How do I explain today? I didn’t wake up in the best mood, already knew that it was going to be a long day and on top of that I signed up to volunteer at the Covenant House. It was my first opportunity to volunteer with them and I didn’t want to flake and I’m so happy I didn’t. 

Not sure if you guys are familiar with the Covenant House, but before last fall I wasn't either. I was looking into organizations I could volunteer at and Google brought me to them. I reached out to them with interest in their volunteering programs and how I could get involved. I remembered having an hour long conversation with one of the representatives and immediately wanted to be a part of it. Covenant House is one of the largest organizations in America that provide care and services to the homeless, abandoned, abused, trafficked, and exploited youth populations.

They have a few volunteering opportunities, but I was most drawn to their Job Readiness program, where they focus on getting the young people ready for starting a career.  I feel like this is really important because how are you supposed to change your current situation if you don't know what the next steps are or how to get and or keep a job?

Before I fell in love with fashion, I wanted to have a shelter for teenage girls. Teenage girls that were abandoned by their families and needed a place to stay till they get back on their feet, and the girls who were expecting a child and didn’t know where to go. I chose a different route, because I remembered being asked in High School, " What job do I think I could wake up happy to go to everyday?" Back then I didn't realize that was a trick question, because as much as I like my job now, I'm never excited to get out of my bed. That one question changed my mind, because I didn't think waking up everyday trying to help people improve their situations would necessarily make me happy every day. I just thought of the negative parts of the job and not the positive, which was exactly what I experienced today.  I was ecstatic when I got there and felt like I could conquer the world when I left. The smiles on their faces and how happy they were to see people there willing to help them make it was everything! I really felt like I helped someone in so many ways today and all it took was an hour of my time.

 

If you're interested in learning more check them out @: https://www.covenanthouse.org

 

 

xoxo,

Mission Lane