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Sometimes teenagers make decisions based on
emotions and choose to live in unsafe
situations, searching for the support they
feel they are lacking at home. Others, who
are aware, go to a designated Safe Place.
Here in Columbus, Ohio the designated Safe Place sites are
Kroger stores
(ones that are open 24 hours),
While Castle
restaurants and local area
fire
stations. So what is Safe Place? The staff at Huckleberry House
likes to call it the "front porch" to our house and the beginning of
what we do here.
Project Safe Place is a
national youth outreach program that educates young people about the
dangers of running away. Safe Place creates a network of public sites
that display the distinctive yellow and black Safe Place sign. A youth
in crisis walks into a designated Safe Place site and tells an employee
that they need Safe Place help. The employee will notify the local Safe
Place contact, which is the Huckleberry House for Franklin County. A
Huckleberry House staff person will then go to the Safe Place site and
assess how we can help the youth work towards turning their crisis
situation into an opportunity.
When asked to comment on
their participation in the national project, Fire Chief Ned Pettus Jr.
stated, "For years, neighborhood fire stations have been known as a safe
and friendly environment. Firefighters serve as role models to many
neighborhood children and we constantly encourage young individuals to
be the best the can be."
"Safe Place is a wonderful
program that gives young people the right to make one crucial decision,
the right to stay safe," says Youth Outreach Program supervisor, Shawn
Daniels. "When young people find themselves in a crisis, they often feel
frightened, alone and without options. Safe Place gives these young
people options where they can go to any Kroger, White Castle or fire
station and receive immediate safety and professional support."
Everyday, between 1.3
million and 2.8 million runaway and homeless youth live on the streets
of America. One out of every seven children will run away before the age
of 18. Programs like Project Safe Place address these disturbing numbers
by giving kids alternatives to living on the streets. More information
on Project Safe Place is available at
www.nationalsafeplace.org. |
