National Safe Place Week

LINCOLN, Neb. (COLON) – This week is National Safe Places Week, and advocates say it’s a great time to remind the Lincoln community that there is a program out there that helps teenagers in difficult situations at home.

The “Safe Place” program helps teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18. Organizers say the program has helped at least 15 Lincoln children in the past ten months. People can recognize the yellow and black signs posted at 58 locations around the city. These locations include all U-Stop gas stations, fire stations, Cheer Xpress on Aries Drive, The Bay on Y Street, and many more.

These signs tell teens that if they are home for reasons like abuse or neglect, they can go to these places and someone who works there will connect them with helpful Safe Place resources.

“So make sure they know they can go to those sites, those sites can link them to us, or they can come directly to us, and we’re there for them, we’re working with them, we’re working going through what’s going on and doing whatever we can to help them move forward,” said Jenny Danner, Safe Place Coordinator at City People’s Mission.

Danner meets teenagers who go to these “Safe Places” to first talk to them and try to reunite them with their families. If that’s not possible and they’re at least 16, he’ll take them on a mission.

For those between the ages of 13 and 15, Danner can involve the police or CEDARS Children’s Shelter if the child’s home is unsafe. City Mission is a four-bed, two-room facility that can be used by 16- to 18-year-olds in need of a place to stay.

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