MISSOULA — A new home is being built in Missoula to help youth in crisis, and it is named after a well-known community member who devoted his life to helping young people.
On Monday, the organization Youth Homes launched a fundraising campaign for the new therapeutic crisis shelter, located on a one-acre lot in the Orchard Homes neighborhood.
The shelter will provide a safe and supportive environment for youth ages 10 to 17.
Schaer said the youth utilizing the shelter would otherwise end up in the emergency room, an acute unit, detention, or even a floor of a social worker's office.
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"About a year ago, we saw the need for kids in crisis in this community, and with our experience of working with youth in group home settings — and we also have a family care program — we decided we really wanted to do something about it," Youth Homes CEO Amy Schaer said.
At the capital campaign launch, Schaer announced the shelter is named after Geoff Birnbaum, a beloved community member who spent more than 40 years as the executive director of Youth Homes and died suddenly last year.
Geoff Birnbaum's son, Mike Birnbaum, attended the event.
"I'm real proud of my dad. He had a huge impact on this community with the Youth Homes and with the soccer community, and he was tireless in his effort to help youth," Mike Birnbaum said.
"And so, it's bittersweet; like I said in my speech earlier, it's his birthday today, and there's a lot of reflection that goes on this kind of day, but it's also so nice to have the timing of this announcement be made and to memorialize him in a way that I know he would love. And this was his passion project," Mike Birnbaum said.
"We knew there was no better way to honor him than to dedicate the Birnbaum Youth Home in his memory," Schaer said.
Work on the new therapeutic crisis shelter is well underway, and the anticipated opening is this fall.
Since 1971, Youth Homes has cared for more than 20,000 children and their families in western Montana.
