New phone number gives runaways easy reminder

Chicago Tribune, April 19, 2005

A group dedicated to helping runaway teenagers and their parents changed its number to 1-800-RUNAWAY, hoping that the new number will be easier for those in need to remember, officials said Monday.

The National Runaway Switchboard, a Chicago-based group, announced the change along with U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.). They hope the new number will bring more than the 300 to 400 calls the organization receives daily from parents, runaways and others, said Maureen Blaha, the group's executive director. The group, started in Chicago in 1971, has taken 3 million calls nationally in its 34 years, Blaha said.

The group connects teens and parents with more than 17,000 services, including shelters and work programs, Blaha said.