Young boy wearing blue shirt with serious look on his face.

Ethan

Ethan’s father had a violent temper and was prone to fits of rage. After his parents divorced, Ethan’s mother became depressed. His older sister was withdrawn, and his younger sister acted out aggressively.

As a teenager, Ethan took responsibility for his mother’s well-being. He worried she was suicidal, and he was afraid to leave her alone. He started to have panic attacks and had trouble focusing at school. His grades slipped and, eventually, he dropped out. Then Ethan became homeless.

Things changed the day he clipped out a newspaper ad for Covenant House. The promise of shelter, an onsite school and a job program gave him hope that he could build a promising future for himself.

He was right. At Covenant House, Ethan forged deep friendships with other youth and soaked up the unconditional love and respect from staff. He even gained experience working in security. The transitional housing program prepared him to get his own place with another Covenant House resident as he continued to work his way up in security and completed sociology courses. He also improved his relationships with both his parents and sisters.

Then one day, he saw another life-changing ad from Covenant House: a job posting for a community liaison to supervise youth from Covenant House who were now living independently in the community. The job required someone with a deep understanding of youth who had experienced difficult lives, someone with patience and respect for young people. It was the perfect position for Ethan.

I bought a suit – the first suit in my entire life. It’s like I was designed for a job like this. It feels like home.

Ethan’s proud to have come full circle and provide the kind of support he needed as a youth.