Runaway Hotline Provides Help For Runaway Teens

National Runaway Switchboard

by Vickie Oddino

When my nine-year-old daughter declared that she was running away and stormed out the front door, I momentarily felt panic-stricken. But then I saw her hide behind a hedge across the street, carefully checking to see if I noticed her. After all, I remember doing something similar, at about the same age. But hiding in a neighbor's yard got tiring right around dinnertime. Unfortunately, running away from home is often not an innocent temper tantrum. Sometimes it is downright serious. According to the National Runaway Switchboard (NRS), estimates of runaway youths on the streets of America vary from 1.3 and 2.8 million each year. Eighteen-year-old Ryan McElhaney is well aware of these statistics, not because he has run away, but because he is one of 150 volunteers at NRS fielding hotline calls from kids who are contemplating running away or already have, as well as from parents worried about their children.

Ryan became acquainted with NRS through a special program at his school that requires 100 hours of community service specifically helping humanity. Since completing the program's requirement, he has logged in over 400 additional volunteer hours.

"It is hard not to continue," he admits. And they need him. The national non-for-profit call center receives 100,000 phone calls each year.

He was trained to refrain from telling people what to do. That usually leads to defensiveness. Instead, he helps them develop a plan, whether for returning home to mom and dad safely, dealing with kids in crisis, or locating runaway children. Then Ryan provides both parents and children with vital resources. One of the most satisfying aspects of NRS for Ryan is the Home Free program, which is run in partnership with Greyhound Lines, Inc. If a runaway calls the hotline, he or she can get a free ticket home.

"It is very work intensive, but very rewarding," says Ryan. "We want to make sure we are sending them home to a situation that is good for them."

He recently had a call from a young girl who ran away to California. She found herself with no place to stay and no money. She called the hotline, spoke to Ryan, and finally revealed that she had broken up with her boyfriend and ran away. After much experience, Ryan sensed that there was more to the story, so he kept her on the phone and eventually found out that she was pregnant. The stress and the inability to communicate with parents or peers led her to flee. Ryan points out that this inability is perhaps the biggest problem runaways face. Ryan was able to call the young girl's mother and put them on the phone together. He booked her a free ticket home and helped her get prenatal care and counseling so she will be much better prepared to handle her problems when she returns home. Ryan wants people to know NRS is truly an advocate for youth. Its priority is to protect young people and make them feel comfortable. And, no problem is too small. If a stressed young man just needs to talk to someone, he will find a willing listener at the NRS.

The NRS crisis hotline number is 1-800-RUNAWAY. For more info or to volunteer, visit www.1800runaway.org.