Covenant House Newsroom

The Covenant House response to Hurricane Ida began days before the storm hit, with a simple, profound message to any young person experiencing homelessness in New Orleans:

A dangerous storm is coming; we are a safe place; we are open 24/7; and we are here for you. Find us at 611 N. Rampart Street.

With their own families and homes at risk, our staff worked around the clock, stocking up on food and water, batteries and flashlights and other supplies. When Ida struck, our staff stayed with our young people and rode out the storm together, as is the Cov way.

Tragically Hurricane Ida brought devastation to the Gulf Coast, but fortunately our Covenant House New Orleans facilities were not significantly damaged. However, the anticipated lengthy power outage in the city, and the prospect of no air conditioning, no sewer, no hot water, and no short-term refrigeration for food, made an evacuation necessary.

Thanks to an extraordinary partnership with Covenant House Texas, two busloads of anxious, tired young people and staff from New Orleans arrived in Houston on September 1st at 2 am, where they were welcomed with open arms by our staff there.

Among those walking off that bus were three children and two pregnant women, and a nurse who left her home in New Orleans to make sure she could stay with them through this traumatic experience. Another of our Covenant House New Orleans staff arrived in Houston with nothing but the shirt on his back and the team in Houston took him to Target for clothes and supplies. Two rooms in his home caved in, he got two hours of sleep the night before, but he is there with our young people because this is the Cov way.

Extra cots were set up and staff are working around the clock to ensure a safe and welcoming transition for our youth. Hurricane Ida is causing much anxiety (many of the young people going through this experience were babies during Hurricane Katrina) and so in addition to immediate physical needs, staff also arranged for ongoing emotional care.

Just as our young people were getting settled in Houston, Hurricane Ida slammed into our Covenant House programs in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. All our young people and staff are safe. There was significant flooding at our Bronx and Manhattan programs. One site in the Bronx had over a foot of water in the living room and all the furniture in that space must be replaced, and there has been flood damage at two other locations as well. But as in New Orleans and in Houston, our New York staff is rallying around our young people to make sure they are safe and secure...because this is the Cov way.

We continue to be so grateful for the support of the community during these challenging times. We hope you and your families are safe, especially those whose homes were in this storm’s path. At Covenant House we will continue to recover from Hurricane Ida. We have a long road ahead of us and many unforeseen costs incurring in New Orleans, Texas and now our New York sites. But our story of perseverance in the face of immense difficulty will continue in the days ahead, thanks to friends like you.  Stay safe and thank you so much.

To watch Covenant House Executive Director Leslie Bourne describe the situation in Houston, watch here.