Free services! That's what are offered at Covenant House Resource Center, a Harlem based Community organization. The services which are offered are counseling, educational and vocational services, legal and medical services, youth leadership opportunities, and outreach services, all free of charge. in 1993, Covenant House New York established Community Resource Centers. Their goal was to respond more effectively to the needs of the young people they serve

They wanted to provide young adults with support and services in their own backyards. The newest Covenant House Community Resource Center had its Grand Opening on Thursday, April 19th. All Resource Centers are not residential centers, just learning, educational, and job training centers. Black Data Processing Associates donated computers to help the community become more technologically advanced.

This two-floor building contains a computer lab and resource rooms used for GED classes and tutoring classes, youth leadership programs, job readiness classes, workshops, and counseling. "Life is not at the end like I thought", says Jessica Colon, a 20 year old Bronx born resident of the Rights of Passage program, which she lives on her own at the 17th Street site of Covenant House for $50 a week rent. Jessica was attending the Grand Opening. Jessica began taking GED and job readiness classes at 17th St. in 1998. Before she came, she felt hopeless, now she feels "like I have someone on my side.

The Director of the Harlem site of Covenant House is Betsy Quiles. She has been working with Covenant House for 3 years now. Quiles was born and raised in the Bronx and attended Clinton High School. When asked what her inspiration for working for this program was she said, " It's just a feeling inside myself, I like helping people who need my help."

She says that the reason Covenant House built a center at this location at 69 East 125th St. was because of the number of young adults that needed their services in the Harlem community was very high. "There are different, more complex problems that kids are facing now-a-days", says Quiles, "such as teen pregnancy, drugs, and gangs."

If a teen under 18 enters any Covenant House living quarters, first Covenant House, believing that their goal is to reunite the family at all costs, calls and tries to mend the family back together. If the problems are not reconcilable, they have to hand the them over to the Administration for Children's Services. The residential shelters are only offered for young adults between the ages of 18 and 21. Another young man who utilizes the services at Covenant House whose name is Jeffrey Martinez, 20, also attended the grand opening. Three years ago, Jeffrey was having problems with his father. His counselor at school referred him to Covenant House and he decided to try it out. Jeffrey took workshops on how to conduct an interview. A few months later, he got a good paying job in a factory. "Covenant House was there when I needed them the most, that's what I likes about them." Jeffrey is now working with the Department of Mental Health Services

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