Tony's Story
Family Is Where the Heart Is
When Tony first came to Covenant House, he stood out immediately. Helpful and friendly, he always had a bright smile and an amusing story for the other kids. There was only one topic Tony would consistently shy away from: his family. When Sister Tricia Cruise tried to find out what brought Tony to Covenant House, he said, "Sister, we can talk about anything you want, but not my family. As far as I’m concerned, I have no family."
Nearly heartbroken, Sister Tricia did her best to reach out to him. "Yes, you do, Tony," she said. "We are your family now and we’re very glad you’re here with us." Although Tony would never admit this, Sister Tricia’s earnest compassion clearly moved him.
Connecting with someone as inscrutable as Tony was a difficult challenge. But after several weeks in our shelter’s loving and nurturing environment, Tony finally opened up to Sister Tricia and explained what had led him to Covenant House.
Tony’s father was a gang member. As a child, Tony was involved in illegal activities just by spending time with his dad. By his early teens, he was hooked on drugs. One day, Tony was critically injured in a car accident. With tears running down his cheeks, he told Sister Tricia how the accident was a turning point in his life. After recovering, he told his father that he wanted to leave the gang and build a new life for himself, free from drugs and crime. But the code of gang life would not allow his father to let him go easily. To get out, his father said, he’d have to take a beating first. Knowing the ways of gang life, Tony agreed.
What happened next was absolutely terrible. His father picked up a baseball bat and swung it, hitting Tony in the head. Tony staggered back to his feet and his dad hit him again. Then he disowned him. Can you imagine any father doing such a thing?
It’s a miracle Tony survived; God must surely have guided his footsteps. How else can it be that after such a beating and all that pain, Tony eventually -- somehow -- found his way to Covenant House?
We are pleased to tell you that, since coming here, Tony has overcome his drug addiction, earned his high school diploma, and even completed a job-training program. He now works at a four-star hotel and is searching for his first apartment.
We are very proud of Tony -- and all our kids. These simple successes wouldn’t be possible without your compassion and support. It would mean a lot to Tony -- and to us -- to know that good friends like you care about him. Because in his young and painful life, we are practically the only ones who do.
When you give to Covenant House, you can help even more kids like Tony find a way to live a life that is upright, decent and honest.
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