Charity sees uptick in need

They are the not-so-cheerful signs of the season.

The phone at Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth rarely stops ringing, and the charity that helps homeless children sees about three times as many of them as at other times of the year.

Kathleen Boutin, founder and director of the partnership, says she isn't exactly sure why the nonprofit's business increases so much during December, but she has a couple of guesses.

"The cold weather drives in the squatters, and increased family tensions drive kids out."

There are about 300 unaccompanied homeless youths on any given day in Clark County, Boutin said. Nevada Partnership gets about 30 new children at its Maryland Parkway drop-in center each month seeking help in the form of shelter, food, clothing, bus tokens, tickets to get home and other services.

In December, that number increases to about 90.

Some are the runaway victims of child abuse. Others have been neglected or abandoned by their parents or caregivers. Some have left home or been kicked out because of family conflicts. Still others are legally old enough to take care of themselves but have been unable to make ends meet.

Many children have dealt with several different issues along the way, creating the perfect storm of circumstances that led to their homelessness.

Take Larry. The soft-spoken 18-year-old, who asked that his last name not be published because he doesn't want certain family members to know about his situation, was until recently living in a tent pitched amid the shrubbery in the Pittman Wash.

"I wasn't getting along with my parents" in California, the high school graduate said. "I didn't run away, but I wasn't kicked out, either. It was a consensual thing."

Larry had a difficult relationship with his father, whom he describes as having a volatile temper.

After leaving home, the young man returned to Las Vegas, where he had briefly attended Silverado High School before moving out of state. He planned to get an apartment with a friend.

But Larry ran out of money and ended up couch-surfing, or staying temporarily with various friends around town. He didn't have a stable address or a phone number, so he had a difficult time finding a job.

He squatted for a while with older homeless people in an abandoned building on Boulder Highway. Then he pitched a tent in Henderson.

"I chose a nicer part of town" because it was safer and more isolated, Larry said. "I was the only person in the area. I could hide my tent. I'm pretty good at stashing my personal belongings."

But Larry wasn't happy about the situation.

A friend told him about Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. Six weeks later, Larry is now living with two roommates in a condo near the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has applied for admission to UNLV and wants one day to be a journalist. He's actively looking for a job.

He has no problem following the partnership's rules: don't drink, pass drug tests and be in by 11 each night. The nonprofit plans to pay for his classes until he can pay for them on his own.

Larry also has patched things up enough with his family, and he plans to visit them over the holidays.

But there are plenty of other youths out there who need help, Boutin says, and without it they are much more likely to become homeless adults.

She urges young people who have nowhere to go to come to the partnership's drop-in center at 4800 E. Maryland Parkway, or call 383-1332.

Larry said getting help eliminated many of the obstacles to his eventual success.

"I always had plans and goals. I was just having a little trouble because of the address and phone stuff."

Contact reporter Lynnette Curtis at lcurtis@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0285.