Hurricane Ian Hits Covenant House in Orlando
Covenant House joins everyone across the nation in prayer and support for the tragic loss of life and unprecedented damage caused by Hurricane Ian. And we humbly thank all those who have provided support for our young people and staff at Covenant House in Orlando. Thankfully, we can currently confirm that all of our young people and staff are accounted for and safe.
Our staff is working around the clock to keep our young people safe in what is still a very dangerous situation. As of Friday afternoon, we can report that our program in Orlando is without power, and there is severe flooding in the area. But law enforcement has deemed our shelter safe for our youth to return, and our heroic hurricane team is in there right now cleaning up.
Unfortunately, the local shelters in the community that were established for this emergency (shelters where we safely evacuated our young people earlier this week) closed today and told our young people to leave. We are currently putting our young people in local hotel rooms while we clean up and prepare to welcome everyone back tomorrow morning. We are anticipating an increase in the need for food, supplies, and hygiene products that were damaged or lost in the hurricane.
At Covenant House, our commitment to our young people is provided with unconditional love, and relentless support. We are truly there 24/7, even amidst the most dangerous storms.
To support our brave young people and staff, please contribute to our emergency fund. And thank you for standing with young people experiencing homelessness and being with them in spirit through this crisis.
