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Boys Town National Hotline Celebrates 20 Years of Helping Teens and Parents

BOYS TOWN, Neb., Nov. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Boys Town National Hotline (800.448.3000) is celebrating 20 years of providing help and advice to more than 8 million callers.

The Boys Town National Hotline was created in 1989 in response to the growing number of children and families in trouble. As an integral part of the Boys Town Continuum of Child and Family Services, it is the only crisis, resource and referral number both children and parents can call with any problem, any time. In 2008, nearly 175,000 callers found the help they needed on the other end of the line for concerns ranging from peer relationships to suicide. In crisis situations, trained counselors assist callers with emergency intervention and community resources.

"The sheer number of people that are reaching out for help is a reflection of how families in our country are hurting," said Father Steven Boes, Boys Town President and National Executive Director. "I'm so thankful that people are reaching out before their situations become more serious. The Hotline is a wonderful service that Boys Town provides to families across the country and we're happy to have been able to offer it for 20 years."

Godfather's Pizza, Boys Town's national sponsor, has been an influential partner in reaching out to teens and parents by printing the Hotline number on more than 20 million pizza boxes each year. Patti Smith is one of those parents.

After a sleepless night worrying about her runaway son, Smith found what she was looking for when she spotted that number on the pizza box. She called the Hotline and spoke with a counselor who talked her through it. "He gave me very specific things that I could do to help my son," said Smith. "They laid the foundation in helping with our crisis, and they were there

24-hours a day, if I needed help they were there with resources." After a long road, her son is doing well. "He has completely, completely changed," said Smith.

About Boys Town

Boys Town is a beacon of hope for America's children and families through its life-changing youth care and health care programs across the United States. Now more than 90 years strong, Boys Town's provides the right services at the right time through its Integrated Continuum of Child and Family Services to meet the individual needs of a child or family. In 2008 alone, Boys Town's Integrated Continuum of youth care and health care programs impacted 404,679 children and families across America.

SOURCE Boys Town