Community rallies around homeless teen

By JESSICA MAYRER Chronicle Staff Writer

Dozens of concerned locals came forward Monday offering to help homeless high school student Nikki Yother after a Sunday Chronicle story about her sleeping in a car in the Bozeman High School parking lot.

“I guess it’s just one of those rude awakenings, bringing it head and shoulders in front of the community,” said retired banker Tom Trahey.

Trahey plans on donating to the Human Resource Development Council, which, until recently, helped teens like Yother find and pay for homes. Ever since the nonprofit organization lost federal funding for its homeless youth program, homeless teens have been without a safety net.

Readers who wanted to help Yother and others like her called and e-mailed the Chronicle and HRDC offices offering housing, money, clothes and furniture.

“I just can’t believe we have this in Bozeman,” said native Montanan Ferne Palmer. “I’m just heartbroken.”

Though Palmer is retired and on a limited income, she plans on sending a check to HRDC so kids like Yother have a place to stay, she said.

“If everybody pitched in a couple of hundred bucks it would be something,” she said.

Because of the huge community response, HRDC is in setting up two different funds. One will be specifically used to help Yother. The other will be reserved for all area teens experiencing a housing crisis, said Stephanie Gray from HRDC.

“Because another Nikki is going to walk in the door in two weeks,” Gray said.

An advisory committee is in the works, too, to help direct the money donated for Bozeman-area teens in crisis, Gray said.

The community response may also give Yother some needed encouragement, Gray said.

“I think she’s going to learn that she may not have the best family in the world, but she’s got a community that wants to help her,” she said.

In addition to cash donations, several people have offered housing. Gray said she has yet to work out the details, but hopes to create a list of prescreened people able to offer housing for teenagers needing help.

“I’d really love that,” Gray said.

And while folks have been touched by Yother’s story, it’s important to realize that there are a lot of other kids who need a hand, she said.

“Let’s think of this as an ongoing thing that we can rally around,” she said.

All donations or inquiries may be directed to Gray at 585-4874 or sgray@hrdc9.org.

Jessica Mayrer can be reached at jmayrer@dailychronicle.com or 582-2635.

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