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https://www.covenanthousetoronto.ca/homeless-youth/Home.aspx

https://www.covenanthousetoronto.ca/homeless-youth/Page/Files/2316_2017%20Digital%20Impact%20Report%20FINAL.pdf

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How Efficiently Do They Spend Their Money?

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How Efficiently Do They Spend Their Money?

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According to the CRA, the Covenant House makes most of their money from donations and government funding. 73% ($20.88 million) of their revenue comes from donations made by people and do not rely on government support as a primary source of income. The government makes up 13% ($3.72 million) of the charity's revenue. The Covenant House as an annual income of $28,537,761 but where do they spend this money? 66% ($16.33 million) of their revenue goes towards their programs such as crisis care, mentorship, and more. They also spend this money to create more rooms and to purchase various things for the homeless youth such as beds, and clean clothes. 6% ($1.55 million) is used to pay the management and administration of the charity who are key to making sure the charity achieves its goals. A large sum of their revenue equivalent to 27% ($6.68 million) is used for the charity's fundraising activities such as school presentations, radio and television advertisements and more. In total their expenses are $24,593,911 which means they didn't spend all of their money and can put the extra towards new projects they may have in the future. Overall, the Covenant House spends their money very efficiently and a very large portion of their revenue goes towards helping more people who need the help.

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I believe that the Covenant House does a very good job at meeting and serving its client needs. With the completion of the final year of the progressive, five-year strategic plan, the Covenant House has met and, in many areas, exceeded their goals to provide more opportunities for youth. Housing, education, and employment have been the key priorities along with enhancing services for the most vulnerable (which are youth with mental health issues, LGBTQ+, and victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking). Housing is key to long-term stability and success. Covenant House has worked diligently and creatively to provide our youth with more affordable, transitional housing options, particularly in the face of high rental costs in Toronto. This past year, there was more than a 40 percent increase in youth housed through the rent-reduced community apartment program, which provides a more independent living experience with ongoing support. Efforts to enhance services for young female victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking gained significant momentum last year as the charity moved forward with the implementation of their Urban Response Model, which is a comprehensive anti-sex trafficking plan. The model includes initiatives ranging from prevention, early intervention and enhanced victim services to research, evaluation and knowledge sharing. They also opened The Rogers Home last fall, which is their specialized housing program for victims of sex trafficking; it is a key component of the $10-million, five-year plan. They also offered prevention presentations in GTA schools and began providing training for relevant industries such as hotels. Many of the youth who seek help from the charity have not completed high school. Some of the young people who are over 21, beyond the age for high school, need more credits to pursue post-secondary education or job skills training programs. The Covenant House has continued to address these challenges by providing more training opportunities and services, particularly specialized on-site programs that can increase youth participation and success. Last year, the charity established an on-site adult education program, in partnership with the Toronto Catholic District School Board, for youth 21 and over. They also continued to partner with Y.E.S. (stands for Youth Employment Services) to provide more on-site employment support and they secured federal funding to continue the culinary arts job training program that sees 70 percent of participants finding jobs or going back to school.

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The Covenant House benefits the community by creating a safe place for youth who are looking to seek shelter or get help. They provide resources for homeless youth. They create a sense of community within the group home, and help youth turn their life around so they can be productive citizens of society. This charity allows struggling youth to have a safe and nurturing environment so that they can learn and grow. All in all the charity benefits the community by being a place where youth can reach out to and receive some aid for their situation. The Covenant House helps young people seeking aid to quickly get back on their feet and develop into working members of our society and community of Toronto through their programs.

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The Covenant House provides a number of different programs to those in need. These programs include:

PREVENTION
In-school Prevention and Awareness Presentations on Youth Homelessness and Sex Trafficking.

SUPPORT & M E N T O R S H I P
Drop-in Services
1,640 youth participated
Support for Youth with Mental Health and Addiction Issues264 youth bene ted from specialized counseling
Programs for Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking
81 victims supported
Family Reconnection
185 youth reunited/ reconnected with families
Mentorship Program
51 youth matched with mentors
Pastoral Services
For youth of all faiths

CRISIS CARE
Food, Shelter, Clothing, On-site Health Care.

INDEPENDENCE
Community Apartments
On-site Transitional Residence
Housing Assistance
Practical Life Skills Workshops
Culinary Arts Job Training
On-site Education Program
Customized Care for Youth in the Community
Aftercare – Ongoing Support

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Covenant House relies on a multitude of volunteers from all kinds of backgrounds every year. These volunteers have life-enriching experiences knowing that they are making a tangible difference in the lives of homeless youth.

Their volunteers support them with diverse jobs that range from computer networking and database entry to helping them ask for change at the annual transit coin drive. Their volunteer support means they can utilize their paid resources where it benefits youth the most. Whether you are stuffing envelopes or building a contact list as a volunteer, you are all part of the same effort that achieves amazing outcomes for youth.

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The Covenant House has a “Sleep Out” program that helps raise money for youth. Students, Grades 6 to 12, supervised by a teacher, spend time after school in their school gym, library, parking lot or other approved space, to learn more about the unfortunate situation of homeless youth and raise funds to help.

They also partner with many schools to raise money; such as bake sales, pizza lunch, etc…

The Covenant House had many receipted donations totaling to $19,687,736 (69%), Non-receipted donations totaling to $1,207,722 (4%), Gifts from other charities totaling to $3,022,098 (11%), Government funding totaling to $3,728,085 (13%), and other forms of revenue totaling to $892,120 (3%).

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Their immediate services include basic human needs such as food, water, shelter, and clothing.

They also help youth who are trying to get off of the street; who are scared and mistrustful by providing them with safety.

Street life is unstable and unpredictable.The Covenant House provides structure and a reasonable set of expectations to give youth a chance to focus on their future.

Since 1982, The Covenant House has gone out of their way to help youth; so that they can have a bright future. They fulfill needs such as: finding a job, healthcare, education, and long-term residency.

Their doors are open 24/7 to desperate kids who need help from every part of Canada and every background. Much more than just a place to stay, they offer the widest range of services under one roof to give youth opportunity and hope. The main programs they have are: Outreach, Crisis Care and Rights of Passage (our longer-term housing). They also provide other support services to educate, mentor, heal and inspire young people, including those who are not staying with the charity but need extra support. Other support service includes: Education, Health Care, Employment Assistance, Community Support, Runaway Prevention, Life Skills, and Pastoral Support.

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Almost 300 children and youth benefit from the services of the Covenant House everyday.

Since 1982, the Covenant House has given hope to more than 90,000 people who now have a better and brighter future.

The Covenant House serves suffering children who are living on the streets, and treats them with love and respect.

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The Covenant House location in Toronto was opened in 1982 by Cardinal Carter after he found kids sleeping outside of his office building.

It is the second established location of the globally recognized Covenant House charity.

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To lead change that challenges at-risk, homeless and trafficked youth to pursue a life of opportunity.

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20 Gerrard St. E.,
Toronto, ON M5B 2P3
Phone: (416) 598-4898 |
Toll Free: 1-800-435-7308
Fax: (416) 204-7030
Email: general@covenanthouse.ca

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By Ilia Shareghi Ghahreman