  DISPATCH: August 15
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Shawn's Log |
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Covenant House Impressions
Tenga un feliz viaje! Monica, Silvia and I finally set out on our
journey to Mexico City today, flying out of Oakland at 11:00 AM and
landing in Los Angeles where an old friend of mine picked us up at the
airport and dropped us off at a place called Covenant House.
We spent a few
hours there talking to one of the directors and touring the famous
facility just a few blocks from Hollywood Boulevard. Covenant House is
an international program which offers assistance to "at risk youth" in
urban areas. I was very impressed with the modern facility and the
patience and caring with which the staff treated the residents. Youth
from 16 to 21 come to CH when they have no other place to turn because
of family or drug problems. There they get a second chance to learn and
prepare themselves for adult life in a safe setting with counseling and
peer support.
This not a magic fix or a free ride, however, and those
who come here find that the road to success requires a constant effort
and a determined outlook. Many who are used to the freedom of street
life may find the strict rules they are confronted with at CH difficult
and constricting, but most agree that
the opportunities here far outweigh those they find on the unforgiving
streets of LA.
Tonight Monica and Silvia are going to take the train down to San Diego,
to make the last preparations for our stay in la Ciudad de Mexico. I am
going to stay in Venice with my friend for a few days and rest up before
meeting them and flying to MC on Wednesday.
-Shawn
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