The Outreach van takes to the streets nightly and is often a homeless youth's first direct contact with Covenant House. Outreach team members offer youth food, clothing, blankets, hygiene supplies, and information on how to survive the brutal reality of the streets. We let them know that Covenant House is waiting to welcome them with open arms. We collaborate with other agencies, such as Unity for the Homeless and the Drop In Center, to reach kids who are in desperate need of help.

Typically outreach workers contact a kid more than once, over many nights, trying to win their trust. It may be weeks before he does more than take a sandwich and disappear back into the night. The key is that they know who we are, know we're out there if they need us. And if a kid needs help getting to us, then we arrange transportation from anywhere within our region: Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas.