Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth hosts plastic food drive

Jenna Dosch/ViewD?Andre Cole, 18, didn?t have a place to call home after his mother was evicted. He has been coming to Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth to find shelter and support. Advertisement

The strip mall parking lot in front of Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth's Safe Place drop-in center bustled with activity all day on Nov. 21, when the charity hosted its annual plastic food drive.

The nonprofit asked people to drop off gift cards to help the valley's rising number of homeless teens. Just less than $4,000 worth of gift cards have come in so far, and the plastic food drive was extended to the end of the year.

NPHY is in need of gift cards to grocery and department stores that will help provide homeless youth with daily necessities.

The charity is seeing the highest number of homeless teens since it opened in 2001. On a typical month, about 100 youth stop in NPHY's drop-in center in search of help. Last month, the nonprofit saw more than 200 youth.

"We've been getting 80 to 90 new teens every month," executive director Matt Hirsch said. "We've never seen the volume of kids like this."

He attributes the spike in homeless teens to the slumping economy that weighs on so many families.

"There's more stress in homes, and some parents just can't support their children," Hirsch said.

Just nine years ago, it was illegal for teens to live outside of their home and for organizations to offer them the same services as they would homeless adults. NPHY founder Kathleen Boutin worked with politicians and community leaders to pass a law that allowed organizations to help teens in trouble.

"Domestic violence victims are not sent back to their abusers, so why should youth be?" Boutin said at the fundraiser event.

Boutin ran away from home for the first time at 13 years old. She was arrested and taken back to her mother and stepfather. Boutin said the dysfunction in her home drove her away several times after that until she was made a ward of the state at 14 years old.

"Before nine years ago, homeless teens were criminalized," she said. "I always said when I had the chance, I'd change that."

NPHY operates its drop-in center at 4800 Maryland Parkway, Suite E, where teens and parents can seek help from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. five days a week. It has condos near the drop-in center and in Henderson to house 16 youth.

NPHY also operates a 24-hour Safe Place program with Terrible Herbst gas stations. Teens can go to any Terrible Herbst gas station displaying the Safe Place logo, and station employees will call NPHY for help.

Hirsch said his staff's first hurdle is to win the trust of homeless youth. Some young people would rather sleep on friends' couches or in abandoned homes than seek help from adults.

James Roberts, 18, said his dad kicked him out of the house at 15 years old. He kept his homeless status a secret for two years.

"Every homeless kid's biggest fear is being turned into CPS (Child Protective Services)," Roberts said. "Kids need to know now that there are people out there that are trying to help. Don't be afraid to look for it."

Roberts first sought help from NPHY a year ago. He took life skills classes and received help from a homework tutor. Roberts credits the nonprofit for helping him achieve his dream to graduate high school. Roberts recently joined the U.S. National Guard and works at its recruiting office.

"My goal is to give back as much as I've been given," he said.

Contact Southeast and Southwest View reporter Danielle Nadler at dnadler@viewnews.com or 224-5524.