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Advocacy Archives
November 13, 2007 -- Advocacy Report - September 2007
The Advocacy Department, along with five youth advocates, traveled to Washington, DC for our third phase of the appropriations request process. While in DC, we once again had the opportunity to meet with representatives from Senator Schumer, Senator Clinton, Representative Nadler, and Representative Towns’ offices to discuss our appropriations request. We were also able to meet with representatives from Congressman Jose Serrano (D-Bronx), Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-Queens), and Congressman Vito Fossella’s (R-Staten Island) offices to discuss our programs in their boroughs. Our five youth advocates lead all of the meetings with these representatives, and everyone we meet with was very impressed by their presentations. As a result of these meetings, Representative Towns championed a $50,000 earmark for the Regional Training Center to be included in the House Appropriations Bill. This summer, Covenant House New York participated in the New York City Homeless Youth Count Survey spearheaded by the Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services and the New York City Association of Homeless and Street Involved Youth Organizations. This survey took place for a period of six weeks starting at the end of June, and ending in the beginning of August. All Covenant House New York youth entering through the Intake Department, residing with us in both the Crisis Center and Rights of Passage programs, and reached through Street Outreach were surveyed. Covenant House New York surveys account for approximately one third of all the surveys collected during this count period. A full report of the findings will be released by the Empire State Coalition later this fall. Continuing in our work to establish the framework and foundation for the Covenant House New York Institute for Homeless Youth, the Executive Director, the Director of Program Operations, the Director of Advocacy, and the Executive Assistant traveled to Casa Alianza Honduras this summer. While in Honduras, we had the opportunity to learn about all aspects of this Central American program. We met with program staff and senior administration to learn about the internal environment of the agency, as well as the Attorney General for Youth, the Chief of Police, and a representative from the International Labor Organization to get a sense of the political and social climate of the country. This trip to Honduras will be a valuable component to the creation of the International Institute. The Advocacy Department participated in the 2007 Catholic Charities USA Annual Gathering in Cincinnati, Ohio. We presented immigration testimony at the legislative hearings of their social policy committee. Our testimony centered on the issue of immigrant youth who were brought to the United States when they were very young, and now as adolescents are facing barriers to higher education and employment. Covenant House New York strongly believes that these youth are now being penalized for decisions made by their parents, and that something has to be done to help these young people. Our testimony urges Catholic Charities to support the passage of the DREAM Act, which would provide a pathway to legalization for such youth. We also urge them to support measures that would ensure that all youth eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status - an act that provides a pathway to legalization for youth who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned - be identified, notified, and processed in a timely manner.
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