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News Archives
June 14, 2007 -- Covenant House New York Opens New Brooklyn Facility to Expand Employment Programs for Homeless and At-Risk Youth
 Gathered together – donors, board members, political officials, young people and staff – Covenant House New York’s vocational/educational center opened its doors to its new location in Brooklyn. With more than 50 individuals in attendance, Bruce J. Henry, Executive Director for CHNY unveiled the new and improved Ralph A. Pfeiffer, Jr. Regional Training Center.
Now located at 75 Lewis Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, the Regional Training Center expanded it services – including additional certified training courses – along with providing more opportunities for vocational and educational placements. “Many at-risk and homeless young people have the desire to advance themselves, but are at a distinct disadvantage because they do not have the skills, experience or resources to succeed in today’s competitive job market,” said Bruce Henry, Executive Director of Covenant House New York. “With our new location, we have increased the capacity of the training program to fill a critical gap left by insufficient family support and a strained education system.” In 2006 over 900 young people visited the RTC; in 2007 the program has already seen over 620 new clients and placed over 530 in jobs. The new facility features classrooms, computer labs and offices. It also houses the Covenant House New York Brooklyn Community Resource Center – first established in 1993 to provide preventive outreach services and support to young people living in Brooklyn. The RTC’s services are available to individuals ages 18-21 who enter Covenant House New York’s Community Resource Centers in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island; Rights of Passage transitional living program; or the Crisis Shelter in Manhattan. Current programs offered by the RTC include certified training for bank telling, customer service, computer science, culinary arts, public safety and nursing aides. Covenant House New York encourages young individuals to continue their education in order to advance their careers and provides regular GED classes and a college scholarship program to help those with limited resources obtain a secondary education.
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