People who want to donate have until Dec. 9. Items needed include backpacks, gift cards for gas and shopping, hygiene supplies and winter gear like socks, gloves, hats and mittens.

Donations can be dropped off at Ambient Air Solutions at 2304 North 7th Ave. in Bozeman. Backpacks will be distributed to kids on Dec. 12.

Tiffani Pimley runs the project, and said that the focus of the donation drive has been to provide items that could fit into a discreet bag, like a backpack or duffel bag. She hopes to get between 40 and 50 backpacks filled for kids this year.

Pimley said that she started the Montana Backpack Project with a colleague on a whim, but knew that the target would be teens experiencing homelessness.

She previously worked in child protective services, and recalled that when kids were removed from a situation, their belongings would often go into a garbage bag.

“It was the most heartbreaking feeling,” Pimley said. “It’s very important for us to make sure these kids weren’t a second thought or a throwaway.”

Last year, the project packed 43 backpacks. Pimley said the highest priority were unaccompanied youth, meaning kids who are not living with family members or guardians.

Pimley collects and packs all the donations. Anna Edwards, the Family School Services Coordinator for the Bozeman School District, delivers them to students in the district.

Edwards said that when she delivers a backpack to a student, it’s usually something they’re not expecting.

“It’s pretty remarkable,” Edwards said. “Usually it’s a lot of excitement and fun, and it’s a joy to witness.”

Edwards said that last year there were 138 K-12 students in Bozeman schools experiencing homelessness. There were also 23 unaccompanied high school students.

There were 82 students experiencing homelessness in the Belgrade School District, including 10 unaccompanied high school students.

Edwards did not have the amount of students experiencing homelessness this year because the district counts until the end of the year. However, she believed this year would be similar to the last.

“Every year it has kind of grown,” Edwards said. “Last year was the highest number of students.”

People can also donate to the Homeless Assistance Fund online or by check, Edwards said.

After five years, the project has begun to evolve into something bigger.

Pimley hopes to start a nonprofit that can provide the same service and help with next steps for kids, like funding a security deposit for an apartment or providing a computer to help them go to Gallatin College.

Local businesses, like Ambient Air Solutions, are acting as coaches on how to start a nonprofit the right way, Pimley said.

“It’s evolving into exactly what we had hoped for, in a way to help these kids down the road,” Pimley said.