Safety Net for Youth

Since TXT 4 HELP launched almost a year ago, it has become an asset to youth service providers, parents, and youth that are looking for a Safe Place to go in a time of need. With nearly 4,400 people accessing the service since last October, TXT 4 Help is connecting youth to help in a variety of ways.

The Relatives agency in Charlotte, NC recently shared a success story with the National Safe Place office in which TXT 4 HELP played a vital role in directing a youth in a crisis situation to a Safe Place:

A young lady called our shelter scared, spoke quietly and had stated that she had been beaten by her father. She was kicked out of her home so she ran to a house of a person who was sitting on their steps outside. She used their phone to contact our agency. She did not know how to get to the agency nor did she know how to use the bus system. I had asked her the address and proceeded to use my blackberry to text SAFE to 69866, put in her address and within a minute a reply with the name of the Park and Recreation site which we just acquired in May. Needless to say she was guided to that spot where we picked her up and took her to the shelter where she is receiving adequate care and help that is needed.

- Curtis Joe, The Relatives Safe Place Coordinator

Whether it's a youth utilizing TXT 4 HELP, a Safe Place Coordinator, or a member of the community, youth in crisis are getting connected to the services they need. Advancing technology has made cell phones and text messaging available to virtually everyone, and TXT 4 HELP can provide almost instant access to a Safe Place site or emergency youth shelter. When neither a Safe Place location or a youth shelter is within a 50 mile radius, the youth is provided the National Runaway Switchboard hotline number: 1-800-Runaway where they are connected to a live person instantly.

In the future, parents and youth can try out the TXT 4 HELP program to find out where the closest Safe Place site is to their home or school. Just type the word SAFE and your home or school address (street address, city, state) to 69866 and within seconds a text message will be sent back with the closest Safe Place site or Youth Shelter. Knowing these locations in advance can help youth get access to help quicker in a time of need.

"I once heard a story about a homeless man on Hollywood Boulevard who really thought he was invisible. It is not hard to comprehend this man's slow spiral into invisibility. Once on the street, people started to walk past him, ignoring him as if he didn't exist?much like they do to a piece of thrash on the side walk. I not only feel their pain, I truly know their pain. You would never know it now, but I was a homeless person. Fourteen years ago, I lived on Hollywood Boulevard," - Mark Horvath.

Mark Horvath is on a personal mission to tell the story of homeless people across America. Horvath is a documentary filmmaker who is determined to give homeless people a voice and a face so they will no longer remain invisible to the world around them.

This summer, Horvath is embarking on a road trip across the United States with a documentary team to show the effects of homelessness across the country. Last summer, he visited over 25 cities including two Safe Place agencies, Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth in Las Vegas, and Youth Oasis in Baton Rouge, LA. This year he is interested in highlighting the Safe Place program again in hopes to get an in depth look at how our agencies provide resources to homeless youth nationally.

Maybe you've seen a Safe Place sign in your neighborhood. I know whenever I see one I smile. It's really a very cool and simple idea. When teens have a problem often they don't have anyplace to go. When a kid sees this sign they know that it is a "safe place" for them and they will be connected to real help. Gosh, I wonder how much that would have changed me when I was raising hell as a teenager?" -Mark Horvath

Horvath will be visiting Wichita Children's Home in Wichita, KS at the end of July. Toward the end of August, he will be visiting the National Safe Place office and YMCA Safe Place Services in Louisville, KY, as well as Homeward Bound/Brighton Center in Newport, KY. During his visit, Horvath will be exploring Safe Place's national approach to assist homeless youth as well as the efforts on the local level with street outreach and raising awareness about the issue.

Horvath has experienced first hand the depths of being homeless in America. After pushing himself off the streets, Horvath decided to give a face to the 'invisible people' among us by launching his website: Invisible People, where he shares short video clips of homeless people one at a time. His site has struck a cord with many for its raw visuals of homeless life. He utilizes the power of social media to draw attention to his cause and has gained a passionate following on Twitter with Invisible People and his personal account, @HardlyNormal. Amongst his followers are a diverse group of homeless advocates, non-profits, and people wanting to help make a change.

As Horvath interviews people, he inquires about their situation and usually ends with the question: "If you had three wishes, what would they be?" When having that same question countered to him, Horvath responds: "My first wish would be that people really see the reality of homelessness, and that we develop communities and work as a team to solve the problem."And the third: "I would like security and normalcy to my life, but with a name like HardlyNormal, it's never going to happen."

His outreachwork is gaining widespread attention. Ford Motor Company donated a vehicle for his 2010 Summer Road trip and most recently he won the Pepsi Refresh Grant for invisiblepeople.tv to help homeless people utilize social media to tell their story and help themselves out of poverty.

To learn more about Mark Horvath, check out his website: http://www.invisiblepeople.tv/ or you can follow him on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hardlynormal and www.twitter.com/invisiblepeople

National Safe Place, in collaboration with Indiana University, have their first academic article featured in the Journal for Youth and Adolescence highlighting the effects of the Safe Place program for youth in need.

National Safe Place: Meeting the Immediate Needs of Runaway and Homeless Youth

Abstract: An estimated 1.6 million youth run away from home each year. While on the run, these youth are vulnerable to exploitation, victimization, increased dangers and perpetration of criminal behavior. Runaway and homeless youth are far more likely to engage in substance use and delinquent behavior, drop out of school and suffer from sexually transmitted diseases and mental illness at greater rates than the norm. Timely and direct intervention in runaway and throwaway cases is imperative to protect youth from the high risks of living on the streets. National Safe Place is an outreach and prevention program that is uniquely designed to provide immediate safety and access to services for any youth in need. In partnership with over 360 youth serving agencies and over 10,000 businesses and community organizations across the United States, the Safe Place program educates youth about alternatives to running away and homelessness and provides easily accessible links to service providers. Ongoing data collection indicates that National Safe Place has been successful in reaching endangered youth at risk of abuse, neglect or serious family problems but that expanded program models remain needed. The challenges and successes of current programming and the future of National Safe Place program expansion are discussed.

National Safe Place Week is next week! March 14-20! Our next success story comes from Fort Worth, TX:

ACH Child & Family Services

A 17-year-old girl was transported to a Safe Place site from a local hospital. When a counselor met with her, she reported that she actually lived four hours away from the area, and was here visiting her boyfriend. She said that she met her boyfriend online and had been communicating with him via chat and phone for the past six months.

He picked her up at her house last week and she immediately found out that he was not who he said he was. He told her that he was 18, but she found out that he was actually 22. He would not let her out of his house or allow her to use a phone unsupervised. He became violent with her when she questioned these things, so the girl was afraid she would not be able to get out.

One day he began to use several drugs and became extremely violent; she knew she had to get out. When she attempted to leave, he beat her up severely: punching her and kicking her all over, dragging her by her feet and choking her. She was finally able to get away to a neighbor's house, where 911 was called.

While she was at the hospital, it was determined that she could not return home because her father had no means of transportation and no money for a bus ticket. She was then referred to Safe Place. While the counselor was meeting with her, she stated that she never filed a police report on her boyfriend and wanted to do so. The counselor was able to assist her in this. The counselor was also able to connect with Traveler's Aid DFW, a Safe Place site, and they agreed to give the girl a reduced bus ticket home the following day. She was able to stay at our shelter for the night, then return home to her dad the next afternoon.

Today's success story comes from Family Connections, Inc., Franklin, IN

A male youth at the local school had always been an A/B student, was on the basketball team, and well liked by his peers. The youth had always gotten along with his father as well until this last year. He had begun to struggle in school and had just quit the soccer team after getting into a fight with another player.

Teachers had begun to complain about his behavior in class over the last couple weeks. The school counselor had called the youth into his office to find out what was going on. It was then that the counselor learned that he was no longer living at home. The youth had ran away from home and had been staying with various friends ever since. This had been going on for two weeks.

Fortunately, the counselor was well aware of the Safe Place program at Family Connection and placed a call to Family Connection for help. After talking with the male youth about the program, he agreed to come to Family Connection for a safe place to stay rather than staying with friends. Also, the counselor contacted his father to help make arrangements for them to come to Family Connection together that afternoon.

At first, the youth refused to talk about his story. All he would say was that he got into an argument with his father and left. After a few days, he started to trust the staff and decided to share his side of the story. It turned out that he had run away from home after having an argument with his father. In the past year, the arguments with his father had increased due to his declining grades. The youth also said that his father had stopped trusting him after he found out that he would skip soccer practice to hang out with his girlfriend of whom the father strongly disapproved.

As his grades continued to slide and as he continued to find ways to see his girlfriend, his father became increasingly stricter and would not allow him to do what he wanted. Soon, he found his grades declining, soccer gone, and his relationship with his father destroyed.

Then, one weekend, the youth and his father had a huge argument in which both of them started yelling, and the young man made the claim that he hated his dad and he no longer wanted his father to be his father. At that, his father said, "Fine, then leave; this is no longer your home."

While the youth was working with the staff at Family Connection, the staff was also working with his father who also regretted the words he said. The father just wanted help and thought his son would eventually come home and regret those words. However, his father desperately wanted him back at home and wanted to get some help for their relationship.

One of the counselor's at Family Connection met with the father and son on a regular basis to try to help them work through some of the issues they had as a family. While it took a couple weeks, both of them were able to apologize for their words and were able to begin to talk about the real issues that were going on in each of their lives.

After spending three weeks at Family Connection, the youth and his father were ready to return home and resume their lives together. While there were still some issues, the father and son continued in counseling together to work through some of those issues.

However, both of them were equipped with the skills to try to better deal with conflict and their anger. The youth was also able to see why his father was so hard on him about his grades. He was able to improve his grades by the end of the year and show his previous commitment to school. He also decided to sign up for basketball this coming year, as it was one of his passions in life.

National Safe Place Week is March 14-20, 2010, today's success story comes from Omaha, NE

Youth Emergency Services, Omaha, NE,

A male youth called the Safe Place hotline on December 30, 2008. His mother and step-father had not been able to accept his lifestyle and had forbidden him to return home. He couch surfed from relatives to friends for several weeks. The day he called the SP hotline, he said he had decided he had had enough and wanted to change his life. He was tired of not having a "home".

Staff picked him up and talked to him about the Emergency Shelter and Transitional Living programs that Y.E.S. offered. He was thrilled to have the possibility of somewhere he could call home. He was brought to the YES Shelter and was provided with a safe place to stay and begin his new life.

He found out he was eligible for a scholarship and was able to begin college, learning the skills to become a beautician. He has since, moved into the YES Transitional Living Program, where he continues to go to school, and work part-time. He tells the staff often how grateful he is that he decided to make the phone call that day.

In honor of National Safe Place Week, March 14-20, 2010, here is our next success story from Noblesville, IN:

Promising Futures of Central Indiana, Noblesville, IN

On Jan 5th, a call was received at Hamilton Centers Youth Service Bureau (a Safe Place site) stating that a 17 year old male child was going to be homeless. He would be homeless because his mother was in a Nursing Home/Rehab Facility due to an illness that resulted in a medically necessary surgery and extensive recovery. Because she was in a nursing home, her 3 children had no place to go.

Of the 3 children, (17, 16, & 10) 1 was placed with family & another with a social service agency; however, the 17 year old child was having difficulties being placed. This is where HCYSB Safe Place & Host Home Coordinator began action and made several calls to volunteers and was able to find a placement for him. During his placement with the volunteer family, it was imperative that permanent placement for the client be found because it was uncertain if or when his mother would recover and leave the nursing home/rehab facility rendering him homeless after the brief stay with the volunteer family.

There was only one possibility for this youth to get his life on track and a stable living arrangement. So a call was made to the only possibility, a Transitional Living Program in Indianapolis, IN, and an appointment was scheduled to complete the client in-person interview. Both the client and coordinator went over both personal and professional interview-like questions of things that may be difficult for him to articulate. With this preparation, the client interviewed well and was accepted into the program.

We were both excited because this is giving him the chance to become the teacher he wants to become and a self-esteem boost. He has taken the SAT Exam, secured a job, and appears to be on the right path. He has been very gracious for the services that were extended to him through HCYSB Safe Place & Host Home Coordinator.

National Safe Place Week is March 14-20, 2010. To show our appreciation to all of our amazing agencies and Safe Place sites acorss the United States we would like share their success stories to provide a reminder of why we do what we do everyday.

ACH Child & Family Services, Ft. Worth, TX

A high school counselor brought two teenage sisters to a QuikTrip before the end of the school day. They reported that their parents were severely beating them. These girls, ages 16 and 15, had bruises and welts covering their bodies. They stated that they had been hit with belts, boxing gloves, extension cords and blind switches the night before. Their parents accused them of stealing a camera and did not believe them when they denied it.

The girls both said that they and their siblings had been hurt by their parents several times in the past, but were afraid to tell anyone. They said that, in the past, asking for help with what was going on at home only made things worse for them later. A counselor transported the girls to the shelter and made a report to Child Protective Services. A CPS worker came out the next day and decided to take custody of the two girls and their five sisters.

At the last report given, all the siblings were going to two different foster homes for a short time, with the goal that they can all be in the same foster home in the very near future. They are in homes very close to each other, so they are all able to be together daily.

In honor of National Safe Place Week coming up, National Safe Place would like to highlight great success stories from our agencies across the United States.

Today's Success Story:

The Salvation Army Glendale, Glendale, CA

A young man called in one evening after reading a Safe Place poster in the local mall. He said, "Thank you so much for answering, I really need help." He had been homeless for weeks since he discovered that his mother was stealing from him to feed her alcoholism.

He told us his mother provided nothing for him in her house, no food, nothing but a string of boyfriends. The last one had indicated that the young man was no longer welcome.

By the time the young man called Safe Place, he hadn't slept or eaten in three days. He was suicidal, certain that if he died no one would even notice. He was anxious to accept shelter and any benefits available to him. All he wanted to do was join the National Guard and get off the streets until he could enlist.

He called back to Safe Place to check in everyday for the next two weeks; we were the only ones he felt cared that he was alive.

I struggled for a week with this entry, there have been so many experiences that I could blog about. I wanted to praise Youth Services System, Inc. and all that they do within this community. I wanted to praise the executive director, John Moses, whose leadership and selfless dedication is an inspiration. I wanted to praise the community, for their support; the awesome members of "my" Safe Place Advisory Committee, who stick with me; and development director, Mike Toothman, my current supervisor, for taking me under his wing.

I know that it appears that "I" am doing great things here in my VISTA assignment; I don't see it that way. Great things come from the energy and support of the amazing individuals that I have around me.

Why do I serve? That is simple; I serve because I was asked to. When I hit a brick wall or get overwhelmed, I remind myself that I am here for a reason. Sometimes it is just about this day, sometimes this moment. I may never know the purpose for my being here, or the difference that it may make. It doesn't matter; I just feel honored to have been chosen.

The late Ron Mulholland, founder of Youth Services, Inc. said, "A statement made in clear and unequivocal language-we care about kids. That there is no other priority, or agenda other than kids, and that we individually and corporately will sacrifice ourselves for kids."

I believe in the Safe Place Program, I believe in this agency, this community-MY community. It is that passion that I believe others can see when I talk about the Youth Services System Safe Place Program. To me, that is what makes the difference.

Sondra Jackson is a VISTA for the Safe Place Program at Youth Service Systems in Wheeling, WV

In his "I See the Promised Land" speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. expounded on the famous Biblical parable known as the "Good Samaritan" and had this to say:

[T]he first question that the Levite asked was, "If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?" But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: "If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?".

I have spent a lot of time waxing philosophical to any who will listen about the impact that joining AmeriCorps has had on my life; I quit a job I genuinely enjoyed, left the big City, my friends, my apartment, the life I had built for myself and traded it for a car that b/rarely works, a miniscule income, a strange town, and a profound sense of uncertainty. I can even go on and on about why I did it: restlessness, a desire to give back, my passion for education, an urge to reprioritize my life. But at the end of the day, I have to remind myself that these things really shouldn't matter very much.

The week before this past Christmas, I found myself in Homeward Bound's rec room, a guest at a party that was being thrown by a group of community members for the youth staying in the shelter. The space was full of people: employees, kids, volunteers, cheer-bringers. In the middle of the festivities, a policeman appeared at the door with a young man in tow, a runaway who was far from home. The shelter coordinator, Kate Arthur, went into immediate action, rallying together the shelter employees to process the new addition. The young man not only received immediate counseling and support but was soon in the thrust of the party, receiving gifts as just another member of this unorthodox family.

I don't know what the future has in store for that young man, but with an unfortunate number of runaways trying to survive on the streets, I think it's important that he was able to sleep on a bed, under a roof, surrounded by people with a genuine concern for his welfare.

What is my role in all of this? It feels so small. When I hit constant road blocks, see constant disappointment, I feel as if I have done nothing to help youth like that aforementioned young man. I wonder if it is even worth me being here. These are the moments, at the end of days such as this, when I must remember that it does not matter why I have chosen to be here, why it does not matter how this makes me feel. I was the first person to open the door for the policeman that night and it is easy for me to take on the attitude that anyone could have done it, that others would have been more initially helpful to him, but if it had not been me, who would it have been? Who should it have been?

As MLK day quickly approaches, it is easy for me to stop to consider how fortunate I am to be an African-American female with a college degree, to be thankful that I can sit in the front of the bus, eat at a lunch counter, use a public restroom, etc. and I do believe that it is important for me to do so. I also believe that it was part of Dr. King's dream for all to be so fortunate and, as it stands, there are still youth of myriad race, class, intelligence who don't have a chance to live so safe a life. Because this chasm has been naught to me, it is my responsibility to turn around and help to build the bridge for the youth who follow, regardless of how good or bad the effort makes me feel at times, regardless of whether or not, in the end, I gave up everything only to be the person who opened one front door for one young man.

Marian Kelly is the Safe Place VISTA at the Homeward Bound Runaway Shelter in Covington, KY.

Posting this InvisiblePeople.TV interview with Larry Lovelett, Homeless Youth Transition Specialist and Safe Place director for the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY). NPHY operates the Safe Place program in the greater Las Vegas area.

Larry has a great conversation with Mark Horvath (read more about Mark and InvisiblePeople.tv in a previous post) about the challenges homeless youth face in a major metro area like Las Vegas and about the resources that NPHY and other runaway and homeless youth shelters offer to kids in crisis and their families every day.

Thanks again to Mark for including the often untold story of homeless -- more than 1.3 million children are homeless -- in his travels and highlighting Safe Place as an outlet for help to youth on the streets and to any youth who may be experiencing problems, whether they have a home or not.

Zach Bonner, the 11-year-old walking to raise awareness for homeless youth from his home in Tampa, has arrived at his final stop in Washington, DC. The Washington Post profiles him as one of a growing number of young philanthropists. [Atlanta Constitution Journal] [Washington Post]

LifePlace and Forsaken Generation, a youth homeless awareness project, have begun "The Revolution Tour," a summer concert tour that kicks off in Syracuse, NY on July 25. Additional cities include New York, Los Angeles, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Dallas and Tulsa. Safe Place programs in these cities take note of the possible opportunity: proceeds from the tour will benefit runaway and homeless youth shelters in the concert cities. [Eagle Newspapers] [LifePlace / Forsaken Generation]

Peter Rankaitis, executive director of Project Oz, the Safe Place agency in Bloomington, Ill., is quoted in a Youth Today story detailing deep cuts and their impact to the state's social service network. Rankaitis says that the Illinois now provides less actual dollars for his organization's runaway and homeless youth services than it did in 2000. [Youth Today]

Youth Services of Tulsa and its transitional living program are featured as the agency celebrates its 40th anniversary. Story highlights that 409 youth asked for help at a Safe Place location and were connected to YST in 2007. [Tulsa World]

Police in Clearwater, Fla. arrested four men who had sex with a 12-year-old runaway girl. [CBS News]

New Roads, the rebuilt downtown facility for Looking Glass, has opened. Looking Glass is the organization that manages Safe Place in Eugene, Ore. [Eugene Register-Guard]

The local Kiwanis Club in Stillwater, Okla. is supporting the Payne Co. Safe Place program. [Stillwater News Press]

Chicago ABC affiliate speaks with Steve Simpson, youth advocate and author of "Runaway," about how to speak with children during the economic downturn. [WLS]

All-State in Columbia, Mo. has awarded Central Missouri Community Action, a local homeless youth provider, with a $1,000 grant after five interns worked as investigative reporters on local nonprofits to select the recipient [KOMU]

Urban Opportunities ? a job-readiness program for at-risk and homeless youth in Portland, Ore. ? and social enterprise efforts through its pink mobile doughnut van are profiled. [The Oregonian]

Three San Antonio youth from a local transitional living program are receiving job training from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. [San Antonio News-Express]

Kathy Lauer-Williams uses her column to present possible options for an Allentown, Penn. family to support their 14-year-old daughter who has run away but returned home on two occasions. [Allentown Morning Call]

The Youth Service Bureau in South Bend, Ind. is seeking volunteers for its street outreach program. [South Bend Tribune]

Summer is a time for roadtrips -- weekend getaways, off-the-beaten-path side excursions and adventures to places you've never been before. Sometimes there can be nothing more relaxing than dropping the windows, cranking some tunes and setting out for a couple hours with no destination in mind. One man though, Mark Horvath of Los Angeles, is embarking on a roadtrip of a whole different kind, one that hopes to bring real impact to the more than 3.5 million homeless across the country.

From a release about Mark's trip:

Starting today, Horvath will visit over 25 cities across the nation in order to help bring understanding and knowledge to the growing homeless crisis. Because he knows homelessness does not discriminate, Horvath will visit a mix of rural areas, larger cities, shelters and youth facilities to bring a voice to the voiceless through the power of social media. Personal stories of those who are homeless will be posted on Horvath's vlog, YouTube and Vimeo, and through social networks including Twitter and Facebook. In addition, he will share stories in real-time on Whrrl as he visits these communities.

For 49 days and more than 8,500 miles Mark plans to travel the country and let homeless individuals tell their own story on his Web site, InvisiblePeople.tv. Because children make up more than one-third of nation's 3.5 million homeless, Mark will visit a number of runaway and homeless youth shelters and youth drop-in centers during his visit. During one of his first cities he'll visit, Las Vegas, Mark will visit the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, the organization that manages Safe Place in the greater Las Vegas area.

There he'll see an example of one of 140 Safe Place programs that operate a public-private partnership to connect youth in crisis with safety, shelter and counseling resources. In Las Vegas, Nevada Partnership has recruited all Terrible Herbst convenience stores, Joe's Crab Shack restaurants and city's bus system (Citizen Area Transit) to serve as locations where local youth can ask for help. Employees at Safe Place locations are trained to call the Nevada Partnership where a licensed professional is dispatched to arrive within 20 minutes. In 2008, 297 youth in the Las Vegas were connected to the Nevada Partnership's services after asking for help at a Safe Place location.

National Safe Place will also be looking to connect Mark with other Safe Place programs in the communities where he plans to visit. You can follow Mark's thoughts from the road on InvisiblePeople.tv's Twitter feed.

Special thanks to his sponsors -- Ford Motor Company has given Mark the use of a new Ford Flex for his trip; Hanes has donated socks to be given to homeless; and Whrrl is another lead sponsor -- and best of luck to him on this meaningful journey.

Summer is a time for roadtrips -- weekend getaways, off-the-beaten-path side excursions and adventures to places you've never been before. Sometimes there can be nothing more relaxing than dropping the windows, cranking some tunes and setting out for a couple hours with no destination in mind. One man though, Mark Horvath of Los Angeles, is embarking on a roadtrip of a whole different kind, one that hopes to bring real impact to the more than 3.5 million homeless across the country.

From a release about Mark's trip:

Starting today, Horvath will visit over 25 cities across the nation in order to help bring understanding and knowledge to the growing homeless crisis. Because he knows homelessness does not discriminate, Horvath will visit a mix of rural areas, larger cities, shelters and youth facilities to bring a voice to the voiceless through the power of social media. Personal stories of those who are homeless will be posted on Horvath's vlog, YouTube and Vimeo, and through social networks including Twitter and Facebook. In addition, he will share stories in real-time on Whrrl as he visits these communities.

For 49 days and more than 8,500 miles Mark plans to travel the country and let homeless individuals tell their own story on his Web site, InvisiblePeople.tv. Because children make up more than one-third of nation's 3.5 million homeless, Mark will visit a number of runaway and homeless youth shelters and youth drop-in centers during his visit. During one of his first cities he'll visit, Las Vegas, Mark will visit the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth, the organization that manages Safe Place in the greater Las Vegas area.

There he'll see an example of one of 140 Safe Place programs that operate a public-private partnership to connect youth in crisis with safety, shelter and counseling resources. In Las Vegas, Nevada Partnership has recruited all Terrible Herbst convenience stores, Joe's Crab Shack restaurants and city's bus system (Citizen Area Transit) to serve as locations where local youth can ask for help. Employees at Safe Place locations are trained to call the Nevada Partnership where a licensed professional is dispatched to arrive within 20 minutes. In 2008, 297 youth in the Las Vegas were connected to the Nevada Partnership's services after asking for help at a Safe Place location.

National Safe Place will also be looking to connect Mark with other Safe Place programs in the communities where he plans to visit. You can follow Mark's thoughts from the road on InvisiblePeople.tv's Twitter feed.

Special thanks to his sponsors -- Ford Motor Company has given Mark the use of a new Ford Flex for his trip; Hanes has donated socks to be given to homeless; and Whrrl is another lead sponsor -- and best of luck to him on this meaningful journey.

Youth Services of Tulsa, the area's Safe Place provider, will celebrate its 40th anniversary on July 16.
[Bixby Bulletin]

Looking Glass Family and Youth Services, the Safe Place agency in Eugene, Ore., will move into a rebuilt facility this week after a fire destroyed the building last year. [Register-Guard] [KVAL]

LifeWorks, a runaway and homeless youth provider in Austin, Tex., will hold a "White Party" to support its Street Outreach program. [News 8 Austin]

Pathways Homeless Youth Center is recruiting sites to become "Lemon Aid" stands to support the Milwaukee-area shelter. [WISN]

Sparky Harlan, executive director of the Bill Wilson Center, the Safe Place agency in Santa Clara, Calif., blogs about the "grand slam" service a 15-year-old resident received from the shelter. [Sparky's blog]

Harriet Boorhem, president of Promise House, the Safe Place agency in Dallas, discusses local fundraising for the 2011 Super Bowl in Dallas and asks that the community consider additional options for its support. [Harriet's blog]

A brother and sister, ages 10 and 6, were rescued south of Louisville by a Good Samaritan after running from their abusive home. The mother and her boyfriend have been arrested. [WAVE]

A registered sex offender in Tampa was arrested after police said he had sex with a 16-year-old runaway girl. [Tampa Tribune]

A runaway boy from Gwinnett, Ga. drowned while in West Virginia. [Gwinnett Daily Post]