Covenant House Illinois Announces Interim Executive Director

Covenant House Illinois (CHIL) is pleased to announce Carlette S. Mack as Interim Executive Director. She will take over the reins from founding Executive Director, Joseph Mole, who is departing to tend to family health and business needs.

Mack, a 30-year resident of Anchorage, Alaska, has been in the Covenant House family for over twenty-two years and is a second-generation Covenant House employee, with her mother having worked for Covenant House for more than thirteen years. Mack will be suspending her post as Chief Operating Officer of Covenant House Alaska to take on the lead role in Chicago.

As the Chief Operating Officer for Covenant House Alaska, Mack leads the organization's Continuum of Care of service to include a 60-bed shelter, three transitional living programs, Health Services, and Education and Employment Services. In January of 2017 Anchorage was selected as 1 of 10 cities to receive the new HUD Youth Demonstration Project grant with Covenant House Alaska serving as the lead agency. Mack led the efforts in developing Anchorage’s Community Plan to End Youth Homelessness in collaboration with over 30 community partners and serves on the Board of Directors for the Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness.

“We are excited that Carlette has come forward to continue Covenant House Illinois’ momentum,” explains Amy Sings, CHIL Director of Development. “Her proven leadership and exceptional tenure will be an invaluable asset as we build to provide young people in Chicago with vital resources and protection.”

Presently, CHIL operates a daytime service center where homeless youth are welcomed into a safe, caring environment where they can access food, showers, laundry services, computers, and beds for rest. CHIL is now seeking space for its Phase 2 site, which will provide up to 40 beds of interim housing.

Located at the Lawson House, (30 W Chicago Avenue), CHIL opened its doors on February 7, 2017 and has received over 4,000 visits by more than 210 young people, hosting an average of 25 youth (ages 18-24) a day.

Through collaborative agreements with leading Chicago agencies, young people can access medical, mental health, substance abuse, and legal services on-site. CHIL presently operates on days when other centers have limited hours, and is the only daytime service center open on Saturdays in the City of Chicago.

“I am excited and honored to have been offered this amazing opportunity to join the team of Covenant House Illinois,” explains Mack. “I am inspired by the dedicated Covenant House staff and community partners who share in the commitment to ending youth homelessness.”

Each year, Covenant House cares for more than 50,000 homeless and trafficked youth in 30 cities across the U.S., Canada and Latin America. For more information on Covenant House Illinois, please visit www.covenanthouseil.org.