One out of every 45 children – some 1.6 million – in the United States is homeless, according to a report released by the National Center on Family Homelessness. The majority of the children are under age 7, about the same age as my youngest children. Even more grim: almost 40% of the homeless population in the U.S. are under the age of 18.
No child deserves to live on the streets. That’s where Covenant House comes in. Last year, Covenant House served more than 56,000 homeless kids, giving them the love and support they need to find their way off of the streets. On a daily basis, Covenant House has met – and continues to meet – the basic human needs of kids who come to their door: a nourishing meal, a shower, clean clothes, medical attention, and a safe place away from the dangers of the street.
Covenant House has shelter facilities in Anchorage, Atlanta, Atlantic City, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Managua, Mexico City, Milpas Altas, Newark, New Orleans, New York, Oakland, Orlando, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Tegucigalpa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, D.C. And if the children don’t come to the shelters, Covenant House goes to them.
For homeless youth all across the U.S., Canada and Mexico – who aren’t near one of those sites and need immediate help – Covenant House also operates two toll-free crisis hotlines. Every year, NINELINE (1-800-999-9999) in the U.S. and Acercatel (01-800-110-1010) in Mexico answer and respond to crisis calls from frightened youth.
How can you help? You can make a donation; due to the generosity of another donor, your gift will be matched until December 31st. If you’d prefer to donate for a specific purpose, you can check out the gift catalog.
You can also sleep out for change. Covenant House hosts programs for students and executives to raise money and awareness for the organization. It works: the excellent Wil Reynolds of SEER Interactive in Philadelphia caught my attention this year by braving the temps and sleeping out in the cold.
A search at irs.gov (which I highly recommend any time you are considering making a donation to a charity) reveals that Covenant House is on the IRS list of charitable organizations. To find out more about the work of the organization, check out their website, follow them on twitter or like them on Facebook.
As we go along this month, I encourage you to check out the charities that made our list this year:
- 12 Days of Charitable Giving 2012: Be An Elf
- 12 Days of Charitable Giving 2012: Muttville
- 12 Days of Charitable Giving 2012: Baby Basics
- 12 Days of Charitable Giving 2012: School of Harmony
Remember that these are just suggestions and, in most cases, I can’t personally vouch for the good work that these folks do. So be generous. But be smart.
For more on making charitable donations, check out some of these prior posts:
- Nine Tips For Tax-Smart Charitable Giving
- 12 Tips for Year End Charitable Giving
- Ask the taxgirl: Charitable Contributions and Receipts
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