Detroit shelter helps young adults
(CBS DETROIT) - Khali is 22 years old and has been homeless for years.
"It's been difficult. I've been off and on the streets since a 17-year-old kid," said Khali. "I've been from state to state, county to county, city to city. Kind of fell on my face and got back up to learn life on my own."
But things are turning around for him now that he is living at Covenant House.
"It's gotten me to be able to have role models in my life that are good people. It's gotten me sober from drinking. It's gotten me away from the streets, away from bad, negative people," said Khali. "It's given me structure and form, which has helped build my stepping stones to getting my life back on track."
Charissa Gibson is 18 years old. She grew up in the foster care system but now lives at Covenant House. She's pregnant and the thought of being homeless with a child has been frightening.
"It's exhausting. It's overwhelming. But I'm really happy that I found this program because not only do they help me with housing, they help me find my documents. They help me put food on the table. They help me find a home for me and my child," said Gibson. "I don't want my child to have to go through what I went through."
The average stay at Covenant House is about 90 days.
"Our goal here, for the time that they're with us at Covenant House, is to ensure that they can begin to build trust and so that we are giving them the resources that are needed so that they can live their lives independently once they exit our program," said Meagan Dunn, CEO of the organization.
Dunn said their facilities house about 60 people, but added, there is a need for more.
"We wish we could take in more, but it is a capacity issue for us and for other shelters across the region."
While Gibson prepares to become a mother, and Khali embraces his new life and goal to become a musician, they do so knowing at least for now, they have a place to call home.
