Young Professionals To 'Sleep-Out' For Homeless Youth

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two million young people in the United States are living without a home. And in many cities, funding for preventing homelessness is at a critcal low.

On Friday in New York City, hundreds of local young professionals from New York and New Jersey will show their solidarity with homeless youth by sleeping on the streets.

"The Sleep-Out" also aims to raise awareness about the problem, as well as funds for Covenant House.

LINK: More information on Covenant House's "Sleep-Out"

Todd Monaghan, vice president of development at Covenant House, said the charity will see 4,000 homeless kids at shelters in Manhattan and Newark this year.

"These are kids who have spent time living on the streets," Monaghan told CBS 2's Andrea Grymes. "They're kids who've survived child abuse, parental abandonment. They've survived human trafficking. They're victims of domestic violence. So they've been through a whole lot. And at Covenant House, our objective, our vision for them is to help get them jobs, help give them the skills that they need to enter the workforce, help them get back in school to continue their educations and help really continue on to lead productive lives."

"It'll just be a great opportunity to join 200 other young professionals and support all of the kids that really need us, and it'll be a great way to show them that we're there for them," said Ripley Hartmeyer, one of the volunteers who will sleep in the elements.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)