If you've ever seen this "Safe Place" sign at your local QuikTrip, you may have thought it peculiarly resembled another traffic sign or you may just have overlooked it completely.
However, the sign isn't intended to regulate traffic; its sole purpose is to save lives. Recognizing and spotting the signs can be life or death for some people.
Safe Place is a national organization aimed at getting immediate help to teens and children in very hard situations. Whether they are being bullied at school, abused by an adult, or a romantic partner, Safe Place will get immediate help.
That means a trained employee will escort the young person to a safe place and not tell anyone that they are there but the authorities.
It's hard to imagine that our loved ones won't come to us in a difficult situation, but these kinds of tragedies often create a lot of guilt and shame — they just may not be ready.
Safe Place can help your teen or child get help and find the words to tell you why they're hurting.
See how it works below and SHARE to let others know they have a safe place even when it feels like they don't.
"This sign is posted at every QuikTrip. A 'Safe Place' sign signifies that, if you are in any danger (domestic violence, sexual assault, lost children, sex trafficking, any fear for your safety). QuikTrip has a secluded and hidden area you can sit in until help arrives. Simply go in and tell any employee you are in need of a safe place. They are trained not to tell anyone you are there until the authorities arrive. Please share this for those who don't know what these signs mean or how they can get out. You never know what someone is going through, and hopefully you will never need to find a safe place… but if so, now you know," Pamela Ashe Hester wrote on Facebook. Since then it's been shared over 50,000 times.
So what is a Safe Place? It's a national youth outreach program that provides immediate help and safety. You may see the sign at fire stations, bus stops, QuikTrips, even fast food places like Burger King.
Employees are trained to provide immediate assistance to the anyone that asks for help. Thus, Safe Place is important to let your son or daughter know about in case there's any emergency or if something troublesome is going on in their lives that they're not quite ready to share with you or a friend.
Here's how it works according to NationalSafePlace.org:
- Step One: A young person enters a Safe Place and asks for help.
- Step Two: The site employee finds a comfortable place for the youth to wait while they call the licensed Safe Place agency.
- Step Three: Within 20–30 minutes or less, a qualified Safe Place volunteer or agency staff member will arrive to talk with the youth and, if necessary, provide transportation to the agency.
- Step Four: Once at the agency, counselors meet with the youth and provide support. Agency staff makes sure the youth and their families receive the help and professional services they need.
Watch the video below to learn more about this important organization.
Please SHARE to let others know that no matter what happens or where they are they do have a Safe Place!
