Covenant House Newsroom

In late July, as the COVID-19 pandemic reached new heights in Mexico, the children and youth of our Casa Alianza Mexico residential program boarded buses at their respective locations and set off for our brand-new campus and purpose-built facility—their new home. We founded Casa Alianza Mexico (Covenant House Mexico) in 1988 to care for young people facing homelessness, trafficking, abuse, and exploitation. As our program grew to meet the needs of children and youth, ages 12 to 17, it spread throughout the congested city. Our dream for the past 13 years had been to bring all of our young people, staff, services, and programs together, under one roof. 

We spent years planning, then building our new facility. Then COVID-19 came and obliged us to move in a hurry—we needed the best possible facilities to confront the pandemic. So, we made a plan, informed the children and youth, and quickly set the date.

Now, our young people have experienced hurried departures before—the urgent need to leave people, places, and belongings behind without a proper farewell and no looking back. We assured them this time would be different. 

The week before moving day, we planned time for closure, including time for youth to freely and safely express their feelings about moving. We created a time capsule together and recorded all the good times we’d shared in each of our buildings. The youth wrote down their wishes, dreams, and goals for their futures and that of Casa Alianza Mexico, and placed them into the capsule, which we’ll open on New Year’s Eve.

By the time moving day arrived, the young people had packed their things into suitcases, plastic bags, and any receptacle they could find. They had sorted through their belongings, selecting those that were most meaningful to them, made them feel at home, and were worth squeezing into a bag. 

Then it was a short but emotional ride to the new campus. The young people said they felt both jitters and joy, but also the certainty that a wonderful place, full of light and security, awaited them at the end of the trip.

“I had such mixed emotions,” said José, a resident. “Most of us were really happy, but, at the same time, we were so anxious to get to our new home.”

And then we arrived. As the children piled off the buses, masks in place and temperatures taken to guard against the still-lumbering pandemic, they got their first glimpse of the innovative new campus and some of its many unique features, including:

• A garden, where our youth can learn to plant, care for, and harvest vegetables and herbs.
• Water catchment system, solar panels, and green space to help us preserve our environment and natural resources.
• Soccer fields and gymnasium, so our youth can develop physically.
• Classrooms, where children can build their knowledge base and we can support their education.
• Ecumenical space, where the children can dedicate time to nurturing their spirituality.
• Auditorium, for cultural and recreational events.
• Center for medical and mental health care, where every boy or girl can receive specialized attention.
• And a warm and welcoming residence for a total of 192 boys and girls, where they can create smiles, paint dreams, nourish hopes, and transform their lives.

“This new home has the best conditions for developing our youth-centered activities. As a member of the staff, I feel very fortunate to be part of this program and to contribute to our residents achieving their goals,” said Daniela, a youth advisor.

 “I feel like I’m beginning a new adventure here,” said Alfonso, a resident. “I can still see all the friends and staff I used to live with. But there’s so much space here, and a beautiful courtyard in the center. It’s just an opportunity for me, for all of us, to begin a new story.”

Since that day, we’ve settled into a daily rhythm at our beautiful new home. It seems almost normal, except for the continuing demands for precautions the COVID-19 pandemic still imposes on us. But even if the pandemic restricts us, it also has taught us important lessons about discipline and engagement. 

Most of all, it has reinforced our commitment to our mission of unconditional love, absolute respect, and unending support for our resilient youth.