[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 30 (Monday, March 14, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2642-S2643]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CELEBRATING NATIONAL SAFE PLACE WEEK

  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I am please to recognize the week of March 
13 through 19, 2005, as National Safe Place Week. As my colleagues 
know, the Senate adopted a resolution last week providing for this 
designation. I thank my colleague, Senator Feinstein, for her work on 
this issue, and I also thank the other cosponsors of this resolution: 
Senator Boxer, Senator Cochran, Senator Crapo, Senator DeWine, Senator 
Dodd, Senator Durbin, Senator Feingold, Senator Hatch, Senator Inhofe, 
Senator Inouye, Senator Isakson, Senator Johnson, Senator Kohl, Senator 
Landrieu, Senator Lieberman, Senator Lincoln, Senator Lugar, Senator 
Mikulski, and Senator Murkowski. The Senate's action recognizes the 
importance of Project Safe Place and sends a message that we will keep 
working to protect our children. In countless ours of selfless work, 
volunteers truly do make a difference every day, and in passing this 
resolution, the Senate applauds the tireless efforts of the thousands 
of dedicated volunteers across the nation for their many contributions 
to the youth of our Nation through Project Safe Place.
  Events of the day may turn our attention overseas, but it is 
essential to remember those who are fighting an ongoing battle right 
here at home to protect this Nation's must valuable resource: our 
children. Young people are the future of this Nation; they need to be 
both valued and protected. Sadly, however, as my colleagues know, this 
precious resource is threatened daily.
  There is a tremendous initiative between the public and private 
sector that has been reaching out to youth for over 20 years. Project 
Safe Place is a program that was developed to assist our Nation's youth 
and families in crisis. This partnership creates a network of private 
businesses trained to refer youth in need to the local service 
providers who can help them. Those businesses display a Safe Place sign 
so that young people can easily recognize a ``safe place'' for them to 
go to receive help.
  The goal of National Safe Place Week is to recognize the thousands of 
individuals who work to make Project Safe Place a reality. From trained 
volunteers to seasoned professionals, these dedicated individuals are 
working together with the resources in their local communities and 
through their ties across the Nation to serve young people. Because of 
Project Safe Place, this all happens under a well-known symbol of 
safety for in-crisis youth.
  Project Safe Place is a simple program to implement in any local 
community, and it works. Young people are more likely to seek help in 
locations that are familiar and nonthreatening to them. By creating a 
network of Safe Places across the Nation, all youth will have access to 
needed help, counseling, or a safe place to stay. However, though the 
program has already been established in 42 States, there are still too 
many communities that do not know about this valuable youth resource.
  If your State does not already have a Safe Place organization, please 
consider facilitating this worthwhile resource so that young people who 
are abused, neglected, or whose futures are jeopardized by physical or 
emotional trauma will have access to immediate help and safety in your 
community. To create more Project Safe Place sites in Idaho, the staff 
in several of my State offices have completed the training to make them 
Safe Place sites, and now have the skills and ability to assist 
troubled youth. In the coming years, Project Safe Place hopes that 
every child in America will have the opportunity to connect with 
someone who can provide immediate help by easily recognizing the Safe 
Place sign.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I also rise today to recognize 
National Safe Place Week, which begins on March 13, 2005.
  I am proud to join Senator Craig as an original cosponsor of S. Res. 
71, which designates the week of March 13-19, 2005 as National Safe 
Place Week. This resolution recognizes the participating businesses, 
community organizations, youth service agencies and volunteers that are 
part of the YMCA National Safe Place program and work for the safety 
and well-being of at-risk youth.
  Youth today face an ever-growing amount of pressure in their daily 
lives at school, at home, and in the community. For some youth, 
problems include abuse or neglect at home, drug or alcohol addictions 
of family members and friends, trouble at school or dangerous 
situations on a date. Young people who face these situations should not 
feel left alone, but should have a place in their community to which to 
turn.
  Over the past 22 years, the National Safe Place program has connected 
over 79,000 youth in crisis to immediate help at Safe Place locations 
and has provided over 78,000 youth with counseling by phone. Present in 
41 States and serving 714 communities, the National Safe Place program 
brings together the private and public sector to reach out and help at-
risk youth who are lost, scared, threatened or in unsafe situations. In 
my home State of California, there are nine designated Safe Place 
programs with over 1,667 Safe Place sites located in 65 communities.
  National Safe Place sites include fast food restaurants, convenience 
stores, fire stations, libraries and other public buildings and are 
marked by large, yellow Safe Place signs displayed prominently in front 
windows. Any youth can walk into a Safe Place site and receive 
immediate help from a trained volunteer, and further help from a Safe 
Place staff person who can provide counseling, residential assistance 
or professional referrals, as needed.
  The National Safe Place Week recognizes the time, resources and 
energy of thousands of businesses, community organizations and 
volunteers who make this effective, growing network of support for 
youth possible. In addition, it seeks to increase awareness of the 
crises that youth face today.
  I am encouraged by the National Safe Place Program's positive impact 
on communities throughout the Nation, and I hope that more communities 
will

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choose to participate in this innovative program. I believe that the 
National Safe Place program brings us closer to making our country safe 
for youth, and for that I offer my full support.

                          ____________________