Covenant House holds vigil for homeless youth

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Covenant House Alaska held its 20th annual Candlelight Vigil for Homeless Youth Wednesday night. Hundreds gathered outside the Covenant House Crisis Center to bring attention to the thousands of homeless youth living on Anchorage streets.

Gov. Sean Parnell, Rep. Don Young and Mayor Dan Sullivan were all present at the event.      

Covenant House organizes the vigil and winter clothing drive each year,  as winter temperatures set in and it tries to offer kids an alternative to living outside.

“It’s important that we be a community that says to these kids that, ‘We believe in you, we love you,’” said Covenant House President Kevin Ryan. “And Covenant House is a place where you can come and be safe and rebuild your lives -- Covenant House is a bridge from poverty to oppurtunity.”

Covenant House has provided shelter and other serivice to homeless youth for 22 years.