Coalition Members Attend Conference

Four Coalition members were given the opportunity to attend the 12th Annual National EUDL Leadership Conference “Building Community Futures with Blueprints for Success”.

Van Buren County Deputy Sheriff; Jon Tharp, Reserve officer; Lee McIntosh, Coalition Coordinator; Heidi Bainbridge, and STOP Grant Coordinator; Tonja Jirak all traveled to Anaheim, California to learn about strategies that can be implemented locally to address underage drinking. Over the past 12 years, the Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) program has successfully built partnerships with law enforcement, community organizations, and government officials to implement evidence-based strategies to reduce youth access to alcohol. To establish and maintain a grasp on the problems and consequences of underage drinking, a blueprint must be developed to integrate three key elements: environmental strategies and laws, enforcement, and public support.

Coalition members took part in workshops and plenary sessions to gain valuable new information related to underage drinking. The conference gave the coalition and law enforcement officers an opportunity to work together to determine areas in Van Buren county where this issue can be addressed. The coalition members will now share what was learned with the larger group and facilitate discussions about new ideas and ways to address this issue locally.

Be watching for new coalition initiatives based on the information learned at this conference. For more information on the conference or getting involved with the coalition please contact the coalition office at 319-293-6412 or via email at info@vbsafecoalition.com.

We have been busy!

The SAFE Coalition has been busy over the past couple of months. Some of the things that have taken place and are upcoming include:
* JEL Booth at the 4th of July Kids Games- July 4th
* CADCA Midyear Training and Youth Leadership Training- July 26-29th
* Kids Fair- August 5th
* Iowa Underage Drinking Town Hall Culmination Meeting- August 9th
* AC4C Retreat- August 10-11th
* School Registration- August 11, 12, 13th
UPCOMING
* EUDL Underage Drinking Conference- August 17-21st
* Back to School Bash- Van Buren- August 23rd- 12-6pm
* Staff Appreciation Event- August 23rd 4:30-6pm
* JEL Walk 4 Breath Event- August 28th 7am-noon
* Volunteer Training- September 9th 6-9 pm

If you are interested in being involved in any of the above activities please contact the coalition for more information! Get involved today!
319-293-6412

SAFE Home Pledges!

The SAFE Coalition has begun their annual SAFE Home Pledge program, and this year they are including elementary parents as well. Members of the organization are asking parents to sign a SAFE Home pledge.
The pledge for middle and high school states that the parents will not provide alcohol to minors in their home. It also states that the parents are open to communication with other parents about the alcohol use of their children. For elementary the pledge asks parents to talk to their kids about drugs, alcohol and tobacco use, set rules and take an active role in their lives.

A directory of all parents who have signed a SAFE Home Pledge will be produced and provided to parents after the start of the school year. An updated directory will also be available on the SAFE website at www.vbsafecoalition.com.

If you are interested in having a SAFE home and signing a SAFE Home Pledge there are a number of things you can do:
1) Sign the pledge during back-to-school registration
2) Contact the SAFE coalition at 319-293-6412
3) Visit the SAFE website www.vbsafecoalition.com and sign an online pledge (middle and high school only)

For more information on the SAFE Home Pledge or the SAFE Coalition you can call 319-293-6412 or email info@vbsafecoalition.com. Information about the pledge and all SAFE Coalition activities are available on the SAFE website located at: www.vbsafecoalition.com.

Van Buren JEL Teens Helped “Break the Connection”

Pella, Iowa – July 8, 2010 – Five Van Buren County JEL/YLC members and nearly 200 teens from across the state gathered to learn new strategies to fight Big Tobacco at the 10th Annual “Break the Connection” (JEL) Summit, June 17-19 at Central College. Alicia Schalla (Executive Council Member), Carson Schuck, Drew Nolting, Tyler Runyon, and Cassie Johnson represented Van Buren County at the Summit.

The 3-day for-JEL-teens-by-JEL-teens event is designed to educate teens about the health effects of tobacco use, secondhand smoke and the methods tobacco companies are using to get teens hooked on their products. The youth were not taught this from adults, however. They taught the tracks and learned from each other.

Each Summit attendee participated in a variety of learning sessions ranging from general tobacco information. to media advocacy. to how to organize JEL events in their home towns. The JEL Executive Council, the youth leaders of the program, led these sessions.

“We want youth to know that they can be a part of something great in JEL and can make a difference in their towns and with their peers,” explains Bryant Hickie, new JEL President. “We want to create awareness of tobacco prevention throughout the state, which can save lives.”

The Summit closed with an hour-long street marketing demonstration in downtown Pella. The event symbolically ‘broke the connection’ between tobacco and the death and disease it causes. It is time for someone to finally break the connection and JEL was up to the task.

JEL activities and other tobacco use prevention and control activities are funded by the Iowa Department of Public Health, Division of Tobacco Use Prevention and Control.

Two youth selected to attend CADCA Midyear

Two Van Buren County Teens have been selected to attend the CADCA Midyear and the National Youth Leadership Initiative Experience. This event is being held in Phoenix, AZ, July 25-30th. Lydia Heald and Abby Rider were selected by a team of adult SAFE Coalition members who reviewed all applications submitted for the event. Their applications were rated highest and were given the honor of attending this year.
CADCA's NYLI Experience is built on the framework of the National Coalition Institute's National Coalition Academy. In these sessions, both youth and their adult advisors learn how to help community coalitions be more effective in producing community change. The NYLI Experience helps coalitions build their capacity to foster youth leadership in the design, implementation and evaluation of action strategies addressing community problems. In addition, this training builds the relationship between the youth leader and the adult coalition coach.
The participants learn about the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF), logic models, strategic planning, developing interventions, advocating for change, evaluation, and sustainability. The NYLI Experience is a CADCA workforce development strategy that teaches what is required to create and nurture the growth of committed leaders and their work within coalitions. It better equips youth and adults to develop an action plan that clearly defines the strategies that young leaders will carry out to address the problems and goals that the coalition is striving to affect.
It is an honor to be selected to attend this event. The coalition only sends two Van Buren County students each year based on applications of the JEL/YLC members. These teens should be commended for their hard work and dedication to their community!

Dad’s…. You Can Make a Difference!

A recent study by Columbia University revealed that teenagers who have poor relationships with their fathers are 68 percent more likely to use drugs.

It also showed that 71 percent of teenagers said they had a very good relationship with their mothers, while only 58 percent said they had a very good relationship with their fathers. Additionally, more than twice as many teenagers found it easier to talk to mom rather than to dad about drugs.

If there is this strong of a connection between fathers, kids, and the rise in substance abuse by teens, what can men do to get back into their vital fatherhood role? RELATIONSHIPS!

All fathers must recognize that to keep children safe from drug addiction, they must take some risks to nurture relationships, before their kids become statistics.

Children come ready for relationships. They crave attention, love, and affection. What many fathers fail to realize is that this need doesn’t change as the child grows older. The only difference is the way a father expresses that attention, love, and affection. Teenagers act as if they don’t want or need their father’s attention. But that’s why it’s called acting. Fathers need to remember that although your teenagers may look like adults, they still lack the wisdom that comes from experienced fathers. They don’t always know what is best for them. But they won’t accept your guidance if there is no relationship.

Fathers everywhere should learn what it takes to develop and maintain a close relationship with their children. Below are some ways to begin:

Get involved
Involved fathers tend to go out of their way to interact with their children. They give up some of their own activities that are important to them in order to give more time to their children.

Show you accept them
A father’s acceptance helps his children believe that dad will love them no matter what. It teaches them that they are loved for who they are rather than for what they do. When teenagers feel accepted by their fathers, they are more likely to share sensitive issues with them.

Shower your kids with affection
Express affections in different ways: loving words, small surprise gifts, appropriate touches that communicate volumes to a child (includes dads wrestling with boys). When a father shows affection to his child, he tells them they are worth loving.

Be consistent
That way children know what to expect and what they can count on.

Upon release, be available
Availability tells your children they are important. When fathers are not available it tells the child, “I love you, but other things still come ahead of you.”

Remember, it’s never too late! There are a lot of bridges that may need to be repaired, but if a father will remain committed and consistent, both father and child will be better for it in the end.

Information provided by USA Today, Randell Turner; Ph.D. For more information on building relationships you may contact the SAFE Coalition at 319-293-6412.

Luncheon!

June 8th
12:00
Van Buren High School Cafeteria
The Van Buren County SAFE Coalition is hosting a luncheon for its members or anyone interested in becoming a member. Lunch will be provided, but RSVP is required by June 4th.
You may RSVP by calling 319-293-6412 or emailing info@vbsafecoalition.com.
A regular SAFE meeting will accompany the luncheon event!
Please plan to attend.