1 : A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

2 : OUR YOUTH

3 : A PRAYER FOR YOU

4 : OUR STAFF

5 : YOUTH ACTIVITIES

6 : OUR VOLUNTEERS

7 : HOW CAN I HELP?

8 : OUR CONTACT INFORMATION

After more than a decade of wonderful service and leadership, Jim White has moved from Covenant House New Jersey to serve our International organization as Chief Operating Officer, and I am honored and humbled to take on the role of Executive Director in New Jersey. Despite that change, however, our commitment to serve New Jersey’s homeless adolescents continues, as does our growth in both capacity and effectiveness to do it better.

Each year, over 2000 young people still connect with our Outreach workers and come to our doors throughout North and South Jersey. As you’d imagine, an exceedingly high percentage of them have

had childhoods marked by trauma and instability. Many grew up in state foster care and were subject to multiple placements and transience. Familial dysfunction was rampant; sexual, physical, and emotional abuse commonplace; developmental delays, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems frequent; and addiction or exposure to parental substance abuse likely. Despite – and because of – these many challenges, we ask so much more of our kids than has ever been asked of them before. Within a week of leaving the streets and making the courageous step through our front door, their previously unstructured days are filled with morning meditation, medical appointments, job interviews, psychological assessments, and life skills classes. Asking more of our kids, though, is simply not enough. Each and every day, we ask so much more of our staff. We ask them to be committed. We ask that they work hard. We ask that they work smart. And, most importantly, we ask that

they work together as a community of servants – caring for our kids…and for each other.

I have also come to know that it’s our job to ask more of you…our extraordinary community of donors and volunteers who make this work possible. My humble request of you is a simple one – visit one of our sites. If you’ve visited us before, bring a friend. Maybe join us for morning meditation or when we all sit down for lunch. Allow yourself the gift of meeting the courageous young people you support and the inspiring community of staff who care for them.

To schedule a visit, please call 973-286-3401.

Jill Rottman
Executive Director

Our Kids come in many shapes and sizes, each with their own story. Many are running from abuse, violence or gangs. Some were kicked out of their homes with their infants because no one wanted a baby in the house. Far too many aged out of foster care and showed up on our doorstep on their eighteenth birthdays. Others simply do not have any place to be and no other connections to adults who can help them.

As we trace their jouney to our front door, we almost always find a dysfunctional family at the root of their crises. Although there is no standard profile of the Covenant House kid, most, if not all, face a combination of many risk factors, including a history of childhood neglect, sexual and physical abuse, mental illness, poor physical health, poverty, drug use, low educational acheivement, involvement in street activity, and prostitution.

When I met 21-year-old Anaasa, I was surprised by her zest, which quickly brought about a certain liveliness of my own. Anaasa had lived with her mother during her adolescence, but could not continue living with her since her mother relied upon others for housing. Anaasa began to live between different homes, including brief, intermittent stays with her aunt. This is Anaasa’s third attempt to live at Covenant House. She admits to a rocky history with CHNJ, a time when drugs like marijuana and ecstasy dominated her life. However, with a warm smile on her face, Anaasa is able to remain positive as she declares this attempt “successful.” With aspirations of becoming a principal some day, she has begun making plans to achieve her goal. Anaasa wants to

attend college, become a teacher, and then continue to work her way up the ladder. When I ask her about her experiences at Covenant House, through the good and bad times, she replies “Covenant House is like no other place I’ve ever been before. Just living here, just having a home… I call Covenant House my home. People ask me where I’m headed and I say home. They call it a shelter, but I call it my home.” I ask her, “When you think of Covenant House, what comes to mind?” She responded simply and without hesitation, “a family.” Anaasa is making big changes in her new life, such as “stopping drugs and taking advantage of the opportunities CHNJ offers.” She also accredits prayer, patience, and meditation sessions with Father Dave (which she calls “so much fun” and a time when she can “talk freely”) with contributing to her constructive life changes. I ask her my last question, “Any other thoughts or random comments?” An ear-to-ear grin encompasses her face and she bursts, “I love Covenant House!” That concluded our interview.

After 9 years of hard work and dedication, Jennifer Williams continues to be a champion for the kids we serve.

When we asked Jennifer what made her decide to work for CHNJ, this was her response, “I was recently married and wanted to work until we began a family. I had been on mission trips as a high schooler (US and abroad) and my under grad was psychology--I enjoyed helping people and learning about other cultures and backgrounds. Prior to coming to CH, I had done "wrap around" services for emotionally disturbed kids for two years, and I knew I wanted to work with young adults and not smaller children. I had heard about Covenant House before and when I saw the ad in the paper I thought, "That would be a great place to work until I have kids!" Nine years and no kids later, I guess God still has work for me to do here. I've never regretted a single day.”

What inspired you to stay?
Several things – First, I consider what I do a "service", even ministry. Whether I am helping a youth or assisting a co-worker or working with a team, I try to keep a servant's attitude with whatever I do.

That helps me to stay focused on our mission and our kids, and it keeps me humble. Secondly, I believe in the mission of Covenant House and am joyed that I can work in an agency that has created a culture of love and care for these youth and each other.

Where else can you work and begin every meeting with prayer? I feel so blessed that I look forward to Monday mornings more than Friday afternoons.

And to know that there are 20 other sites internationally all doing the same work is also inspiring. To know that even though I am part of the local ‘Cov’ community, there is a greater one as well. Finally, the community of people I work with makes it inspiring to stay--there is a core group who has been here for so long who help me stay on track, challenge me, encourage me, and also are committed to living out the mission, not only with the kids but with the Covenant House community. It's also encouraging to see new faces become a part of our agency and catch the vision of what we are trying so hard to accomplish.

Can you tell me about one of the most memorable moments at CHNJ?
I was asked to be present for the birth of one of our pregnant females.

I had administered the pregnancy test to her and helped her deal with those first frightening feelings of being pregnant and had counseled her through the pregnancy. To be present for the birth itself and to see her now, 6 years later, doing well for herself is really special.

What would you like for the public to know about CHNJ?
I would like the public to know that we are a different kind of an agency, in that here, we love our kids. When I do presentations in the community and I say, "We love our kids" the reaction I get is mixed--some smiles, some head nods, some perplexed looks, like, "How can anyone love your kids?" But I share the mission and talk about the great work that we do so that, hopefully, when people hear about Covenant House or see the logo they'll remember that we have a mission of love and mercy here.

That we strive to see the divine in each youth who is Providentially brought to our doors and love them unconditionally. That's what I want people to know about Covenant House.

Jennifer currently works as the Program Development Coordinator for the Atlantic City site. Jennifer’s extraordinary work has been the leading success factor for AC’s Street Outreach Program, Program Development, and community cultivation efforts.

Some of her accomplishments include a partnership formed with the Polaris Project on human trafficking and participation in forming a community task force to address these issues. In addition, she managed to get cooperation from the local county jail to be able to assist with human trafficking issues. In the Outreach Department, Jennifer and her team, go to the Atlantic County jail every week and take part in their Prisoner Reentry program. A former CH youth is now a volunteer outreach worker and has opened a lot of doors with his connections to the community.

She currently serves on Atlantic County’s Continuum of Care Community as the Chair of the Discharge Planning Subcommittee. This committee will help to streamline services for homeless kids in the County. Finally, Jennifer enjoys working on Program Development because she says it’s a great opportunity to do internal reviews on our current programs. She enjoys looking at a process and working to make programs better. She says it gives her an opportunity to do staff training and tell people about who we are.

Softball Game 2006

Our kids were one of the few to preview to this much anticipated movie.

Angel's struggles are much like those that our young people have experienced. Thanks HBO for telling this story!

A message to our Volunteers . . .

Covenant House New Jersey Newark's volunteers are considered an invaluable and treasured resource. In our efforts to provide a continuum of services, volunteers are utilized in all aspects of our agency. Your participation and involvement can have a tremendous impact on the youth we serve. We welcome interested individuals who seek

meaningful volunteers experience and possess a willingness to share. We are happy to discuss your schedule, your interests, and your skills and talents in order to make the math that is right for you and for the young people you wish to help.

Everyday we meet extraordinary people who do extraordinary things. Among them are our volunteers. This summer a group of 50 1st and 2nd year medical students, led by Mafudia, Stephen, and Jennifer, took time to help others. Not only are their life long goals to serve others, but they demonstrated their willingness to help those in need this summer by painting our homes.

Raphael's Life House (RLH) is a transitional living program for young mothers, their babies and Rights Of Passage (ROP) is a transitional living apartment program for young men. These young people were once homeless but are now on the right path towards independence and in search of a better life for them and their young children. On August 12, 2006 the medical students from UMDNJ took over RLH to spruce it up by painting all 12

UMD Students Painting

of the residents' rooms. After much sweat and hard work, the girl's and boy's rooms looked great! Combined with the students' enthusiasm and generosity, 12 young mothers and their babies came back home that night to freshly painted house. Thank you UMDNJ for making our kids' lives a little brighter! It's friends like you who help make this a better place!

Mark Your Calendar

Candlelight Vigil

Night of Broadway Stars

Cry/Help Dinner & Silent Auction

Covenant House Invitational Golf Outing

Board Of Directors

George Rachmiel
(Chairman)
John Berger
James J. Gallagher
Nancy King
Michael X. McBride
Hope Pomerantz
Mitchell Rait
Peter Salerno
Peter Simon
Thomas J. Sykes
Paul M. Tschirhart
Elenor Tuomey
Frank Walsh
Robert J. Williams

Copyright 2004 © by Covenant House New Jersey. All rights reserved. Version 3