The staff at the Safe House is always looking for ways to make its services more accessible to the at-risk youth throughout Ch

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Bill Vogt

Wednesday, August 3, 2005 661-9446

The Safe House of Chautauqua County Adds

Toll-Free Number to Resources for At-Risk Youth

In an effort to make services more accessible to at-risk youth throughout Chautauqua County, the Safe House of Chautauqua County has added a toll-free number to its resources. The toll-free number is being funded through the new Street Outreach Program under the first year of a three year Federal Grant.

Safe House Director Bill Vogt said, “Youth can continue to call 661-9446, or call our new toll-free line, 1-866-877-9647, anywhere in Chautauqua County. Both numbers are answered twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.”

The National Runaway Switchboard, which operates a 24 hour hotline for the entire nation has also announced a change in its number. The new number, 1-800-RUNAWAY, was created to in hopes of making it easier for youth to remember it in a crisis. Anyone calling the National Runaway Switchboard from Chautauqua County can be patched directly to staff at the Safe House.

The Safe House is a program of Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. and provides emergency shelter, food, clothing, transportation, crisis counseling, self-sufficiency facilitation services, advocacy and referrals to at-risk youth age 17 and under.

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