[Archived] City of Alexandria Launches National Safe Place

For Immediate Release: September 30, 2011

The Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities is pleased to announce the launch of National Safe Place on Friday, September 30.   Safe Place is a national youth outreach program that provides 24-hour access to immediate help and supportive resources for all young people in crisis through a network of sites maintained by qualified agencies, businesses, trained staff and volunteers. The program educates thousands of young people every year across the nation about the dangers of running away or trying to resolve difficult, threatening situations on their own.

Youth in crisis may access Safe Place services by entering any location displaying a Safe Place sign and verbally or non-verbally seeking help.  The youth will be provided with a quiet, comfortable area to wait while the Safe Place Manager or Alexandria Safe Place office is contacted.  A trained responder will assess the youth’s needs and connect them with the appropriate service agency, counseling, shelter and/or transportation.

In all, the City of Alexandria has identified 24 locations: 11 recreation centers, 9 fire stations, 2 local shelters, 1 nonprofit and 1 youth service agency to join the network of thousands of businesses and public locations across the country in extend the doors of local youth serving agencies and displaying Safe Place's recognizable yellow and black diamond-shaped logo.
 
Kick off events are scheduled at all City of Alexandria recreation centers  and community lodgings on Friday, September 30 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., and the fire stations on Saturday, October 15. 

For additional information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/recreation, call the Alexandria Safe Place Office at 703.746.5400, or contact Alexandria’s Safe Place Coordinator, Ann Redfearn, at ann.redfearn@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.5410.