McGruff House
What is a McGruff House?
A McGruff House is a temporary haven for children who find themselves in a frightening or dangerous situation. It might be a house, an apartment, a townhouse, or a mobile home. The program was started in 1982 in Utah and has grown to include at least one program in 48 states. Having a McGruff House program in your neighborhood reflects strong community value in protecting children.
What do McGruff House Program Participants Do?
A McGruff House participant agrees to help children as they go to and from school and play in the neighborhood by:
� Telephoning appropriate
authorities if a child is lost, hurt or frightened or has a medical emergency
� Reassuring frightened children
� Reporting crimes and suspicious activities
A McGruff House Participant does not provide first aid(except in life-threatening situations); administer medications; supervise the neighborhood; enforce laws; provide food, beverages, or toilet facilities; provide transportation; or guarantee safety.
What Does It Take To Start a McGruff House Program?
There are several different models for a local McGruff House Program. Some programs have one coordinator for each neighborhood within a community; others involve several neighborhood programs sharing a single coordinator. In other locations, several community coordinators work together with the help of a state McGruff House coordinator. Pick the model that works best for your situation. If you have the following elements in place - or can bring them together - you can bring the McGruff House Program to your community:
How Do I Start a McGruff House Program in my Community?
If you have the basics of your partnership, write for your McGruff House Start-up Kit. The kit comes in a self-closing, plastic carrying case that contains step-by-step instructions for planning, implementing, and sustaining your program. Tools in the kit include:
What Other Support Can I Receive?
When you become part of the McGruff House Program, you also benifit from valuable services and technical assistance, including telephone support for questions or problems; a database of strategies tried in other locations; on-site training for coordinators and law enforcement officials, and a quarterly newsletter, "News from the Network" that keeps you up to date on local program developments and tools available from the National McGruff House Network.
What is the National McGruff House Network?
The National McGruff House Network helps prevent child and youth victimization through its child protection efforts and strategies nationwide. The Network, a licensed program of the National Crime Prevention Council, feature McGruff the Crime Dog and his slogan, "Take A Bite Out of Crime" It provides a safety network for all children, by establishing McGruff Houses and McGruff Trucks to assist in emergency situations.
.
The McGruff House and Mc Gruff Truck Programs mobilize local, grass-roots crime prevention efforts and encourage the involvement of community residents, policy makers, law enforcement, schools, government, and business. Both programs have strict pre-qualification standards for those who volunteer. Volunteers are carefully screened to minimize risks to children.
The National McGruff House Network currently includes 48 states with at least one community participating in the McGruff House and/or the McGruff Truck Programs. National McGruff House Executive Director, Tibby Milne, was honored by President George Bush and the National Office - Victims of Crime, for designing and developing the McGruff House and McGruff Truck Programs which have significantly contributed to preventing child victimization.
Contact
Jack Monroe [email protected]
Elizabeth Walker [email protected]
Mark Peterson [email protected]
or use Snail-mail:
Santee Cooper
1703 Oak Street
Myrtle Beach, Sc 29577
