ATLANTA — As freezing temperatures grip metro Atlanta this Thanksgiving week, hundreds of homeless youth are at heightened risk. In a powerful show of solidarity, more than 150 volunteers gave up their warm beds last week to sleep outside — raising nearly $1 million for Covenant House Atlanta and bringing attention to the thousands of young people with no home or family to turn to.
The annual “Sleep Out” event hosted by Covenant House Atlanta aims to raise both funds and awareness for youth experiencing homelessness. The nonprofit currently serves about 1,100 of the estimated 3,300 homeless young people in the city.
For volunteer John Gotham, the night was deeply personal. As a former homeless youth himself, the experience stirred memories from his childhood in North Idaho…