When Mickey arrived at Covenant House, she was shy yet determined to build a positive future for herself.
Having been through a lot at only 17 years old, Mickey was focused on her path ahead, with a plan to finish high school and pursue her dream of working in health care.
“I was in school and also working, and very stressed,” she said. “But knowing I had a safe place to sleep at night, and meals to eat, that really meant a lot.”
In Covenant House’s Rights of Passage program, our onsite transitional housing program, where Mickey was enrolled, youth learn skills that help prepare them for independent living such as cooking, laundry and budgeting. She and the other youth staying there had chores and responsibilities, like watering the plants and taking care of the community spaces like the kitchen. The program also helps youth save their own money, so they are financially prepared to move out on their own.
“Maybe if you lived at home with your parents, these are things you’d pick up naturally,” Mickey said. “But even stuff that’s as simple as doing laundry, if you don’t have a parental figure to show you, you can sometimes feel really lost.”
Mickey learned a lot from the team, which helped her build her confidence. Youth worker Marva Townsend-Joao taught her how to make simple comfort dishes like chicken noodle soup and ackee and saltfish, recipes she still prepares for herself today. She also learned the importance of being part of the community and understood that staff cared about her wellbeing.
Over time, Mickey ventured beyond the Rights of Passage space and participated in Muay Thai to build her confidence and used programs like the Employment Centre to help find work. She discovered a kindred spirit in the mentor she was paired with through the Poy Family Mentorship Program and a housing worker helped her secure the Covenant House community apartment she’s living in now. She still benefits from the support she received from the Covenant House team as well as counselling, health care, and other on-site services.
Today, Mickey has graduated nursing school and is working in her field and towards her dreams. Long-term, she’d like to become an emergency room nurse or work to support the healthcare needs of people experiencing homelessness.
“I honestly don’t know where I’d be right now if it hadn’t been for Covenant House.”