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Declaring the Week of March 17 to March 23, 2019 as “National Safe Place Week” in the City of Philadelphia.
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WHEREAS, Young people deserve a safe haven where they can live free from physical and emotional abuse and neglect, substance abuse, and crime. Youth must be provided with resources and supports when they are placed in unsafe environments and situations; and
WHEREAS, The Safe Place Program supports young people in crisis with critical resources to ensure their immediate safety. Through designating businesses and organizations as safe locations where youth can access resources and information, the Safe Place model provides critical protections; and
WHEREAS, Safe Place has built partnerships with community centers, civic institutions, and businesses to offer these crucial services to youth. Locations range from businesses such as restaurants, convenience stores, and movie theaters to community-based institutions such as libraries, fire stations, and schools; and
WHEREAS, The Safe Place Program is also dedicated to protecting Philadelphia youth by offering short-term housing, where trained volunteers provide counseling and support; and
WHEREAS, More than 1,400 communities in 38 states administer the Safe Place Program at more than 22,000 locations. Over 40 locations are located within the City of Philadelphia. More than 359,000 youth have been helped at a Safe Place location and 12,000 youth per year have received direct services from Safe Place; and
WHEREAS, Since the Program’s inception in 1983, more than 15 million youth have been educated through the National Safe Place Network’s outreach efforts, which seek to familiarize young people with the Safe Place sign and provide them with information about how to seek refuge; and
WHEREAS, In order to meet the needs of our City’s most vulnerable young people, we must increase the number of mentors for young people. Relationships with mentors, and relationships between mentors and the institutions that they are connected to, create a strong community-based network that can effectively serve youth who lack supports or are exposed to trauma. Increased awareness will encourage communities to establish Safe Place locations where youth can readily access the help they need; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Declares the week of March 17 to March 23, 2019 as “National Safe Place Week” in the City of Philadelphia.
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