Homeless shelter founder was runaway as child

Kathleen Boutin knows what it's like to be on the streets.

At age 12, she ran away from home and was soon made a ward of the state.

Now at age 39, Boutin acts as founder and director of Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, an organization dedicated to helping homeless teenagers and young adults find homes or become self-sustaining.

"The youth today have an entirely different set of challenges we didn't encounter 20 years ago," Boutin said. "Being on the streets is harder today."

Boutin cited gangs and drugs as major challenges looming before homeless young people today.

"So often, homeless youth are criminalized," Boutin said. "Really, most run away because they are abused."

Unlike their adult counterparts, Boutin said most homeless teens do not suffer from substance abuse or mental illness. Many still attend school, particularly if they are couch surfers, she said.

The term couch surfing refers to when teens go from friend's house to friend's house to stay for a few days before moving on.

NPHY will have several events during the holiday season to provide assistance to homeless teens during December.

Krave Kares, a charitable initiative sponsored by Krave nightclub, located in the Aladdin, will host a charitable event at 9:30 p.m. Friday. Krave will donate the $10 admission price to NPHY. In addition, everyone in attendance is asked to donate an unwrapped item, including backpacks, clothing, shoes, Target gift cards, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant and calling cards. The event is open to the public.

In addition, Boutin said a mailer will be sent out to various households in Henderson asking for families to sponsor a homeless teen for the holidays. Boutin said sponsors buy a homeless Nevada teen a gift card.

Boutin founded NPHY five years ago with the opening of a drop-in center. The center, which opened its new location at 4800 S. Maryland Parkway, Suite E, a few years ago, offers a range of services to homeless youth. Teens may freshen up at the drop-in center by taking a shower, picking up clean clothes, doing laundry, or using the Internet or a voice mail system.

In addition, NPHY provides services such as rental and utility service, shelter and job placement, medical assistance, help acquiring various identification cards and papers, certification cards, life skills classes and various other items and assistance.

When a homeless teen comes to NPHY for help, Boutin said one of the first things the group does is a diligent search for a next of kin who can take in the teen. Boutin said that for about 90 percent of the teens, a next of kin can be located. NPHY will help those teens purchase bus or plane tickets, if needed.

Those who do not have a next of kin, depending on age, qualify for NPHY's long-term housing program. NPHY allows teens to live in condominiums, hunt for jobs and finish school.

"We do everything parents should be doing, whether it's buying a prom dress or taking them to the DMV to get a driver's license," Boutin said.

Boutin said Terrible Herbst provides jobs to 17- and 18-year-olds at the company's lube stations. Last year, Boutin said Terrible Herbst placed 51 teens in jobs.

Terrible Herbst also participates in NPHY's Safe Place program. Children and teens can go to any gas station displaying the yellow, diamond-shaped signs reading "Safe Place" and get help from trained adults.

Homeless youth also can connect with NPHY through the station.

"Any kid who needs help for any reason can go into the Terrible Herbst and ask for help," Boutin said.

Boutin said there are 103 Safe Places in the Las Vegas Valley.

She said many of the 944 individual teens helped in 2005 were found through referrals. Others go to a Safe Place, connect with NPHY through the drop-in center or are found through the organization's ambassadors on the streets.

Volunteers frequently scour the Las Vegas Wash and downtown for youth living on the streets.

Alex Nunez saw the sign for the drop-in center one year ago while he was living on the streets after losing his job. Nunez, who was 19 at the time, had just left the hospital after a suicide attempt.

Nunez was able to get a job through NPHY. The organization also helped him file papers to receive United States citizenship, his No. 1 goal at the moment.

"I want to be somebody someday. I want to be a businessman," he said.

Nunez took life skills classes through NPHY and was to be on his own in December. He said he is not involved in drugs or gangs, which he said will hurt his chances of gaining citizenship.

"I'm just trying to do my best," Nunez said. "Thanks to them (NPHY), I'm not homeless anymore."

Nunez said he struggled while he was homeless to find a job, but now he is confident he can support himself.

"It was hard for me. Now I've got money saved in the bank," he said.

Callyce Carroll was referred to NPHY by a friend who was in the program when he was 18 years old. One year later, Carroll said he was able to complete school, find a job and get a car.

"They give you everything you need -- psychological, food, apartments, transportation, anything a teenager needs," Carroll said.

Boutin said NPHY helps teens get on track and stay there.

"We're a quality-driven organization, but we still have a close-knit family," Boutin said.

More information on NPHY can be found at www.nphy.org.