Shayne Pearson wants to put Lincoln’s Safe Place program in front of teens in a way that connects with them even before they need to take advantage of it. He’s lining up outreach opportunities in classrooms, at school sporting events, and throughout the community in order to let kids know there’s help available if they need it.

“We really just want to get some face time with these kids,” he said. “We want to start by building relationships so they know what to expect if they ever need to use this program.”

The Safe Place program is designed to give at-risk and homeless youth a place to go if they need help or if they ever feel unsafe where they are. The trouble is, it can be difficult to reach teens in these situations, especially if they aren’t willing to admit they need help. That’s why Safe Place needs to connect with them sooner.

“Ideally, it’ll be about talking with kids one-on-one and building that relationship . . . we want to meet kids across the board where they’re at,” Shayne said. “We’re not going to make kids change to be a part of what we’re doing, we’re going to change to be a part of what kids are doing.”

This means a change of pace for Lincoln’s Safe Place program. Currently, businesses around the city serve as Safe Place sites where kids can come and receive help. Trained volunteers connect youth with Mission staff as well as resources they need to overcome their situation.

Moving forward, however, the program will go to where teens are rather than waiting for them to seek out help. Shayne hopes to sponsor skateboarding and hacky-sack contests, concerts, workshops, barbecues, and other events kids are naturally drawn to. Those events will then open the door to a conversation about Safe Place and an opportunity to offer assistance. Shayne hopes that by meeting kids more at their level, Safe Place can earn their trust and respect and overcome barriers built by fear or anger.

“They need authentic people,” he said. “They need consistency. We’re going to work to provide that.”

For more information about Lincoln’s Safe Place program, or to find out how you or your business or service organization can get involved, please contact Richard Gervais at 402-475-1303 ext. 102 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .