Matthew’s Story

Matthew came to Covenant House at the age of 17 after being pushed out of a highly dysfunctional home. On his own for the first time, he was determined to change his life for the better.

If you met Matthew, you’d be impressed by his intelligence and creativity. After a few months of working and saving, he advanced to our Rights of Passage (ROP) transitional living program, where our staff connected him with our partners at Youth Empowerment Project (GED classes) and Liberty’s Kitchen (a culinary training program).

Matthew flourished in ROP, gaining confidence with each step he took toward his goal of independent living. By the time he graduated from Liberty’s Kitchen, he had built up considerable savings.

Since graduating from ROP this spring, Matthew has moved into his very own apartment. In addition to his full-time job at Cake Café, he also works as a freelance artist and editor and has drawn several comics that are available for sale on Amazon. He has even published a small graphic novel on CreateSpace and is currently working on a self-published comic series, while staying focused on earning his GED. We’re so proud of Matthew’s accomplishments – and confident in his bright future!