Safe Place and the Holidays

On the last day of National Runaway Prevention Month, it has been brought to my attention that the holidays are some of the hardest times for families.  As tensions rise out of holiday stress, it can be a time where youth are most in risk of becoming runaways.  As most are gearing up for the holiday season, Project Safety Net has made it our a mission for no youth to be left in the cold.  And out of that mission we have found what the holidays mean to us.

One of the main concerns that have risen in the last couple weeks is accommodations for youth that need a more than assistance for one night.  In most instances where there would be an easy answer with the many youth housing sites around town, this is a season when the cold forces the youth inside and consequently is more than this city has to accommodate.  Where does the overflow go?  Being one of the questions I have been trying to figure out for the last couple weeks, as Safe Place calls have been consistently coming in, the answer still eludes me.

Thankfully countering this quandary, there have been a couple breakthroughs and eye opening revelations on how such matters can be resolved.  At my bequest, I have been able to gather information and the opportunity for other places that are to be opened soon, so in other words as soon as the new facilities open we have access to them.  As well, making these connections around town have made Joel’s Place the agency to call when there is a youth in crisis.  Part of being a VISTA is doing the work behind the scenes and not directly with the people you are trying to help; I feel blessed that I have the chance to see results first hand.

As well as reaching out to the homeless youth of Fairbanks, lately I have also been focusing on the “at risk youth”.  These are the youth that have the possibility of getting in to trouble, but not only that, these are the youth that can be helped, before they could be the runaways.  I went to this workshop a couple weeks ago at the Boys and Girls Home about problem solving strategies with children and teens.  Part of me was thinking does this psychological theory have relevance in real life situations?  But as I’ve been observing teen interactions with other teens (as well with adults) here at Joel’s Place, it seems as though the best results come out of discussion, not some of the normal problem solving patterns of the past.  Asking questions to youth instead of trying to label the situation, works well in most situations.  Brainstorming with the parties involved to find a better solution to the problem that has arose, instead of trying to either buy off youth with incentives or taking things away from youth, actually makes sense when you think about it.  It’s easy to see when things get out of hand that IQ levels fall immensely and when youth are provoked with further accusations, it’s hard to get to a place that you can find reason.  My hope is that these practices that I’ve learned can be helpful for the holiday season, not only in the work place, but also with my home life.

Wherever you are and whatever situation finds you this holiday season, blessings for the season and remember that this is time for loving; letting the major gifts that we have to each other be understanding and finding a place in our hearts for love.

The Strength and Wisdom

Having just returned from the orientation for AmeriCorps, I’m happy to be back to the frigid north!  Nelson Mandela said, “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”  It’s amazing how a couple of days can alter your views on some of the major fundamentals of life, as in society and scratching the surface on what happiness is.  And I have found it humorous that not only did I not get that from the orientation,  but from the people I met along the way.  On the way down to Salem, Oregon; I had the pleasure of seeing some lifelong friends and even was able to say goodbye to one that was moving away.  The experience of seeing someone familiar struck me as such a blessing and the fact that it was my birthday made it ever so meaningful.  I also had the pleasure of meeting my fellow VISTA’s from Fairbanks, Amy and Colin.  I was in a way skeptical of how the week was really going to play out, seeing that I have already been working as a VISTA for about 2 months now.  Talking to the both of them before the conference even started made me realize that we had the same goals, putting my mind at ease in the process.  There’s nothing like a little camaraderie to boost morale and to stimulate confidence in an event.  And although I learned little from the meetings we went to, I feel as though they facilitated a meeting of the minds.  All of the participants were well-educated, articulate, and opinionated; all attributes that contributed to many exhilarating discussions, as well as a few friendly debates.  In talking to my peers and subsequently learning about different cultures in the process, I feel as though my world view has been broadened.  Introspection after such a revelation has motivated me with my own VISTA project and encouraged me to continue the fight towards ending poverty which is the AmeriCorps mission.  In light of such a condensed self discovery, I have to admit that the goal for Project Safety Net is so much clearer in my mind.  Giving immediate help to youth in crisis has taken on a stronger meaning for me and I hope that in continuing such a cause will strengthen us as a community as well.

A New Year, A New VISTA

Greetings from the Safe Place desk! As the new/old face to Joel’s Place, I would just like to reintroduce myself.  My name is Rhema Demoski, the new Safe Place Coordinator for Alaska.  Safe Place is a program that is sponsored by Joel’s Place and  my position is funded through Americorps VISTA.  Even though a lot of people here recognize me because I have worked at Joel’s Place off and on for the last 10 years, I am so excited about returning to a place that really encouraged and mentored me when I was a youth.  Coming back with a new position has been somewhat of an adjustment, but with Linda and Emma’s support and encouragement, I feel like I’m a returning part of the family.  Safe Place has been part of Joel’s Place for a year now and I was proud to be chosen to carry on the vision of helping youth in need.  The project plan is to continue what was started a year ago and I believe that I have the passion as well as the resources to make this a working program.

You might be asking yourself what is Safe Place?  That’s exactly what I was asking myself just a month ago, before I was sponsored to go to the National Safe Place conference in Louisville, Kentucky.  When I learned I was going to Louisville, Kentucky for my first week of work, the thing that really excited me was the prospect of learning all about the program and how others have had success working with Safe Place.  What I found at the conference were a lot of people with the same goals and the same passion for youth in crisis that all of us have here at Joel’s Place.  It was wonderful to find seasoned coordinators that I could really talk to about my program and that were very uplifting.  As well, I found others that were just starting out and it was so encouraging to know that I wasn’t alone in trying to figure what my job really entailed.

Safe Place is different in other parts of the United States, but even through these apparent differences, I found some clarity and motivation to move Safe Place forward in the coming year.  First of all, Safe Place has only one goal, and that is to provide immediate help to youth in crisis.  So how I plan on working on project safety net (which is the Fairbanks’ Safe Place) is to continue working on making valuable connections throughout the community, as well as promoting a solid knowledge base, focusing on Safe Place recognition.  With these goals, I plan to recruit volunteers, as well as reconnect with the Project Safety Net volunteers of the past.  As a team, I’m sure together we can make Safe Place a working program here in Alaska, saving the lives of youth in the process.

November 2009 Fairbanks young people have a new resource for accessing help when they are in crisis.    Project Safety Net is a colloboration coordinated by Joel’s Place ( a local youth center), Presbyterian Hospitality House Emergency Shelter,  Careline Crisis Intervention,  FCA’s Street Outreach and Advocacy Program (SOAP) and other youth serving agencies!   

Mid-December,  Katy Blomquist,  AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer will become the Safe Place Coordinator!   She will work to add Safe Place Sites and train our volunteers!   Expect to see some lovely changes to this site when she gets on board!

Our next Volunteer training will take place December 8th at 6pm at the Fairbanks Community Food Bank!  Volunteer responders are essential to the programs success and we hope to train a core group of volunteer responders to take calls from Careline when Safe Place site staff call with a youth in crisis.    Please Call Linda at 452-2621 to sign up for training or to ask questions.  You must be 21 years of age, pass a background check and have a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance.

Safe Place Video Camp PSA