QuikTrip to Expand Partnership With National Safe Place
The roll out will ‘ensure youth can connect to immediate support at more than 1,200 stores across 21 states.’
Mar 19, 2026
QuikTrip is expanding its partnership with National Safe Place Network, “ensuring youth can connect to immediate support at any of the company's more than 1,200 stores across 21 states,” the retailer said in a press release.
Safe Place Network is a national network of locations where trained employees connect youth in crisis to immediate help and services. QuikTrip has partnered with the National Safe Place Network for more than 30 years.
The expansion, announced during National Safe Place Week, means any young person facing abuse, homelessness or other crises will soon be able to connect to trained professionals via TXT 4 HELP, a free, confidential 24/7 crisis text service, even if they are not near a Safe Place partner agency. QuikTrip said the full rollout will be complete by June 1.
Over the last year, QuikTrip said its employees facilitated 268 Safe Place calls nationally in partnership with 24 Safe Place partner agencies, helping connect young people to local resources and services.
To access the TXT 4 HELP program, youth in crisis can text "SAFE" and their location (city, state or ZIP code) to 4HELP (44357). Within seconds, they receive a reply with the nearest Safe Place location, contact information for a local youth agency or shelter, and the option to reply "2Chat" to begin a confidential text conversation with a trained mental health professional.
"Young people facing difficult circumstances should always have a place they can turn to for help," said QuikTrip President Kevin Thornton. "For decades, our employees have been proud to support the Safe Place program in the communities we serve. Expanding TXT 4 HELP nationwide ensures that youth can connect to the support they need quickly and confidentially."
Click here for NACS-provided resources and information about National Safe Place.
Earlier this year, QuikTrip opened its 1,200th location in Morrow, Georgia. It is the retailer’s 181st location in the state.
Nationally, QuikTrip said it has more than 80 new stores scheduled to open in 2026, “reflecting a disciplined growth strategy built on operational consistency, employee retention and strong customer demand.”
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