Celebrities and Advocates Converge for Inspiring Night of Covenant House Stars - an evening of Hope and Love for Homeless Youth
2024年5月21日 - 10:48PM
NEW YORK, NY – May 21, 2024 – Night of Covenant House Stars
was held on May 20, 2024 at the Rooftop Pavilion and Terrace at
North Javits, New York City. The event was an inspiring gathering
that brought together notable figures and over 600 community
members to support Covenant House. Presented by Ulta
Beauty, the event was a testament to the power of collective action
in addressing the youth homelessness crisis.
Bill Bedrossian, President and CEO of Covenant
House International, identified the critical role of the event in
sustaining the organization's efforts. "Night of Covenant House
Stars galvanizes support for Covenant House and the youth we
serve.” He boldly declared to the community that Covenant House has
put stake in the ground to say that we want to end youth
homelessness as we know it today, within our lifetimes! “And this
is not some wild dream …this is possible! The young people, some of
whom you have met tonight, are worth it! They inspire us to do more
… to ensure that every young person has a safe place to sleep and
an environment in which they can pursue their dreams,” he told the
audience.
Brynn Whitfield of The Real Housewives of New
York City assumed the esteemed role of host for this year's Night
of Covenant House Stars. Raised by Mimi, a single grandmother who
fought tirelessly to make ends meet, Brynn's unique journey fuels
an unwavering passion for supporting youth grappling with home
insecurity, homelessness, and trauma. Brynn recently spent an
afternoon at Covenant House and witnessed first-hand how committed
each young person is to overcoming homelessness and realizing their
dreams. “Tonight was a beautiful display of love and resilience. I
could feel the compassion in the room, and I know this community of
supporters cares as deeply about making change for these youth as
the residents of Covenant House care about grabbing hold of their
own lives and achieving their hard-earned independence.”
The star-studded evening featured appearances by talent from
stage, screen, and music, all united in their support for Covenant
House's mission to provide shelter, care, and services to young
people facing homelessness. Among the personalities lending their
support were Covenant House International board members Emmy and
Golden Globe Award winner Rachel Brosnahan,
Academy and Golden Globe Award winner Ariana
DeBose, and news anchor and best-selling author
John Dickerson.
They were joined by Emmy and Grammy award winner and host of The
Late Show with Stephen Colbert Stephen Colbert;
Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren; Tony and
Grammy-nominated performer and recording artist Shoshana
Bean; Quincy Isaiah from HBO's Winning
Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty; and BLKBOK,
a piano star and culture creator. Music direction was by
Ray Chew of ABC's Dancing with the
Stars.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Rachel Brosnahan
has been a part of the Covenant House community for 11 years. Each
time she immerses herself in the culture of Covenant House, she is
reminded that homelessness is the least interesting thing about the
young people who call Covenant House home. “Tonight is about coming
together and taking action for the most vulnerable people in our
community - our neighbors. I am so moved by the young people I met
tonight who will go on to do incredible things. They just need
people to see them beyond their circumstances, and believe in
them,” said Rachel.
Stephen Colbert honored his dear friend John
Dickerson with the Board Service Award. He had the audience in
hysterics with jokes about John’s deep knowledge of obscure
presidential facts and his many roles on CBS’ airwaves. And when it
was time to present the award, he shared “One of the things I
admire most is how important to John the work of Covenant House is.
John has been a board member since 2018, as his mother was before
him, is a passionate advocate for children in crisis, and even
participates in the annual Sleep Out initiative, where people
voluntarily spend the night on the pavement to raise awareness of
youth homelessness.”
The event was not just a showcase of celebrity support but also
a celebration of the resilience and strength of the young people
served by Covenant House. Through live performances, alumni
storytelling, and heartfelt testimonials, attendees were given a
glimpse into the transformative impact of Covenant House's work
across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America.
Lisa Silverstein, Vice Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer of Silverstein Properties
accepted an award on behalf of the company’s long-term support for
Covenant House. She opened her remarks by recognizing “with all the
global discord and troubles in our world, our country and in our
own backyard in New York, it’s very gratifying to come together and
actually DO something to support the most vulnerable population.
It’s also a great privilege to have the capacity to help others. We
all in this room know, privilege must be bound to responsibility,
as privilege alone is useless if one can’t better the world in
which they live.”
Cisco Systems was awarded the 2024
Extraordinary Partnership in Service. Cisco and its employees have
impacted every Covenant House site in the federation, and their
global participation in the Sleep Out movement has set the pace for
corporate teams and the overall grassroots impact a company can
have on a cause. Patrick Morrissey, SVP, Global
Specialists and Jonathan Davidson, EVP/GM, Cisco
Networking accepted the award and said “We’re honored to accept
this on behalf of Cisco and the thousands of people who have shown
up over the years. We’re honored to commit and recommit to our
continued partnership. It really does take a village.”
Countess Luann de Lesseps, Erin
Lichy, Dorinda Medley, and Jessel
Taank, The Real Housewives of New York City cast members
made special appearances and cheered on their friend and cast
member, Brynn Whitfield, in her host role.
Funds raised from Night of Covenant House Stars go directly to
food, clothing, healthcare, education, job training, and short and
long-term housing for youth overcoming homelessness at Covenant
House across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America.
ABOUT COVENANT HOUSECovenant House is the largest, primarily
privately funded charity in North and Central America providing
immediate and long-term support for young people facing
homelessness and survivors of trafficking through unconditional
love, absolute respect, and relentless support. Covenant House
doors are open 24/7 in 34 cities across the United States, Canada,
Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico to all young people who need
housing and help, regardless of their race, religion, sexual
orientation, or gender identity or expression, and all services and
programs are available at no cost. Our North Star is ending youth
homelessness as we know it.
covenanthouse.org.
- Stephen Colbert, Brynn Whitfield, and John Dickerson at Night
of Covenant House Stars
- Rachel Brosnahan on the red carpet at Night of Covenant House
Stars.
Pam Sandonato
Covenant House
609-280-9264
psandonato@covenanthouse.org