At Covenant House Georgia (CHGA), we are much more than a shelter. We provide more than a bed and a meal for youth experiencing homelessness and escaping trafficking; we show unconditional love and give comprehensive support so that our youth can and will realize their fullest potential.
Our youth come to us in crisis. Immediately and without question, we meet their basic human needs – a hot meal, a shower, clean clothes, a bed, medical attention, and a safe place away from the dangers of the street.
A place of refuge; a sacred space. The youth who come to us are often frightened and mistrustful. Many of them have been abused. We protect them from the perils of the street. A young person can grow only when they feel safe and secure.
Our interactions with our youth communicate our values. Teaching them how to have relationships based on acceptance and understanding, honesty and integrity, trust and respect may be something no one has ever taken the time to do. Street values of lying, cheating, and stealing may be common survival tools on the street, but they don’t belong here.
Chaos is what our youth know. A solid structure allows us to help them begin to regain control. Some of our youth don’t know where they will get their next meal or where they will sleep. We provide a regular schedule that gives them the stability they need to start building their future.
Young people often feel powerless to control their lives and fall into a self-defeating cycle of failure. Choice is about helping our youth believe in themselves and their ability to make life changing choices about who they want to be in this world.
For more than 50 years, Covenant House has grown from a single-apartment unit to an international authority on the issues surrounding youth experiencing homelessness and escaping trafficking. In that time, our mission has not changed, nor has our commitment to serving youth. What has changed is our size and scope. Spanning 5 countries and 34 cities, Covenant House provides a complete range of programs from Crisis Care to Rights of Passage and every step in between.
Covenant House Georgia is part of the larger family of Covenant House shelters. Covenant House International, headquartered in New York City, was formally incorporated in 1972. For more than fifty years, Covenant House shelters have provided absolute respect and unconditional love to young people who are experiencing homelessness and escaping trafficking.
Covenant House Georgia opened in 2000 and has since served more than 19,000 youth experiencing homeless and escaping trafficking in Atlanta.
Today, Covenant House opens doors of opportunity and hope to youth experiencing homelessness and escaping trafficking. We welcome all youth and invite them to learn how to open their own doors, hearts and futures. Our door is open to anyone regardless of race, sexuality, creed, gender, or the circumstances that have brought them to our threshold.
Covenant House is more than just a place to stay. It is a belief that we and our partners can do more than feed and clothe. We counsel, mentor, heal, advocate, inspire, and transform. Together we can create a future where no youth is forced to spend the night on the street.
