In and out of group homes

Learn about the Parish Campaign

Parish Campaign Progress

$12,212,843

of $13,800,000

89%

of goal

At the age of 12, Zara suddenly lost her mother to cancer. The loss put a tremendous burden on Zara, as her father traveled for work regularly. She was left to care for herself and her younger sister who had a learning disability. Her father eventually remarried, but Zara did not get along with her stepmother. The increasingly heated conflict ended with Zara landing in and out of group homes before finally being referred to Covenant House.

Zara was initially nervous about her new surroundings. She had trouble eating and was visibly uncomfortable in the common space. It took a long time for her to open up to staff and others.

She worked hard on her goals

She spent a year in Covenant House’s transitional housing program, where staff worked with her one-on-one and helped her find an apartment. Zara quickly bloomed. She worked hard on her goals and always asked for help when she needed it. She wanted to succeed.

She achieved many beautiful milestones: she became more comfortable with herself, made friends, graduated from high school, and took the first step to reconnect with her family and mend the relationship with her stepmother.

Now happily living on her own, Zara is looking forward to her next goal: she is headed to college and will begin her studies to become a Child and Youth Worker.

Photo: A young woman client at Rosalie Hall