Facing the Harsh Reality of Youth Homelessness Detroit Stands United to Make a Difference

The chill of a Detroit night cuts through even the thickest coat. For Shaunetra Morton, it’s a familiar sting, one she once endured nightly in an abandoned house with no heat, no water, and no hope. The young woman, in her early 20s at the time, was trapped in a cycle of homelessness and abuse. But on a particularly cold evening in 2007, she walked through the doors of Covenant House Michigan (CHMI) on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard—and everything changed.

They saw Morton at a time when she felt invisible. “[CHMI] really helped me because I was in a really bad space when I arrived here,” she says. “They helped me become the person I am today. I was able to go to community college, get a bank account, housing, everything to help me through life.”

Today, Morton works in the medical field at a major Detroit hospital. Her story, one of triumph against the odds, represents the core of what Covenant House Michigan strives to do every day: provide not just shelter but pathways to a brighter future for youth experiencing homelessness. Morton is one of more than 80,000 young people whose lives have been transformed by CHMI since its founding in 1997.

On November 21, hundreds of Detroiters will sleep outside for a night—not because they have to, but because they choose to. The annual SLEEP OUT event is part of a global movement to raise awareness and critical funds for youth homelessness. Participants will trade their warm beds for cardboard boxes and sidewalks, a powerful act of solidarity meant to illuminate the harsh realities faced by thousands of young people across the country.

“No young person deserves to sleep on the ground or sleep in an abandoned home,” said Covenant House Michigan CEO Meagan Dunn. “Every young person deserves a safe place to sleep. Taking part in SLEEP OUT is a vivid reminder that we really need to make a bigger impact in this space.”

The statistics are staggering. On any given night, more than 4.2 million youth in the United States experience some form of homelessness. In Detroit, where bitter winters can turn deadly, the stakes are even higher. CHMI provides life-saving shelter, along with wraparound services like mental health support, vocational training, and transitional housing, to young people ages 18 to 24. In the past year alone, the organization has provided over 29,500 nights of housing and transitioned 160 youth into stable, long-term housing.

For retiree Sam Slaughter, the event is personal. A longtime participant, Slaughter hasn’t missed a single SLEEP OUT in its 11-year history. He describes it as transformative.

“Every year, I leave with a deeper understanding of the resilience these young people have,” Slaughter says. “Hearing their stories inspires me to keep coming back and to stay engaged with the work Covenant House is doing. It’s more than just one night outside—it’s about building a future where no child has to experience this.”

This year’s SLEEP OUT will include a candlelight vigil, an art installation by local artist Phil Simpson, and stories from youth who have overcome homelessness. Events will also take place simultaneously at CHMI’s Grand Rapids campus, ensuring that communities across Michigan feel the impact.

But the reality of homelessness is more than just numbers or even stories—it’s the biting cold that seeps into your bones, the loneliness of not knowing where you’ll lay your head, and the fear that comes with every uncertain night. It’s a crisis rooted in systemic inequities, exacerbated by poverty, lack of affordable housing, and gaps in mental health care.

For Morton, SLEEP OUT is a reminder of how far she’s come and how many others are still fighting to survive. “I want people to understand that youth homelessness isn’t a choice,” she says. “It’s something that can happen to anyone when life gets hard enough.”

Choosing to sleep on the ground with only cardboard for warmth is an act of solidarity that forces participants to face the same questions unhoused youth grapple with every night: “Will I be safe? Will I survive?” This shared experience creates a deeper understanding of the struggles young people face, while shining a light on the urgent need for change.

Detroit has always been a city where action speaks louder than words. The SLEEP OUT reflects this legacy by mobilizing individuals to engage directly with an issue that thrives in the shadows. By gathering to share this experience, participants demonstrate that the fight against youth homelessness requires not just acknowledgment but commitment.

Events like SLEEP OUT are deeply impactful. Funds raised go directly toward essential services like 24/7 shelter, medical care, education, and vocational training. This year’s presenting sponsor, Delta Air Lines, joins a growing list of supporters committed to tackling the root causes of youth homelessness.

The SLEEP OUT movement challenges participants to imagine, even briefly, what it’s like to live without the comforts many take for granted. But for Morton and countless others, this isn’t about imagination—it’s about lived experience.

“I’ll never forget what it felt like to be invisible,” Morton reflects. “But I’ll also never forget what it felt like to be seen, to be helped, and to be believed in. That’s what Covenant House does. And that’s why SLEEP OUT matters.”

As Detroit prepares for another brutal winter, the need to support unhoused youth remains urgent. Covenant House Michigan, with its unwavering commitment to restoring hope and dignity, continues to shine as a beacon for young people in crisis.

The event begins at 6 p.m. on November 21 at Covenant House Michigan in Detroit and serves as a call to action for the community. Because no young person should ever have to face the cold alone.

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