The Party No One Came To benefits foster children and youth

December 12, 2012 • HQ of Hope • by
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Covenant Community Services, Inc. (Covenant) is holding their end of the year fundraiser and they don’t want you to come. It is called “The Party No One

The Party No One Came To – help Covenant help youth!

Came To”. The Party is an online auction and virtual party you can attend by signing up online at www.thepartynoonecameto.com. The party was developed when Covenant CEO, Randy Martin, was in a conversation with a local donor, Dan Panero. Panero shared his understanding of the overwhelming needs of local nonprofits as well as the busyness of donors schedules. He suggested a party you didn’t go to. Next thing you know, Martin bought the web domain and the rest is history.

The Party No One Came To will benefit Covenant and their ten unique services to foster children and former foster youth. Covenant serves foster children and youth that have “aged out” of foster care.  Covenant services include:

  • traditional foster care and placement through Covenant Foster Care
  • mentoring services to children and youth ages 10-24 through Jeremiah Mentoring
  • family preservation and prevention services to families in reunification and youth exiting care through CARENET
  • housing and support services including case management for youth ages 18-21 through Building Blocks
  • transitional housing services and case management for youth ages 21-24 through CHOICES Transitional Housing Plus
  • employment and training  in food and coffee services, sales and supply chain management for former foster youth through Covenant Coffee
  • employment and training services in media, journalism and sales for former foster youth through Covenant Media
  • mentoring and social skills development for youth ages 18-24 through the Covenant Horse Program
  • mental health services to minor children through Covenant Therapeutic Behavioral Services
  • food, education and clean water for 25 orphans in Tanzania, Africa through the Covenant for Tanzania Children

As you can see from the extensive list, Covenant and their dedicated staff are very busy. This is where the community steps in and provides both volunteer hours and financial support. Only three of Covenant’s programs receive State or County funding. The remainder of the services and supports, provided to the nearly 250-300 children and youth Covenant reaches daily, is from the generosity of the general public, private foundations and grants.

The Party No One Came To is the year-end campaign designed to meet the needs of Covenant going into 2013. With the extensive list of on-going services and new programs being developed, Covenant needs financial help to meet the needs of foster children, former foster youth and their families. The Party No One Came To is one way you can get involved. Each dollar raised through the Party will go toward expansion of employment services for former foster youth. Currently, Covenant provides housing and related services to 62 former foster youth ages 18-24. Employment for the youth can be a challenge without the needed experience and education. Through Covenant’s innovative work, mentoring and entrepreneurial programs, over 35 youth have been trained and employed. But, we can do more!

The Party No One Came to hopes to raise over $100,000.00 through sponsorship, online donations and auction bids. These funds will translate into job creation and skill development for former foster youth. Although statistics state that most foster youth are unemployed following foster care, Covenant hopes to have programs in place to eradicate that issue. Three unique service designs are Covenant Coffee , Covenant Media and future mobile coffee routes. Through expansion of Covenant’s existing operations, Martin hopes to employ another 20 youth in 2013 through Covenant Coffee alone. To support this endeavor, Covenant needs the funding to purchase vehicles, new locations and train youth.

So, this holiday season think about giving back to a population many have forgotten. Think about supporting a youth no one else supports. Think about supporting the former foster youth of Kern County with your tax-deductible donation. The suggested “cover charge” for the Party No One Came To is $25.00 but many can give more to help Covenant restore lives and transform generations. Let’s do our part in helping Covenant fulfill their mission of “providing hope and love to abused and neglected children” and make sure hope lives here!

The Party No One Came To has unique auction items ranging from naming your own coffee blend to a Baseball Getaway to Wrigley Field. To sign up and bid or donate go to www.thepartynoonecameto.com. You can also give directly to Covenant by sending a check to: Covenant Community Services at 1700 N Chester Ave, Bakersfield, Ca 93308. Lastly, go to www.covenantcs.net to view current events at Covenant and to give today by selecting “Donate Now“.

Local Community Orgainzation Receives Accolades and Funding

December 6, 2012 • HQ of Hope • by
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Covenant Community Services, Inc. (Covenant) had a busy Fall in 2012. The local Bakersfield nonprofit received awards for their work in the neighborhood of

then and now!

Oildale, California and a recent grant from Chevron.

Covenant purchased property at 1700 North Chester in Oildale, California in June of 2011. after extensive repairs and re-construction, Covenant opened the doors of the former Bank of America on May of 2012. The old bank now houses 5800 square feet of offices and a coffee-house. The coffee-house, Covenant Coffee, employs over a dozen former foster youth. The entire operation of Covenant employs over 30 individuals.

The 1700 North Chester location wasn’t the first spot CEO Randy Martin and the Covenant Board of Directors began to look but it was the spot they feel “God provided”. It was during a radio show with a local Supervisor that Martin first heard of the old bank building. Following a tour and negotiations with the prior owner, Covenant made a bid and with the generous help of many, purchased the building and began the extensive retrofit. Although it was a formidable task to demolish and reconstruct the bank, many local contractors chipped in to make the work run smoothly. Months later, the coffee-house opened and Covenant has been moving forward since.

This Fall, Covenant received a resolution from the Kern County Board of Supervisors for their work in Oildale and an award from the Citizens for a Better Oildale for the same. Both organizations realized the time and effort that went into beautifying the neighborhood and the sacrifice many made to see the project become a reality. The project, affectionately named the HQ of Hope, was designed to be a beacon of hope to a blighted community. According to local officials, the project has hit the mark.

Covenant Coffee … Drink Coffee and Do Good!

Nothing good happens without help. Covenant received the help of many community partners. A brief, and not inclusive list is below:

  • Inland Architects
  • McKee Electric
  • Central Valley Plumbing
  • Kern Glass
  • Snider Locksmith
  • Ogden Concrete
  • Mike’s Fencing
  • ARRC Computers
  • Best Cabinets
  • J&E Restaurant Supply
  • Rositio Basani Espresso Equipment
  • Elite Painting and Wall Covering
  • Pyramid Construction
  • Liberty Electric

There were also numerous individual, corporate and foundation donors that stepped up to make the acquisition and build out possible. To each of these individuals and companies Covenant says “thanks”. Thanks for sharing hope with abused and neglected children and youth with your love, time, talent and treasure.

Watch the Covenant Thank You video starring many local former foster youth (video created by Covenant Media – see more at CovenantMediaNow.com

Covenant Thank You Video – watch it here – THANKS

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Foster Youth become the Trainers at Orphan Event

December 6, 2012 • HQ of Hope • by
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Covenant Community Services, Inc. (Covenant), and their social enterprise Covenant Coffee, recently sent three former foster youth to speak as part of a panel at

Enjoying a Mongolian lunch after the conference!

the Foster Care and Adoption Summit. The Summit was hosted by Arrow Child Services at Grace Baptist Church in Santa Clarita, California. The three youth, Jonathan R., Balinda A. and Keith K., each worked the event and spoke to the attendees about life in the system, the struggles of exiting without support and their current and future plans.

The purpose of the conference was to help individuals and churches understand the needs of former foster youth as they exit care. As the youth shared their stories tears began to appear in the eyes of shocked attendees as the horror of their life was shared. To many, former foster youth are an unknown people group. Thus, this conference shed great insight into the troubled after-care system that awaits foster youth.

In Kern County, California, former foster youth are given a greater chance for success due to the efforts of the Kern County Department of Human Services and their contractor Covenant Community Services (Covenant). Covenant operates a State funded Transitional Housing Plus program for former foster youth ages 18 to 24 years old. The program, CHOICES THP Plus, is a unique two-year service that aides youth in designing goals and dreams and achieving them.

The CHOICES Program has had great success over their four-year effort with many youth purchasing homes upon exit and finding stability and a solid life in the community. While most youth enter with little or no direction and goals they leave with both. Statewide, 50 counties participate in the THP Plus program. In fiscal year 2012, 2,151 former foster youth were served in the State of California. In Kern County, Covenant serves 50 former foster youth through CHOICES.

At the conference, the youth were able to drop their guard and share openly about their stint in foster care both good and bad. The response from the audience was nothing less than shock and sorrow as the reality of foster care and “system life” hit them in the heart and mind. As Balinda shared about doing drugs with group home staff or David shared about eating at a separate table, the crowd was silent but their minds were racing. The youth did a great job of sharing the hope that they have now found and thus presented the options and opportunities to make an impact clearly. The message was clear … there is a problem but you can help and you can make a difference.

Each youth shared from their heart and convinced the crowd that transformation of the system and individuals lives is possible but only as we strive to serve former foster youth with love and hope. This is the exact mission of Covenant Community Services in Bakersfield, California. It is exciting to think of where the future will take these inspirational youth and what the future holds for each. I know one thing – it is filled with hope!

For a more in-depth look into the plight of former foster youth read the report by Human Rights Watch – “My So-Called Emancipation” at this link Full Report.

To learn about California’s THP Plus program go to Fostering Connections

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