Safe Place

Safe Place
The Youth Service Bureau (YSB) has organized an outreach effort to benefit runaway and homeless youth, as well as youth who feel that they are being threatened.  Project Safe Place, sponsored by the YSB as part of its community outreach program, offers youth in emergencies, temporary refuge in businesses and public buildings.  Included are youth who are street kids, homeless, have run away, or feel they are being threatened.  The project is designed to reach youth in the early stages of a crisis situation.

Volunteer outreach stations are established in each neighborhood in areas throughout the service area.  Eight volunteers, living in close proximity to each "Safe Place," are recruited and trained.  Each "Safe Place" displays a large sign featuring a yellow and black diamond-shaped "Safe Place" logo.

This logo is promoted through television public service announcements and news articles, and the logo is recognized as a place of safe refuge for youth.  When a child has approached a Safe Place for help, the YSB sends a pre-assigned volunteer, trained to handle these types of situations, to the scene within 15 minutes.  Once on the scene, the volunteer finds out what the problem is and acts accordingly.  Parents are notified as soon as possible of the whereabouts of their child.

This project does not have an outside funding source, therefore, YSB uses its existing resources to fund this program.  The project has proven to be an effective means of prevention since youth are more inclined to seek a safe place in their neighborhood.

Safe Place Sites:
Sangamon County	Christian County	Menard County	Logan County
Clem Chiropractic	CEFS - Pana	Menard County Health Dept.	YMCA
Document Management Inc.	CEFS - Taylorville
Domino's Pizza	Christian County Probation
Humphrey's Market	Christian County United Way
Illinois Dept. of Public Aid	First Presbyterian Church
Lincoln Library	St. Vincent's Hospital
Springfield Fire Departments	YMCA
St. John's Breadline
United Way of Central Illinois
Walmart on Dirksen Pkwy
YMCA