QuikTrip Columbia gas stations offer Safe Place designations for endangered youth

Four QuikTrip gas stations around the Midlands partnered with Safe Place and Palmetto Place Children and Youth Services to offer safe havens for endangered youths, according to a news release.

The program works like this: a young person in need of immediate help can go to any QT in the Midlands to a brightly labeled, diamond yellow Safe Place sign. If a young person waits next to the Safe Place sign, trained QT employees will contact a Palmetto Place professional who can help.

The youth can safely wait inside QT until help arrives.

Palmetto Place is a group home for children and teens and offers services and housing for homeless youth as well as pregnant and parenting teens. In 2020, Palmetto Place provided housing to 62 homeless youth ages 16-20.

“Unfortunately in today’s world, young people face family problems, homelessness, bullying, neglect, abuse and even human trafficking. Expanding the safety net for youth through this partnership helps combat the growing epidemic of youth homelessness across the Columbia community by giving them access to immediate help and safety,” said Laurie Jackson, president and chief executive officer of National Safe Place Network.

Safe Place also provides a 24-hour, national text-for-support program, TXT4HELP. Teens can text the word “SAFE” to 4HELP (44357) to locate the nearest Safe Place and text one-on-one with a counselor.

QuikTrip locations in the Midlands are at 8205 Two Notch Road in Columbia and 10320 Wilson Blvd. near Blythewood. In January, two more locations will open at 925 S. Lake Drive, Lexington, and 111 Millennium Drive, Orangeburg.

In early 2020, QuikTrip announced a wave of openings in the Midlands. Until late 2020, there were no QuikTrip stores within 50 miles of South Carolina’s capital.