ELKHART— November is National Runaway Prevention month, something that resonates in Elkhart County where currently there is no shelter for homeless teens.

After 16-year-old Devin Borkowski was found dead inside an empty home in Elkhart this past March, it sparked a community outcry for a teen shelter.

Now, Bashor Children’s home is stepping up and they believe they have the answer: opening an emergency homeless teen shelter on their 160 acre property.

They say money is the only thing holding them back from opening a teen homeless shelter.

Don Phillips is the President and CEO of Bashor Children’s Home, and he says Bashor needs the support of the community.

“Over the next few months we will be conducting an appeal to the community for funding to support the initial startup cost of this program,” says Phillips.

The non-profit welfare agency supports children who struggle with behavioral and academic issues in traditional school.

So far they’ve raised 30-50 percent of the money needed to fund what would become Elkhart County’s only youth shelter. Bashor says they need to raise $80,000 – $100,000.

“We are confident that we won’t have kids here for a long time, that it’s a short term program, we anticipate. Because of our longtime partnerships and the generosity of this community we know that we can respond to the most difficult situations with children,” says Phillips.

Phillips says they are looking at a deadline as early as January to raise the money.

Anyone who is interested in making a donation to help get the teen homeless shelter off the ground should to visit , Bashor Children’s Home website.

Source: WNDU