the impact of the funds raised.
“If you have to take away anything from today from our individual stories is that kindness is a choice. And it can be a challenging choice sometimes, but it’s a choice that we can choose. We have the power and that a harm reduction saves lives and that compassion is the best policy and compassion means different things for everybody.” – Christine, CHV Youth Alumni
“The spectrum of youth that access, the several programs that we run are all very different. I think just off the top of my head, some have economic struggles, or have poverty. There’s a lot of discrimination, racism, homophobia, transphobia, systemic barriers. I mean can be very challenging for functioning adults. That’s something that my team of social workers are here to support the youth with — navigating all of these challenges.” – Matt Kerr, Manager of Social Work & Clinical Services.
Thanks to the efforts of the participants, and the support of the community, Sleep Out has raised $1,352,818.06 and counting!
We’d also like to thank Spire Construction for donating cement blocks for the night, our match partners, George and Sylvia Melville, and everyone who supports Sleep Out and the vulnerable youth in the community.
It’s not too late! If you would like to support Sleep Out, donations will be accepted until December 31st. You can donate here.
If you would like to get involved with Sleep Out, you can join the 2026 Sleep Out: Champions Edition in February. Join as an individual, create a team, join an existing team, or donate to the Sleep Out event.