Project Safe Place in 2006 Minimize

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·         Project Safe Place served 39 youth in 2006

·         82 % of these youth were reunited with their families, 7.5% were referred to another resource or agency, 5.5% were placed with another relative, and only 5% of these youth decided not use the Shelter after initially seeking Safe Place Help

·         Over 11,000 youth and adults learned about Project Safe Place in 2006, through 172 community and school presentations

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Project Safe Place

Project Safe Place is a National program that began in Louisville, Kentucky in 1983.  This innovative program works by creating a network of "Safe Places": businesses and public locations that display the Safe Place logo on their premises.  Any youth in trouble knows that he or she can enter a location bearing this sign and request help.  An employee will provide the youth with a secure place to wait while the local shelter is contacted.  The Shelter then dispatches a trained volunteer to the Safe Place site to offer assistance and provide transportation to the Shelter if necessary. 

Currently, Project Safe Place signs can be found in various communities throughout 42 states.  The Gwinnett Children's Shelter began hosting the Safe Place program in 1998.  Since then, a network of 109 sites have been developed to provide youth throughout Gwinnett access to fast, free help!

Once a youth decides to be transported to the Shelter, the youth meets with counselors at the Shelter and parents are contacted. Shelter staff works with youth and their families to resolve the family crisis and services are aimed towards family reunification.  The Shelter is also able to provide a wide variety of resources to families in need as well as free family counseling. 

TYPES OF YOUTH SERVED THROUGH PROJECT SAFE PLACE

·         A teen from a home where a family crisis or breakdown in communication has occurred.

·         Latchkey kids who lose their key.

·         Kids being picked on by bigger and older kids.

·         A teen with friends who are drinking and driving.

·         Youth who feel they are being threatened by a stranger

·         Youth from neglectful or abusive homes

·         Youth who have runaway or have been kicked out. 

Safe Place Sites in Gwinnett

QuikTrip             Publix          YMCA             Boys and Girls Clubs

           Kroger      County Libraries                Buford Auto Plaza

Dr. Parson's Office        Collision Care         American Sportsplex

Buford Human Service Center, Pinckneyville & Centerville  Community Center    

Chick-fil-A  (Lawrenceville, Suwanee, Tucker, Lilburn, Norcross)                       

 

Click Here to find out more about being a Safe Place Volunteer!!!

To Learn More about the National Safe Place program, please follow this Link:

www.safeplaceservices.org