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W
ant to know if the parents of your 14-year old's new best
friend will be chaperoning Friday's party and making sure
it's alcohol-free?
In
Angelina county, you can flip open the student directory
and find out. The Safe Homes program, in which parents
sign a pledge to prohibit underage alcohol consumption,
lock up firearms, and supervise
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Vincent,
Student Council President and varsity football player,
agrees.
"This
community looks to athletes as examples. People
listen to you," he says. "In the society we live
in today drinking and doing drugs are seen as cool,
but being in this group, you see people who aren't
going to do that, and you know you're not alone"
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their
children's activities, is just one of the ways that the
Chamber Coalition for a Better Community is trying to
keep kids safe.
"We
want to let kids know that alcohol and drugs are not a
rite of passage," says Director Janet Taylor.
The
impact of the Chamber Coalition's activities can be seen
by
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In
their quest to change community attitudes toward youth
substance abuse, Taylor and her staff of three can be
spotted throughout town. You'll see them at tuxedo shops
just before prom showing students the world through "drinking-impaired
goggles" or in the high schools coordinating student dramas
about the dangers of substance abuse.
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talking to the Drug-Free All Stars. This dynamic group of
high school seniors dedicate their free time to speaking
to younger kids about the dangers of substance abuse or
putting on programs to raise awareness among their peers.
"Drugs
are not even an option. I have my priorities set," explains
Amanda, a varsity softball player and cheerleader, who
says she grew up wanting to be part of the All-Stars.
Director Janer Taylor
shows winning entries in Lufkin's yearly
" Drug-free" poster contest. |
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her passion for being in the middle of the action,
Taylor used to feel stifled by the constant search
for operating funds. That's why teaming up with the
Center for Community Support to go after a grant from
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency was
so attractive. With the help of CCS grant-writers,
Taylor landed a three-year grant for $275,000.
"It's
wonderful," she says. "Right now we have plenty
of money."
Plenty
of money means that Taylor can concentrate on building
partnerships with businesses and organizations to
find new ways to discourage substance abuse and
promote positive activities among youth.
"Now
we have the funds to send our newsletter out to
all of the teachers, to buy brochures for booths,
and to get our website up and running," says Taylor.
"The grant has really broadened our focus, and it
was just wonderful working with the Center for Community
Support."
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TEES Center for Community Support