Some people think teenage mothers are irresponsible.

Amber Oby, 17, says it's that kind of stereotypical thinking that leaves Florence Crittenton, a home for pregnant or parenting young women, in need of staff and volunteers.

Oby is nine months pregnant and a former resident of Florence Crittenton's Pathways to Success Program. She describes the home as a place for young mothers to go to be protected, helped and supported when no one else is there.

Barb Burton, executive director of Florence Crittenton, said the home's situation is like many today in terms of its need for employees.

"It's a huge issue right now for agencies like ours to get staff," she said.

Currently, the home has about 48 staff members and volunteers, but because care is provided 24 hours per day, 60 would be the facility's optimal number of staff.

But many types of people would enjoy being around the residents and babies of Florence Crittenton, Burton said. And the best part is, she said, people who work or volunteer at the home leave feeling like they've really contributed.

Jane Bucks, 62, raised six children and reached a point in her life three years ago when she wanted to work outside her home. Florence Crittenton was a good fit, she said.

"It's an amazing place to work -- people bring such a commitment to these young women," she said. "I have such a deep respect for (the residents) and their stories."

Bucks, a direct care staff member and lactation counselor, said the girls bring a decade and a half of extreme difficulties and she learns from their resilience.

"Many haven't been parented," she said. "And that leaves scars."

Some residents eat dinner at a table for the first time while at the home, learning about meals and conversations, while others find out for the first time what it feels like to be tucked in, she said.

The young women become empowered through education and staff support as they learn their own capability to be pregnant, give birth and parent, Bucks said.

There are moments, she said, when she sits back and thinks, "Wow, isn't this amazing?"

Oby is due at the end of this month and plans to name her son Zyrus.

She is more ready to be a parent because of her experiences at Florence Crittenton, where she learned about attachment, breast feeding, infant health and budgeting -- a laundry list of life skills.

Oby left the home more confident, happy and healthy than she was six month ago when she moved into the home from Deer Lodge.

"I learned more about parenting and pregnancy than I knew there was," she said. "It's more complicated than I thought."

It's because of people like Bucks that Oby's life is changed.

"They are people who really care on a personal level. It's not just a job for people like Jane," Oby said. "She likes to be there for people even when she doesn't have to for her job."

Burton said the only requirement to work or volunteer at Florence Crittenton is a strong commitment.

"What we invest in the girls will go on for generations," she said.

And Oby can attest to that.

"I feel like everything is going to be OK," she said.

Click here to go to the Florence Crittenton Web site.

Reporter Alana Listoe: 447-4081 or alana.listoe@helenair.com