Monmouth County Residents Sleep Out For Homeless Youth

This month in Asbury Park, Covenant House supporters from across Monmouth County traded their beds for a box and sleeping bag to help raise awareness and funds for homeless youth in the Jersey Shore area.   The Sleep Out Movement is an opportunity for people to come together and make an impact on the lives of the homeless young people who live at Covenant House.  

The Asbury Park Sleep Out at Trinity Church was Covenant House’s First Community Sleep Out. The event brought together 34 individuals who jointly raised more than $44,000.  These funds will support Covenant House’s programs taking place in Asbury Park and throughout Monmouth County.

According to Covenant House: “While the Sleep Out does include taking a piece of cardboard and a sleeping bag into a parking lot or along a strip of sidewalk, the Sleep Out is not about pretending to be homeless. It’s about showing a group of kids unconditional love and absolute respect – proving that you care enough about them to be uncomfortable for one night, to be vulnerable so they can be safe.”

ShoreTV New Jersey attended the event and spoke with  Jim White/Executive Director of Covenant House New Jersey, ToniMarie DiPietro/Covenant House Event Coordinator, and Kieran Tintle/Jersey Central Power & Light Area Manager, who slept out and raised money  for this great cause. Check out our interviews!

Covenant House has been operating in New Jersey since 1989.  It is the largest provider in the state of services to homeless, at-risk, and trafficked  adolescents under 22.  In addition to food, shelter, clothing, and crisis care, Covenant House provides health care, educational and vocational services, counseling, drug abuse treatment and prevention programs, legal services, mother/child programs, transitional living programs, street outreach, and aftercare services.

For more information, check out www.covenanthousenj.org