With an increasing number of “homeless” high school students in Ada County, we found a way to support these students who have little or no parental support and who are experiencing various living situations to survive and still attend school. Our program works through the school districts’ social workers who have identified certain enrolled students as homeless unaccompanied youth (HUY), a federal government designation.
Assistance League of Boise HY Hope Committee volunteers purchase items and fill roller duffle bags with personal care, kitchen and other domestic items. We deliver the “indie” (indicating independent) bags to the social workers at each high school who distribute the bags to the HUY students as needed/requested. The indie bag allows a HUY student to pack up these items plus their own additional personal items as they move, if necessary, to different living situations (i.e., from a car to a friend’s couch).
