Covenant House Missouri Raises over $426,000 for youth experiencing homelessness during the height of the pandemic

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 20, 2020

Executives from top St. Louis companies gave up their beds in order to provide more nights of shelter for St. Louis youth

ST. LOUIS, MO –– Executives from top companies in the St. Louis region gave up their beds for the evening of November 19th as part of Covenant House Missouri’s annual fundraising and awareness event - 2020 Sleep Out: Executive Edition. For the first time in the event’s 10-year history, it was held virtually.

69 sleepers participated in the virtual event, representing companies including Northwestern Mutual, World Wide Technology, Cisco and Energizer. Their efforts raised $426,255 to date. These critical funds support emergency shelter and transitional living services that Covenant House Missouri provides to youth ages 16-24 who are experiencing homelessness.

Corporate sponsors Express Scripts and Ascension also formed teams, raising over $102,000 collectively. “At Ascension, we are honored to support organizations like Covenant House Missouri that serve vulnerable young people in the St. Louis community. This year we have learned the importance of adapting to an unfamiliar way to life, the same way youth do when they face homelessness. The virtual Executive Sleep Out serves as a reminder that when we stand together as a community, there is no challenge that we cannot overcome,” shared Nick Ragone, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Ascension.

The virtual event began with a welcome message from Covenant House Missouri CEO Jessica Erfling before sleepers tuned into programming facilitated by Covenant House’s national headquarters, based in New York City. Sleep Out participants from around the world logged in to watch interviews and testimonials from Covenant House staff, current residents and former residents. Covenant House Missouri CEO Jessica Erfling interviewed Nicholas Bowens about how he transitioned from a Covenant House Missouri resident to a board member.

“The need to spread awareness this year is greater than ever. The opportunity to share Nicholas’s story with sleepers around the globe is truly humbling and a reminder that we are all connected by the same mission: to support young people on their journey from homelessness to hope,” said Covenant House Missouri CEO Jessica Erfling. “Our work is possible because of the generosity of each of the individuals who spent the evening in solidarity with Covenant House youth and stand behind our mission year-round.”

Gerard Hempstead, board member and team captain of team Northwestern Mutual shared, “I’ve stood with Covenant House throughout the pandemic and have been amazed by the ability of the team to overcome every obstacle put in their path so that their mission can continue on. The accumulation of their hard work was put into perspective this evening as executives from all over St. Louis came together virtually for the same cause. This is a testament to the dedication of the Covenant House team who have inspired their community of supporters to continue to stand with youth on their journey to independence.”

Sleepers will continue to work towards their fundraising goals until December 31st, 2020. To show your support, visit stlouis.executivesleepout.org. Save the date for next year’s Executive Sleep Out – November 18, 2021.

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Covenant House Missouri openly accepts youth experiencing homelessness between the ages of 16-24. We provide transformative solutions to guide them from homelessness to hope through outreach, residential services, educational programs, job training and placement, medical services, and mental health counseling. Ultimately, Covenant House Missouri’s goal is that every youth finds stable housing and moves towards an independent, sustainable future.

For more information go to www.covenanthousemo.org.

Covenant House Missouri

2727 N. Kingshighway

St. Louis, Missouri 63116

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