Teens tell us what keeps them “Above the Influence”

INS IDE TH IS

I S SUE :

Above the Influence 1

“Tuxedo Card

Contest” winner,

design & thanks

2

Youth Network

Update

3

Summer Dine-Out Series

3

Rx drug use 4

Member Spotlight 4

CUMB ER L AND

COUNTY

H E A L THY

COMMUN I T I E S

COAL I T ION

A N I N I T I A T I V E O F :

T H E S O U T H W E S T C O U N C I L , I N C . S U M M E R 2 0 1 2 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1

Jessica Ortuso

Project Director

jessica@southwestcouncil.org

P: 856.794.1011 ext. 302

Katharine Cristaudo

Project Coordinator

katharine@southwestcouncil.org

P: 856.794.1011 ext. 303

Chair

Tracey Huggins

Vice Chair

Melissa Niles

Editor

Brian Kanady

Meetings are held at

The Southwest Council, Inc.

1405 N. Delsea Dr.

Vineland, NJ 08360

Joseph Williams

SWC Executive Director

execdirector@southwestcouncil.org

Reducing substance abuse among youth in Cumberland County

Staff and members of the

Cumberland County Healthy

Communi�es Coali�on know

that pressure to take part in

doing drugs and alcohol is only

one of the many difficul�es

youth in our community face.

Teens are not only influenced

by their peers, but also by

family members, media and

their environment. Each influ-

ence, both posi�ve and nega-

�ve, has a huge impact on the

decisions young people make

every day. In the month of

May, Coali�on staff spent �me

with over 300 students in 9th

and 10th grades at Millville

Memorial High School con-

duc�ng Above the Influence

(ATI) ac�vi�es.

ATI ac�vi�es aim to engage

teens in a casual conversa�on

about what’s going on in their

lives. Drugs and alcohol as well

as other unhealthy choices are

discussed in a non-tradi�onal

manner, encouraging stu-

dents to lead the conversa-

�on. A.er posi�ve and nega-

�ve influences in both the

students’ community and in

general have been discussed,

youth are asked to design a

symbol. This symbol is made

from the ATI logo on which

students draw or write posi-

�ve things or name people

that keep them above making

unhealthy choices. The sym-

bols provide an understanding

of not only the students’ cur-

rent interests, but also their

dreams for the future.

Following the symbol ac�vity,

students are asked to take a

hard look at their symbol.

What is it that all these posi-

�ve things in their life are

keeping them above the influ-

ence of? A.er giving it some

thought, students are asked to

think of a crea�ve way to de-

pict what they are above the

influence of in a photograph.

For some students we spoke

with, they are above the influ-

ence of teen pregnancy, oth-

ers gangs. Some teens even

expressed that they are above

the influence of gossiping and

cyber bullying. A.er an hour

and a half with each group,

staff really bonds with the

teens and they are invited to

join the Coali�on’s Youth Net-

work where their voices will

again be heard to help make a

difference in their community.

The CCHCC would like to thank

the faculty and administra�on

who welcomed us into their

school and classrooms for four

days. The ac�vi�es which staff

have been trained to facilitate

have proven to be a great way

to engage teens in discussion

and we are con�nually im-

pressed with their crea�vity

and individuality.

If you would like to know more

about ATI ac�vi�es please

contact Jessica at (856) -794 -

1011 ext. 302 or,

jessica@southwestcouncil.org

P A G E 2 Congratulations to the 2nd annual

"Tuxedo Card Contest" winner,

Maria Jimenez

Providing alcohol to minors or allowing

drinking to occur on property an adult

controls can lead to heavy fines and

even jail �me.

Underage drinking can ruin things you

want for your child,

Some�mes the coolest

thing you can do for your teen is to

be a parent.

Congratula�ons to Maria Jimenez, a senior at Millville Senior

High School, for submiCng the winning “Tuxedo Card

Contest” design!

One thousand copies of Ms. Jimenez’s design were printed

on glossy postcards with the message to the right printed on

the back. Copies of her artwork and messaging aimed to-

wards parents were distributed to businesses both students

and parents go in prepara�on of prom season in both English

and Spanish.

Youth throughout Cumberland County were encouraged to

par�cipate in the Coali�on’s annual contest to design a posi-

�ve message about staying safe during prom season. The

Coali�on chose Ms. Jimenez as the first place winner. During

the May mee�ng Maria and her mother, Yolanda, joined us

to be recognized. Maria received a $50 gi. card, a Coali�on

wristband, t-shirt and a framed winner cer�ficate. Two run-

ners up were also each awarded a $25 gi. card in recogni�on

of their efforts!

Thank you to all our par�cipants! The Coali�on holds this

contest each spring. To stay up to date on all the Coali�on’s

happenings, including the “Tuxedo Card Contest,” please like

the Cumberland County Healthy Communi�es Coali�on on

Facebook at www.facebook.com/CCHealthyCommuni�es

Coali�on.

Members/Volunteers:

Tracey Huggins

Bob Sharp

Yolanda Jimenez

Melissa Niles

Alexis Regenelli

Michael Deleon

Carmen Miranda-Jones

Janine Fabrizio

Businesses:

L.A. Male, Vineland

Rienzi Bridal Salon, Vineland

Jessie’s Bridal Shop, Vineland

Cynthia Roberts Salon,

Vineland

Novedades Sin Fronteras,

Vineland

Jimmy’s Tailor Shop and

Formal Wear, Millville

Cuts on High, Millville

Millville Public Library,

Millville

Hollywood Tans, Vineland

Hair CuNery, Vineland

Best Nails, Vineland

Nails 4U, Vineland

LaB., Bridgeton

PI Nails, Vineland

The Lay Up, Vineland

Mimi and Kelseys, Vineland

Joe’s Main aNrac�on,

Bridgeton

Center for Family Services,

Vineland

Sun Bank, Vineland

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1

Katharine Cristaudo

Young adults from around Cumberland

County gathered together on March 21 for

the Cumberland County Youth Network (YN)

Kick-Off mee�ng. Par�cipants learned more

about the Coali�on’s efforts and how they

can help with our goal of reducing substance

abuse among youth throughout the county.

CCHCC chair, Tracey Huggins, spoke and

shared with the youth that this is their op-

portunity to have a voice in their community

and make a difference.

Following the kick-off mee�ng, members

have par�cipated in two addi�onal

mee�ngs. The first, which was held in April,

was a team-building mee�ng where youth

par�cipated in Challenge Master’s ac�vi�es

to get to know one another beNer and to

build trust. Youth also got a feeling for what

it was like to work together as a team

The second mee�ng, held in May, included a

presenta�on on nutri�on given by an em-

ployee of the local YMCA. The mee�ngs have

yielded posi�ve feedback and the youth are

excited for the opportunity to help their com-

munity.

The goal of the YN is to engage the young

adults of Cumberland County in reducing

substance abuse and crea�ng a healthier

community for all community members to

live in. Youth will be empowered to be the

voice behind the change. Upcoming events

and presenta�on topics include a trip to Wild-

wood Beach, fitness classes, career and col-

lege planning, healthy rela�onships and

more. Members will also par�cipate in CCHCC

ini�a�ves such as our youth-led PSA, commu-

nity health fairs and events, CCHCC Quarterly,

na�onal conferences and more. This is an

excellent opportunity for the members to

engage in ac�vi�es they may not otherwise

have the opportunity to do so.

Anyone that would like to join the YN is wel-

come. If you would like more informa�on

please contact the CCHCC Project Coordinator

at (856) 794-1011 ext. 303.

Cumberland County Youth Come

Together for a Common Cause

JOIN THE CCHCC FOR THEIR 2012 SUMMER DINE-OUT SERIES

Katharine Cristaudo

Take a break from the heat and join

the CCHCC for some summer fun out

of the sun. The Coali�on is hos�ng

Dine-Out fundraisers throughout the

summer to help fund the Coali�on’s

efforts to reduce substance abuse

among youth in Cumberland County.

The CCHCC is partnering with

Friendly’s, Cosmopolitan Restaurant,

Lounge and Bakery and Texas

Roadhouse to raise money for such

ini�a�ves as sending members of the

Youth Network to na�onal confer-

ences and to implement permanent

prescrip�on drug drop-off boxes

throughout Cumberland County. Each

restaurant will give a percentage of the

patron’s bill to the CCHCC at no extra

cost to the customer.

The first of the series will take place on

Tuesday, June 19 at Friendly’s located at

3655 South Delsea Drive, Vineland. The

next event will be Tuesday, July 17 at

Cosmopolitan Restaurant, Lounge, and

Bakery located at 3513 South Delsea

Drive, Vineland, NJ. Both events takes

place from 5pm- 8pm. The final Dine-Out

event will be at Texas Roadhouse located

at 2299 North 2nd Street in Millville, NJ

on Monday, August 20 from 3:30pm –

10:00pm.

Those who wish to par�cipate must

bring pre-approved fliers that can be

found out www.southwestcouncil.org or

by contac�ng our office at (856) 794-

1011. Please join us for a meal and help

support the CCHCC’s efforts to reduce

substance abuse among youth in Cum-

berland County.

FYI: FYI: FYI: FYI: With the help of The

Southwest Council, Inc., the

CCHCC is currently in the

process for applying for

funding that would allow us

to help host

Challenge

Day at local

high

schools!

Contact us for more information on the CCHCC, our Youth Division or to sign up for our mailing list!

CCHCC

c/o The Southwest Council, Inc.

1405 N. Delsea Dr.

Vineland, NJ 08360

Phone: 856-794-1011 ext. 302

Fax: 856-794-1239

E-mail: jessica@southwestcouncil.org

facebook.com/CCHealthyCommunitiesCoalition

You make it possible, Tracey Huggins The Coali�on would like to recognize

and thank Tracey Huggins for her posi-

�ve contribu�ons to the CCHCC and the

community. Among her many responsi-

bili�es, Huggins currently serves as the

Chair of the Coali�on. In July she will be

speaking to the Coali�on’s Youth Net-

work about the power of posi�ve self-

esteem.

Huggins is on a mission to help “at

promise” youth and young adults to

realize their natural-born “inner resolve

to be a success.” She remains com-

miNed to providing a message that

promotes self examina�on and person-

al accountability. Since the incorpora-

�on of Renewed Minds in November of

2008, she has provided programs, semi-

nars and mo�va�onal speaking engage-

ments to thousands of youth, young

adults and stakeholders in various as-

pects of social service across the coun-

try.

Huggins has had many accomplish-

ments in the social services arena. She

has been an ac�ve member of the Na-

�onal Parent Leadership Team of Par-

The Cumberland County Healthy Communities Coalition was formed to build healthy communities by

reducing substance abuse among youth.

The Coalition is a group of concerned community members of all ages and from all walks of life, including educators, law enforcement, parents, youth, faith

leaders, health professionals, media, local government and businesses.

We need a Healthy Communities Coalition because a group with a common goal can achieve so much more than an individual alone. Our Coalition promotes coordination and partnership between

organizations to create environments that are alcohol, tobacco and drug free. We build links between local organizations and individuals who are working to

accomplish common goals.

The Coalition meets at the Southwest Council’s Cumberland County Resource Center Office in Vineland. We welcome any interested community members to attend our next general meeting on

Monday, July 9, 2012 at 1:30.

The Coalition is a community initiative of The Southwest Council, Inc. Funds are provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and managed by the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

ents Anonymous since 2009 and is a Pro-

fessional Facilitator for Parents Anony-

mous. She is a member of the Cumber-

land County Youth Services Advisory

Council and also a chairperson for the

Young Women’s Ac�on Alliance of the

State of New Jersey. Recently she has

been acknowledged by Governor Chris

Chris�e of New Jersey as he appointed

her officially to the Office of Juvenile Jus-

�ce and Delinquency Preven�on State

Advisory CommiNee. She was also re-

cently inducted into the Soroptomist In-

terna�onal Chapter of Cumberland Coun-

ty, an interna�onal organiza�on dedicat-

ed to improving the lives of women and

girls around the world! Tracey is also

currently a Nursing Supervisor at the

Oceanview

Center for Re-

habilita�on in

Cape May, New

Jersey.

The Coali�on is

blessed to have

this amazing

woman work

with us!

“The Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention

(CDC) have classified

prescription drug abuse as

a national epidemic, and

the fastest growing

drug problem in the United States”

(CDC Grand Rounds,

1/13/12).