Crisis home closes after nearly 20 years of helping teens

PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon crisis home for teen girls has closed its doors after nearly 20 years of service.

The last resident of nonprofit Tonya's House left May 16. The house's board chairwoman Casey White-Zollman says arriving at the decision to end the organization took months of conversations and a hard look at the books.

Pendleton resident ElRae Wells founded the nonprofit in 1997. One year later, the community gave the nonprofit money to buy a home. And three years after that, the house began bringing in teen girls.

Data from the nonprofit states Tonya's House provided girls with more than 2,800 nights of housing.