[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 4320]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL SAFE PLACE WEEK

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to S. Res. 488.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 488) designating the week beginning 
     March 16, 2008 as ``National Safe Place Week.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid on the 
table, and there be no intervening action or debate, and any statements 
relating to this matter be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 488) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 488

       Whereas the youths of the United States will be the future 
     bearers of the bright torch of democracy;
       Whereas youths need a safe haven from various negative 
     influences, such as child abuse, substance abuse, and crime, 
     and youths need to have resources readily available to assist 
     them when faced with circumstances that compromise their 
     safety;
       Whereas the United States needs increased numbers of 
     community volunteers acting as positive influences on the 
     youths of the Nation;
       Whereas the Safe Place program is committed to protecting 
     the youths of the United States, the Nation's most valuable 
     asset, by offering short term safe places at neighborhood 
     locations where trained volunteers are available to counsel 
     and advise young people seeking assistance and guidance;
       Whereas the Safe Place program combines the efforts of the 
     private sector and nonprofit organizations to reach young 
     people in the early stages of crisis;
       Whereas the Safe Place program provides a direct way to 
     assist programs in meeting performance standards relative to 
     outreach and community relations, as set forth in the Runaway 
     and Homeless Youth Act (42 U.S.C. 5701 et seq.);
       Whereas the Safe Place placard displayed at businesses 
     within communities stands as a beacon of safety and refuge to 
     at-risk youths;
       Whereas more than 900 communities in 41 States make the 
     Safe Place program available at nearly 16,000 locations;
       Whereas more than 200,000 youths have gone to Safe Place 
     locations to get help when faced with crisis situations and 
     have received counseling by phone as a result of Safe Place 
     information the youths received at school;
       Whereas, through the efforts of Safe Place coordinators 
     across the United States, each year more than 500,000 
     students learn in a classroom presentation that the Safe 
     Place program is a resource they can turn to if they 
     encounter an abusive or neglectful situation, and 1,000,000 
     Safe Place information cards are distributed; and
       Whereas increased awareness of the Safe Place program will 
     encourage more communities to establish Safe Place locations 
     for the youths of the United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates the week of March 16 through March 22, 2008, 
     as ``National Safe Place Week''; and
       (2) calls upon the people of the United States and 
     interested groups to--
       (A) promote awareness of, and volunteer involvement in, the 
     Safe Place program; and
       (B) observe the week with appropriate ceremonies and 
     activities.

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