Covenant House is heartbroken by the death of Brent Renaud, whose life was tragically taken by Russian forces while covering the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine.

Brent and his brother Craig became good friends of Covenant House and our young people while filming the award-winning documentary SHELTER.

Former Covenant House New Orleans Executive Director Jim Kelly, who got to know Brent during the filming of SHELTER over the course of a year in 2017, shared his grief:

“Brent was a truly gifted artist who had an extraordinary ability to connect with our youth and capture their goodness and beauty… in each, the face of God. His intrepid spirit and heartfelt compassion shined through in all of his work.”

Brent with CHNO youth and staff at the SHELTER premiere.

In addition to SHELTER, Brent teamed with his brother to cover the migrant journey of our Latin American young people for the New York Times – and was preparing to begin another piece about trans migrant youth in Latin America soon. Executive Director Rheneisha Robertson reflected on the impact of his purposeful work:

“Brent’s passion for lifting up the marginalized and shining a light on injustice leaves behind an indelible legacy. His work to highlight the humanity and courage of our youth and staff was a gift and a blessing.”

Please join us in sending Craig and the Renaud family our prayers during this difficult time.