Read Lauren's Story

completion of job skills class

A young lady with a special story, Lauren has been a strong spirit among youth at Covenant House Missouri (CHMO). From living with hopelessness to now being ambitious about the future, Lauren fulfills the vision of CHMO youth achieving their full potential. 

Lauren came to Covenant House Missouri because of an unstable family situation. Continuous arguments with family caused Lauren to feel hopeless about the future. She dropped out of high school and was in a constant state of stress with her brother and sister. At the suggestion of her aunt, Lauren made the decision to try CHMO's services. It wasn't that long, however, before Lauren began to set goals and overcome her challenges. Lauren expressed, "I saw youth lives changing around me. I felt I wanted to stay."

With a support system of encouragement, Lauren quickly rose to the top. In little over a year, Lauren completed high school, started a running club for youth, acquired a job with Garden Rangers and was recently accepted into the Panera Cares internship program. More importantly, Lauren is now making the ultimate transition of independency. With $2,000 in savings, she has an apartment and is enrolled in college. It goes without saying that her ambitions have led her to be more than she imagined a year ago!

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Read Ray's Story

getting ready for work

Through the secure and stable environment of Covenant House Missouri, Ray has been able to focus on his life and the opportunities around him. With the responsibilities of education and employment, each day Ray is achieving goals that are making him confident to succeed.

Before CHMO, Ray had become a transient youth, living with different family members or on the road with his truck driving father. This way of life brought a lot of uncertainty, especially with school. He became a drop out and felt frustrated with life.

Even though he was reluctant to come to Covenant House Missouri, he quickly took initiative to complete his education. Without missing a day of class, Ray obtained his GED and is now enrolled in ACT prep courses at Washington University. His days are also spent working part-time in food service at the St. Louis Zoo.   

A highlight of his life, however, has been the dental implant of a front tooth. Upon receiving basic dental work from Cigno Dental and the Dentistry from the Heart program, Ray mentioned how not having a front tooth made him feel discouraged. His story made an impression on staff leading to a mutual agreement of an implant for volunteer service. These opportunities and others have brought forward a remarkable young man who is moving forward on his own and succeeding in life.         

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