WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Ending youth homelessness is the goal of an annual event in the district where dozens of people sleep in frigid temperatures.
Thirty-one teams with more than 150 people participated in Covenant House Greater Washington’s annual Sleep Out at The Wharf.
“We dare to have the audacity to have a hope for a future. A hope where we can transform the conditions of our living together,” said Mia McClain, senior pastor at Riverside Baptist Church.
Organizers started with a moment to pause and remember the 90 people who were unhoused and died in D.C. last year.
On Thursday night, participants voluntarily slept outside.
“We sleep out so our young people don’t have to. We sleep out to raise critical funds for youth experiencing homelessness in the area that supports our efforts so that our youth can leave us and thrive,” said Angela Jones Hackley, CEO of Covenant House Greater Washington.
Covenant House Greater Washington provides not just shelter, but food, clothing and services including job training, education, healthcare, mental health counseling and legal aid.
Jeffrey Henderson, a new board member of Covenant House Greater Washington said it’s his first time participating in the sleepout.
“You get a real sense of the stress they go under. The anxiety that they face,” Henderson said.
Kurt Einwaechter, a member of the Cisco team, said it’s his 7th year participating.
“This is to kind of show solidarity, to raise awareness, to raise funds for Covenant House so they can get homeless youth off the street,” Einwaechter said.
Nora Marcus, team captain for Cisco said it’s her fourth year sleeping out.
“We’ve got a group of 14 people. Four of them are multi-time sleepers and we’re proud to have ten new sleepers. So far we’ve raised $28,000,” Marcus said.
There are close to 1,000 homeless youth across the D.C. area that they’re able to count. But there could be many more who are not on the streets or in shelters, but couch surfing, for instance.
“It’s pervasive, actually. And a lot of the youth that are on the street come from marginalized communities,” McClain said. “We have an extra high number of LGBTQIA youth who are finding themselves houseless because of certain factors in their family.”
While everyone participating can go home to their beds Friday morning they know many youth don’t have that luxury.
Covenant House’s fundraising goal this year is $500,000. As of Thursday night, they’ve raised more than $245,000.
