Sample Messages
Copy and paste into emails, texts, and social media.
Use these sample messages as a starting point, then personalize them to match your voice and needs.
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Sleep Out Invitation
Did you know that 4.2 million young people face homelessness each year? Youth homelessness was a crisis even before the pandemic, and it continues to be a growing issue. The good news? We can help. I am giving up my bed for one night so that youth experiencing homelessness can sleep safely at Covenant House, an organization that provides shelter and essential services to young people in need. Will you join me? We will Sleep Out...INSERT SLEEP OUT DETAILS....
Together, we can raise urgently-needed funds for Covenant House, where they're serving more meals than ever before, raise awareness about the growing number of youth facing homelessness, and ensure that these young people are not forgotten or ignored in this challenging time.
Here's the link to sign up and join my Sleep Out team: INSERT TEAM URL
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Donation Appeals
Donation Appeal - Short
I am giving up my bed for one night so young people facing homelessness can sleep safely at Covenant House. Nearly 2,000 youth seek shelter in a Covenant House bed each night. Covenant House works with each of them to create a path to independence, and offers comprehensive services like job training, education, mental health care, and legal aid, in addition to basic services like food and clothing. My Sleep Out helps young people overcome homelessness at Covenant House. If you can, please consider supporting me with a donation of any amount today. INSERT PERSONAL URL
Donation Appeal - Long
I signed on to Sleep Out on behalf of young people overcoming homelessness at Covenant House.
I am giving up my bed for the night as a way to raise funds and awareness for the nearly 4.2 million young people who experience homelessness each year. I plan to sleep... INSERT SLEEP OUT LOCATION... as an act of solidarity with the resilient young people who face and have overcome homelessness.
Sleep Out is not a night of pretend, and it's not a slumber party. As part of my Sleep Out, I get to hear from front-line staff at Covenant House who work 24/7 to keep young people safe, healthy, and sheltered, as well as from alumni who have overcome homelessness. It is helping me understand why young people become homeless, the challenges they face, and what we can do to ensure that everyone has a safe place to sleep.
If you can, please consider making a donation of any size in honor of the incredibly resilient young people overcoming homelessness at Covenant House.
Here is the link to my Sleep Out page: INSERT PERSONAL URL Thank you so much.
Donation Appeal - Return Participants
Now is the time of year when I write to you about my Sleep Out to support youth overcoming homelessness at Covenant House. The last year has been full of ups and downs, and I'm always conscious that when there are hard times, they're probably hitting youth facing homelessness even harder. The uncertainty and anxiety that we all have felt at different points is something that youth who experience homelessness are all too familiar with.
That is why I have re-committed to giving up my bed for one night.
I will be in solidarity with the 2,000+ young people sleeping at Covenant House each night. Each one of them has a dream for a future free from homelessness. And Covenant House works 24/7 to help them realize it.
If you're able, please consider making a donation of any size to my Sleep Out. Your gift will be put to work immediately caring for young people who need it.
Here is the link to my Sleep Out page: INSERT PERSONAL URL
Donation Appeal - Reminder
In X DAYS, I am giving up my bed for a night so that young people facing homelessness can sleep safely at Covenant House.
I’m trying to raise $X AMOUNT REMAINING before my Sleep Out. These funds go directly to Covenant House, whose doors are open 24/7 to provide shelter and loving care to youth facing homelessness. Today and everyday, front-line staff are working to help young people regain employment, access healthcare, and rebuild their lives.
If you're able, please consider making a donation to my Sleep Out page. Your support means so much to the young people and staff at Covenant House, no matter the amount. Because it’s more than what the money provides — it’s a symbol that you care. INSERT PERSONAL URL
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Youth Homelessness Awareness Month
Message 1
November is Youth Homelessness Awareness Month, and I have joined the Sleep Out to help turn the world's attention toward youth homelessness. Covenant House is working to address the root causes of youth homelessness, advocate for the needs of youth and young families experiencing homelessness, and take steps to prevent and end youth homelessness, in addition to providing shelter to 2,000 young people each night. By donating to my Sleep Out, you're supporting this essential work and young people who deserve a safe place to sleep. INSERT PERSONAL URL
Message 2
During #YouthHomelessnessAwarenessMonth, let's acknowledge basic human rights. Every young person deserves a safe place to sleep and to be treated with absolute respect and unconditional love. My Sleep Out supports the essential work that Covenant House does to shelter and care for youth overcoming homelessness. You can support them by making a donation on my fundraising page. INSERT PERSONAL URL
Message 3
November is #YouthHomelessnessAwarenessMonth and we will Sleep Out to end youth homelessness. Join us and Covenant House this month and be an agent for change. Join my team or support us with a donation of any size. INSERT PERSONAL URL
Message 4
Covenant House has a goal of providing youth with over 4 million nights of housing in the next 5 years, including opening more beds, serving more food, and meeting more medical and mental health needs. This #YHAM, I'm proud to support their vision to #endyouthhomelessness. You can join me by making a donation to my Sleep Out. INSERT PERSONAL URL
Message 5
I believe in a society where no one is unhoused. That's why I will Sleep Out in support of Covenant House. Will you join me? Together we'll strengthen the movement to #endyouthhomelessness in our lifetime. INSERT PERSONAL URL
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Thank You Notes
Message 1
Thank you so much for your donation in support of my Sleep Out. Covenant House is open 24/7 for youth facing homelessness, and your gift helps their staff protect and care for every young person who walks through the doors, to keep them healthy, and to meet the many challenges they face. Thank you. I hope that you stay healthy and safe as well, and know how grateful I am for your support.
Message 2
Thank you for your generous donation in support of my Sleep Out. As you know, I am giving up my bed for one night so that a young person can sleep safely at Covenant House. But young people will find more than shelter there. Covenant House offers young people sanctuary, and a continuum of care that is guided and defined by the principles of absolute respect and unconditional love: staff see young people the way they deserve to be seen, not as the label they’ve come with, and commit to a relentless relationship, to a covenant of support and care. Thank you for supporting this critical mission.
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COVID-19 Updates
- Covenant House's doors remained open 24/7 throughout the pandemic to shelter and care for youth seeking a safe place to sleep. Covenant House's front-line workers acted quickly to establish quarantine and cleaning procedures to protect residents from the increased risk of exposure.
- Covenant House provides mental health counseling, and has seen a dramatic increase in demand for these services since the onset of the pandemic. Young people who are already in vulnerable positions are facing increased anxiety and uncertainty, and staff have redoubled their efforts to meet their needs.
- The prevalence of remote work and school, as well as factors like inflation and supply chain demand, have led to increased costs at Covenant House. The number of meals needed for youth living onsite increased dramatically in the pandemic and continues to be high.
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LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness
Message 1
Did you know that LGBTQ+ youth comprise 40% of all youth experiencing homelessness, while only making up 7% of the total youth population in the U.S.? While facing homelessness, LGBTQ+ youth are also more likely to experience hardships such as assault, trauma, exchanging sex for basic needs, and early death. Covenant House provides a welcoming and affirming environment for LGBTQ+ and all youth.
Message 2
When LGBTQ+ youth experience homelessness, many seek shelter and services in ways that put them at more risk of discrimination and abuse. Covenant House sites are welcoming, affirming, and safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth and all youth experiencing homelessness.
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Racism & Youth Homelessness
Message 1
Between disparities in healthcare — 23% of people who have passed away due to COVID-19 have been Black — incarceration — Black Americans are incarcerated at more than 5x the rate of whites — education — Black young men have the lowest graduation rate of any population in the country — and of course police brutality — Black people are 3x more likely to be killed by the police than white people — the statistics are jarring. And they are the reality for many of the youth living at Covenant House, more than 60% of whom are Black.
Message 2
Racism is a trauma that negatively impacts a young person’s sense of self-worth, abilities, and potential. During adolescence, it’s especially important that we act as allies to foster their resilience, confidence, and agency. This is why Covenant House staff treat every young person with absolute respect and always have unconditional love to give.
When this trauma is triggered by acts of racism or a global health crisis, Covenant House staff are focused on meeting each young person where they’re at, wrapping them with love, and upholding the promise of stability and sanctuary. Young people like Lajada, who needed a way to channel her outrage and indignation over police violence. Read her story.
Message 3
Did you know that two-thirds of Black and Latine youth attend segregated schools that often have lower budgets? This impacts class sizes, teacher qualifications, and the availability of instructional resources. Learn more about how systemic racism contributes to youth homelessness in America.
Message 4
Racism is literally making youth sick, leaving them with toxic levels of stress that negatively affect their mental health and emotional development. Learn how systemic racism contributes to youth homelessness and health in America.
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What Your Donation Does
How the funds you raise keep youth safe:
$10 provides youth with a hygiene kit as soon as they walk through our doors ensuring they have all the necessities they need. This includes everyday items we take for granted - shampoo and conditioner, body wash, toothpaste and a toothbrush, etc.
$35 provides clean, warm bedding for a young person who may not have had the comfort of their own bed in quite some time.
$80 will provide one week of delicious and healthy meals to nourish a young person in our care.
$84 provides one month of transit so young people can get to school or their jobs, essential for establishing their path to independence.
$120 will ensure that a young person has professional attire for job interviews and hopefully, with the help and support of our workforce development staff, a full or part time job.
$350 fuels our street outreach program - literally. $350 will provide gas and supplies for our outreach teams who travel to meet young people where they are and offer Covenant House services.