When Deo first came to Covenant House Illinois in April 2023, he was not looking for much. A friend had told him about the drop-in center, and after losing his apartment, he needed a place to land. Originally from Harvey, he had been moving between the south suburbs and the city for years, trying to figure out his next step. He started in CHIL's drop-in center, then moved into our Interim Housing Program in June 2023. By June 2024, he was selected to transition into Rights of

J arrived in Chicago with no safety net. He came from North Carolina looking for opportunity, but also looking for direction. By the time he was 17, he had lost both of his parents. What followed was a long stretch of asking himself what kind of life he wanted to build and where he might be able to start fresh. Chicago felt like a place where something exciting could happen. After calling a few shelters, J learned about Covenant House, first hearing about the site in Detroit

Will, 22, has spent his life on the west side of Chicago near Austin. Last fall, he found himself in a period of uncertainty, unsure of what his next steps would look like. A friend told him about Covenant House Illinois, and although he felt hesitant, he decided to stop by the drop-in center. "It was overwhelming being here at first," recalls Will. "Everyone was dealing with their own situations, and I didn't know where I fit in." Over time, however, he learned to take thing

Vono started coming to the CHIL Drop-In Center (YDC) in July 2024 and moved into our interim housing program in September 2024. In July...