Downtown Greensboro Incorporated is teaming up with the Greensboro organization Youth Focus to help support at-risk youth.

Youth Focus has provided resources to at-risk youth across Guilford County since 2019. One way they do this is through a national system called the Safe Place Program. The Safe Place program is a national network of certified staff who enable trained individuals at organizations like Youth Focus to provide young people with a safe place to go. Trained personnel at Youth Focus can take these youths into custody for up to 72 hours without parental consent.

During this time, they offer them the resources they need and can help them reconnect with family or social services on a case-by-case basis.

Usually, they rely on brick-and-mortar locations across the Safe Place network. But now Youth Focus is teaming up with Downtown Greensboro Incorporated to train staff at local businesses in DGI’s network to become Safe Place ambassadors. Organizers at Youth Focus explained that this strategy expands their reach and support to local teens beyond a physical storefront. Once trained, these ambassadors will wear the gold Safe Place pin wherever they go.

If a Safe Place ambassador finds a young person in crisis, their job is to stay with them until a Youth Focus staff member arrives to assist. Youth Focus encourages those interested in learning more about the Safe Place program or becoming an ambassador to reach out for signs and training.