Saquon Barkley helps with sleep out on Newark streets ‘so homeless kids don’t have to’ – NorthJersey.com

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When the hard floor of Newark Penn Station served as her bed, sleep was fitful for Queen — often interrupted by the cold winds whipped up by passing trains and their loud-sounding horns. 

“Some days the rain was so bad, I was freezing,” said Queen who now lives at Covenant House in Newark. “Whenever I go back to Newark Penn Station now, it’s hard because I see people who still haven’t made it out.”

On Thursday night into Friday morning, hundreds of donors, divided into 23 teams slept outside Covenant House in cardboard boxes, blankets and sleeping bags to raise funds and bring attention to the homeless issue. The ground in the parking lot of the Washington Street location served as their bed for the night. The night’s noises and the cold, they said, kept them awake most of the night.

“Sleep on the street for one night so homeless kids don’t have to,” was the slogan for the Sleep Out.

“Our saying here is ‘look back, don’t stare’,” said Covenant House Executive Director Jim White on Thursday in front of a group of donors who raised more than $932,000 for the third annual Sleep Out. “We recognize that in the past things have been bad. We don’t want them to dwell on that,” he said of the homeless youths. “These kids can have a great future.”

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There are about 4 million teens and young adults who are homeless in the United States. In one night, 36,361 young adults were counted as homeless. About 89 % were between 18 and 24 years old, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Before the donors wrapped themselves up with coats, scarves, hats, blankets and sleeping bags to ward off the November night’s cold, they had a chance to meet NY Giants running back Saquon Barkley, the event’s chairman. He shook hands and signed lots of footballs.

“Get an idea. Find something that you love, everything is attainable,” Barkley told the crowd. “If you want to be the next Saquon Barkley, Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, as long as you have the right mindset, the right work ethic, and surround yourself around great people, you can make it.”

Queen, who is appreciative of the donors and their effort to shine a light on homelessness, recounted her first contact with Covenant House.

She said her father ” had just given up” on her and turned her out of their home when she was 16.

After sleeping for months at Newark Penn Station, she found her way to Covenant House where she was greeted by Craig Lee. She fondly refers to him as Mr. Craig.

“The first thing they ask me when they come in,” Lee said, is “how long can I stay?” He tells them they don’t have to leave immediately the next morning and can see “they feel this wave of relief.”

The young adults are given food and a place to sleep as their clothes are washed. Any youth who arrives will get a place to sleep, Lee said.

The next step after Covenant House is to be transitioned into Rights of Passage or apartments.

Ashley left Covenant House for Rites of Passage and is now celebrating her first three months working at Audible in customer service.

“It’s like watching your kids achieve things. I feel so great when they come in and say, ‘hey Mr. Craig, I got the job, or I passed the test,’ anyone who has kids understands.”

On average youth at Covenant house have an Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Score of 4.6 out of 10. Any score over 4 is toxic stress. Covenant House has found that a meaningful relationship with one adult can help turn lives around.

Therapy is also part of the experience. Queen speaks with Clinical Supervisor Allison Iannarone.

“She makes me feel like it’s going to be OK, like I can do it,” Queen said.

All the services at Covenant House are free to the youths in need. Fundraisers such as Sleep Out and Night of Broadway Stars fund Covenant House’s $12 million budget.

Shaylah Brown is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: browns@northjersey.com  Twitter: @shaylah_brown

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