Covenant House Toronto has worked since 1982 to provide a variety of services, including shelter, meals, health services and employment training to youths who are homeless, trafficked or at risk. Their partnership with the Maple Leafs is approaching a decade, and in the past it has featured visits from players like John Tavares, Anthony Stolarz, Nicholas Robertson and William Nylander.
“The Maple Leafs have been outstanding in making their annual visit to us,” Covenant House CEO Mark Aston said. “They inspire the kids here and show them there is hope.”
He used Cowan, still just 21 years old, as an example.
“Easton isn’t much older than some of the kids in here, if at all,” Ashton said of the second-year forward. “Keep in mind that some of these kids don’t feel they are part of anything. They feel they are irrelevant. When a public figure like Easton, and his teammates too, spend time with them, talk to them, laugh with them, it helps their self-importance, their self-confidence.
“And the fact Easton is still a kid himself, they can relate to that.”