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Published Sunday, October 30, 2011 in Religion

Children's Village kicks off Project Safe Place program

From Staff Reports

closeup@newnan.com

The Children's Village at Christian City welcomed representatives from the Union City mayor's office and fire department, Chris's Kids and the Salvation Army to the official kick-off for Project Safe Place.

The Safe Place program is a nationally acclaimed outreach program that brings businesses and volunteers together to provide help and safety to runaway youth facing abuse, neglect or serious family problems. According to the National Safe Place 2009 annual report, 2.8 million teens run away from home each year, and more than 50 percent have reported that their parents told them to leave or knew they were leaving but did not care.

Safe Place consists of a network of more than 17,000 partnering businesses and community buildings -- such as fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, fire stations, public buses and libraries -- that display Safe Place signs in their windows. As endangered youth enter the designated Safe Place locations and ask for help, trained staff members connect the endangered youth to an appropriate local shelter for proper assistance.

The Safe Place program, which has helped more than 250,000 youth since its inception in 1983, serves nearly 1,500 communities across the country. It is managed by 140 youth-serving agencies such as the Children's Village at Christian City, in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

The Children's' Village at Christian City is a certified Safe Place agency and shelter.

Brooke Oakley is Safe Place coordinator for Christian City. Shemeka Frazier, Transitionz program director for Christ Kids; Janet Tharp of the Salvation Army; and Noelle Porter, Children's Village program/clinical director took part in the event kicking off Safe Place at Christian City.

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