Boys Town Georgia

Children find Safe Place at Boys Town Georgia Boys Town Georgia is helping hurting children find a Safe Place when they need it most. In 2006, Boys Town Georgia became the lead agency for Project Safe Place, and has since helped 10 children, ages 12-17 to safety.  The program addresses the needs of homeless and runaway youth in DeKalb County.

“Safe Place benefits the community by keeping kids off the streets, decreasing runaways, homelessness and sexual exploitation,” said Paula Dobbs, Boys Town Georgia Outreach Coordinator.  With Project Safe Place, several DeKalb County businesses and public locations display the Safe Place logo, showing children they can find immediate access to safety in a crisis situation.

Last December, a 17-year-old found an opportunity for a new start through the program.  With his mother addicted to drugs and no father present, the young man had been living on the streets of Atlanta for years.  The young man found himself with a drug addiction, no identification and no one around to help him. 

That’s when he found Boys Town Georgia.  He went to a Safe Place location, where he met with a Boys Town employee and was taken to a partnering shelter.  

“When a child enters Safe Place, a volunteer or Boys Town employee goes to the location where the child is to provide support,” said Dobbs.  “If the child goes to a shelter, trained staff are waiting to assess the emotional and physical needs of the child.”

The young man stayed at the shelter for five nights, receiving critical advice and encouragement from the staff, setting set him on the path towards a healthy and safe future.  He’s just one success story among the growing number of kids finding shelter from the storm.