The Power of Partnerships: How the National Runaway Safeline and Greyhound Are Supporting Runaway and Homeless Youth
November 2, 2021
The Power of Partnerships: How the National Runaway Safeline and Greyhound Are Supporting Runaway and Homeless Youth
The National Runaway Safeline (NRS) reports transportation to safe and supportive housing is a frequent request from youth in crisis who reach out for NRS’ support and assistance. These youth often find themselves navigating confusing and changing barriers to reliable transportation, but support is available through the Home Free program , a long-term partnership between the NRS and the commercial bus transportation company, Greyhound Lines, Inc . As the only national free transportation program for at-risk, runaway, and homeless youth, the Home Free program offers a bus ticket and support services for youth seeking to reunite with their families or travel to alternative safe living arrangements.
Since 1995, the Home Free program has supported more than 17,000 youth. In 2017, the Home Free program expanded its services to assist runaway and homeless youth (RHY) who are also victims of human trafficking, due to the intersection between youth homelessness and human trafficking. In 2020, the program issued 310 bus tickets to youth ages 12-21, along with an additional 13 tickets issued to guardians or adults who escorted youth to their destination. Together, NRS and Greyhound coordinate the complex logistics involved in helping young people quickly travel to a safe place and find connections to local services and resources. Access to free bus transportation is a critical intervention and an important resource for runaway and homeless youth. The Home Free program may prevent them from encountering dangerous situations, such as living on the streets for long periods or becoming victims of exploitation, violence, and human trafficking.
How the Home Free Program Works
To be eligible for the program, a young person must be between the ages of 12 and 21 and identified as a runaway or a youth experiencing homelessness. The young person initiates the process by contacting the NRS, either by phone or online. The NRS Crisis Services Team works to confirm their eligibility, screens for signs of human trafficking, facilitates conversations with their families, legal guardians, child welfare professionals, or service providers, and develops a plan for their safe travel. The NRS team works with Greyhound’s call center on travel logistics and ensures the youth have access to food and other basic needs and resources. They also follow up with each young person to ensure their safe arrival at their destination and access to supportive services in the local community.
The reasons young people seek to return home, or look for other living arrangements, vary greatly, but immediate assistance with transportation is often vital to get them to safe, stable housing. According to NRS’ Chief Executive Officer, Susan Frankel, “These youth are often reaching out, looking for options and support for managing incredibly difficult conditions. It is our priority to ensure that we are providing the safest alternative to living on the streets.”
The Value of Partnerships
Before the establishment of the Home Free program, Greyhound provided access to transportation to youth experiencing homelessness, but there were limits to the support and level of coordination that they could provide as a business. Simultaneously, NRS was seeking a partner for collaboration to help expand transportation services for youth in crisis and runaway and homeless youth. Both recognized the opportunity to meet the needs of vulnerable youth, and they linked their resources to create the Home Free program. For over 25 years, NRS and Greyhound have been collaborating to ensure youth are safe and off the streets.
“What really makes the program successful is that NRS and Greyhound both do what we do best and play to our strengths,” says Greyhound Senior Communications Specialist Crystal Booker, who works as Greyhound’s main liaison to the Home Free program. For the NRS, its strength is deep expertise in providing crisis services for young people and their families. For Greyhound, it is over 100 years in the transportation field, operating 1,700 vehicles for 16 million passengers a year across North America.
Frankel says, “Our partnership with Greyhound is one of the most critical relationships we have as an organization.” For Greyhound, which embraces the value of giving back, the Home Free program is a great opportunity, as well as a chance to strengthen engagement with its employees. Booker notes that Greyhound’s 5,900 employees take pride in being a part of a program that provides so much support to youth and families in their communities and beyond. "This is one of our most valued partnerships," says Booker. "It is literally nationwide; it takes advantage of our full network of locations. It gives us an opportunity to spread our initiative across our entire field, which really helps the company rally behind a special cause."
It is also a model for other businesses looking for ways to support communities dealing with critical issues such as youth homelessness. “As a business, you do not need to do it all yourself,” Booker says. “We are leaning on a community resource, a national resource, with NRS. If you are a business that is looking to do something in your community, with any population that may fit your business, lean on community resources. Creating those partnerships can be beneficial to both sides.”
Both the NRS and Greyhound want to ensure that youth experiencing homelessness, youth in crisis, service providers, and communities know the Home Free program is there to help. “We want as many young people who need the Home Free program to use it,” says Frankel. The Home Free program is not just a transportation service, she says, but "a shining light that provides access to help, hope, and safety."
Youth homelessness and runaway incidents are public health issues affecting communities nationwide. Youth-serving organizations and businesses can always find ways to support runaway and homeless youth in local communities. Collaboration, commitment, and innovative partnerships are vital to create long-term change and support these vulnerable youth.
Learn More
National Runaway Safeline (1-800-RUNAWAY)