October is National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month
Please Join #PYDONEFAMILY on October 26 at Iroquois Elementary School for the 8th Annual Zombie Run. This is a one mile “corpse” through Elbow Tree Park. Wear your scariest zombie gear to help scare drugs out of our community. The walk begins at 10 am. Registration forms are available at Iroquois Elementary and Iroquois High School.
DEA National Take Back Day is on October 26. Take any unwanted/unused medications to the Wesleyville and Lawrence Park Police stations between 10am and 2pm for proper disposal.
Please contact sprather@iroquoissd.org with any questions regarding these activities.
Lawrence Park and Wesleyville Citizens Advocating for Change in Our Community since 2014
Iroquois School District (ISD) is located in the Northeast part of Erie County, Pennsylvania and is composed of two adjoining communities, Lawrence Park and Wesleyville. This urban school district is unique in that it, geographically speaking, is the second smallest school district within the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The district includes approximately 1,218 students total, grades PK—12.
Lawrence Park encompasses 1.8 square miles, while Wesleyville encompasses 0.5 square miles. Despite its tiny stature, this 2.3 square mile community possesses a strong and proud history. There are approximately 7,172 residents total. The following section denotes our community details from the 2016 Pennsylvania Census.
Lawrence Park: 3,902 residents. Median age of Wesleyville residents is 39.1. The following race and ethnicity breakdown: White 93%, Hispanic 5%, Asian 1%. The average per capita income is $24,166, where the median household income is $49,953. 7% of residents live below the poverty line (6% of children).
Wesleyville: 3,270 residents. Median age of Wesleyville residents is 37. The following race and ethnicity breakdown: White 92%, Biracial 4%, Hispanic 2%, other 1%. The average per capita income is $21,406, where the median household income is $46,319. 19.7% of residents live below the poverty line (32% of children).
In September of 2014, the community and the school district bound together as a coalition to address the current drug epidemic at our first official town hall meeting. Nearly 100 community leaders agreed that we must confront this issue head on. In 2017, the community was awarded a $625K, 5-year federal grant to create community level change by increasing protective factors and decreasing risk factors among the youth. Our community coalition was then coined #PYDONEFAMILY, encompassing the #ONEFAMILY trend used by residents of the community [on social media] representing the togetherness of our people. The PYD was added to address Positive Youth Development (PYD), the focus of our coalition.
Coalition in Action
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Family Paint Night! We had so much fun learning and laughing with you. Remember, spending time with loved ones is one of the greatest protective factors for youth.
THANK YOU to everyone who took part in our fall Prescription Take Back Day! We broke our record with 42.4 lbs collected in Wesleyville and 2 lbs collected from Lawrence Park! That’s nearly 45 lbs of medication kept out of the hands of our youth!
Thank you to all of our fantastic partners and students who made our 2021 Activity Fair a huge success! We know that extracurricular activities are a huge protective factor for youth, and we are proud to offer such a wide variety at Iroquois. Whether it be a club, sport, or youth group, we hope each student found something that interested them.
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS FAIR
WHO: Students (Pre-K to 12), Parents, Families, and Community Members - ANYONE
WHEN: Thursday, May 18, 2023 6:00-8:00 PM
WHERE: Iroquois Elementary, 4231 Morse Street
WHY: Mental health and emotional wellness MATTERS
WHAT: Presentations, activities and resources promoting mental and emotional wellness
Please join Iroquois School District, in partnership with Harbor Creek and North East School Districts in support of Mental Health Awareness month. Join us for presentations, interactive activities, and information to support mental and emotional wellness. Gift card raffles for those in attendance!
Agenda
6:00-6:15 – Registration/Resource Tables
6:15-6:45 – Welcome and Presentation by NAMI
6:45-7:15 – Break-Out Session 1
7:15-7:45 – Break-Out Session 2
7:45-8:00 – Resource tables/conclusion
The following Break-Out sessions will be available for attendees:
· Coping Skills Tool Workshop: Fidget Toys (Presenter: NAMI)
· Coping Skills Tool Workshop: Glitter Jars (Presenter: Sarah Learn, Iroquois SD)
· Mental Health Awareness (Presenters: Lacy Thompson, Robert Bearfield, Achievement Center/LECOM)
· Coping Skills Workshop: Physical and Emotional Wellness with Pilates (Presented by: Paula Neff, Harbor Creek SD)
· Anxiety (Presenters: Kristen Righi & Nicole Welch, North East SD)
· Stress Relief Drumming (Presenters: Karen Barringer and Sarah Moser, Iroquois SD)
· Understanding Grief/Loss (Presenter: Johnathan Williams, The Caring Place)
· Understanding Trauma (Presenter: Dr. Melanie Hetzel-Riggin, ECTIC)
· Suicide Prevention (Presenter: To be Determined)
· Substance Use and Mental Health (Presenter: Nicholas Jakubowski, Pyramid Healthcare)
· Coping Skills Workshop: Creativity and Art Expression (Presenter: Candie Leslie, Iroquois SD)
· Coping Skills: Physical Activity as a Positive Coping Skill (Presenter: Jennifer Cadden, Iroquois SD)
· The Role of Technology in the Mental Health of Children and Adolescents (Presenters: Cecelia Hollands, Karlee Meckey, Barber National Institute)
· Art Therapy and Emotional Regulation (Presenter: Shelby Deutsch, Sarah Reed)
PLUS, resource tables from additional community providers:
Penn State CORE, ARC of Erie County, PA Parent and Family Alliance, Mental Health Association of NWPA, Urban University, IU5, Family Services of NWPA
You can pre-register at: https://forms.gle/58sYnupNY2Sy1kBv7 (Copy and Paste) or contact Maria Modzelewski @ mmodzelewski@iroquois.iu5.org
Previous Events
The Ad Council invites you to a briefing on our newly launched Youth Fentanyl Awareness campaign Real Deal on Fentanyl, funded by leading technology companies Snap and YouTube.
As the overdose crisis continues to impact this country, the Ad Council is committed to tackling this issue holistically, and we’re pleased to share the first phase of our approach with you.
This first campaign aims to educate young Americans about the dangers and prevalence of fentanyl, as many young people are unaware that fentanyl is appearing as a contaminant in illicit powdered drugs and being used to create counterfeit prescription pills.
By working directly with unexpected yet highly qualified messengers and tech platforms popular with this audience, the campaign aims to reach young people with compelling, custom-tailored content that is bold and breakthrough. The Ad Council is also partnering with a variety of trusted non-profit and government advisors on the campaign to ensure all aspects of our work at every stage are accurate and medically informed.
We are holding an online stakeholder briefing on Thursday October 27 at 2PM EST to update valued partners like you on our creative approach.
Please join us for a conversation on youth fentanyl education, which we hope will complement the important work you are all doing. We also hope this briefing will allow us to learn how our campaign can promote your work and we can collectively save lives.
We hope you can join us on the 27th.
DEA Warns of Brightly-Colored Fentanyl
Did you know the Hidden In Plain Sight trailer has gone virtual? Check out this amazing resource being offered by Lake Erie Youth ROAD Crew: https://hips.leyroadcrew.com/.
Food Distribution Information:
Second Harvest Food Pantry at Iroquois High School delivers food to registered families each Thursday or Friday. Students can also visit the PYD office and pack items to take home. Please contact sprather@iroquois.iu5.org to register for this program.
The Wesleyville Interfaith Food Pantry is open between 10-11:30 and 5-6 on the third Tuesday of every month. This program is not income based. If you are new, please bring a photo ID AND proof of address (like a utility bill) If you are a regular, bring photo ID.
Please feel free to contact Sandy Prather (sprather@iroquois.iu5.org) or Debbie Speice (community@ewesley.com) with any questions related to these programs!
Resources
#PYDONEFAMILY will cover registration costs for coalition members. Email Julia Boyd at jgabrys@iroquois.iu5.org for more information.
This guide was made to help the many Pennsylvanians who are struggling with addiction find affordable treatment. It can serve as a guide through the path of recovery and inform on important statistics on Pennsylvania substance abuse. https://www.help.org/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-centers-in-pennsylvania/
Do you suspect your teen is using marijuana? Are you unsure how to address this with them? If so, #MJTALKKIT is the resource you need. Download here: https://drugfree.org/download/marijuana-talk-kit/
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
PYD Takes Capitol Hill: On February 5th, 2019, our #PYDONEFAMILY Coalition took to Capitol Hill and met with representatives in the offices of Congressman Mike Kelly, Senator Bob Casey, and Senator Pat Toomey. Above is Madison Chew, who served as our youth council representative. Capitol Hill Day is a chance for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America to advocate for substance abuse prevention.
Sectors of Involvement
Our coalition seeks to involve various resources in our community to affect environmental change on a collaborative basis. The following sectors are sought out by our coalition. Whenever possible, the coalition votes at least one sector representative to act as a leader and to increase coalition capacity within their sector.
YOUTH
Our youth sector encompasses our PYD Ambassesdors group, comprised of Iroquois School District students. These students were recommended by teachers and guidance counselors as natural leaders among the school. Together, they address priority areas of concern within the school and broader community, along with action strategies to affect change.
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Our law enforcement sector is comprised of both police officers from Lawrence Park and Wesleyville boroughs. John Morrell is the Chief of Police for the township of Lawrence Park and our law enforcement sector representative. His position supports formal change in law enforcement procedures and practices.
Other Organization Involved in Reducing Youth Substance Abuse
Theresa Laird of Coalition Pathways serves as our representative from other organizations involved in reducing youth substance abuse. Theresa advises the Iroquois Branch of Erie Prevention Impacts Communities (EPIC), and takes an empirical approach to empower youth, increase civic engagement, and educate the community on the dangers of substance abuse.
BUSINESS
Karen Allessie, Chief Operations Officer of AMERICO Federal Credit Union, is the coalition's business sector representative. Ms. Allessie is committed to supporting community prevention efforts and community level change to decrease substance abuse and other problem behaviors.
SCHOOLS
Our school sector is relative to Iroquois School District (ISD), as it exists as the sole district in our community. Further, ISD acts as the coalition's fiscal agent. The school sector representative is Shane Murray, the superintendent of the district.
GOVERNMENT
Bill Fryling serves as our state/local/tribal government sector representative and is a supervisor for the Erie County Office of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. This office is actively engaged in substance abuse prevention efforts for Erie County.
parent
Lori Slupski is a parent of four Iroquois students and our parent representative. She actively attends coalition meetings and is an active participant in coalition sponsored activities. Her oldest child is in 10th grade and is an active member of the coalition as well. Mrs. Slupski is committed to participating on the coalition to promote substance abuse prevention efforts.
HEALTHCARE
Mrs. Leanne Haupt, Executive Director of Pyramid Healthcare, oversees Drug and Alcohol Counseling across Erie County through the student assistance program. The student assistance program provides substance abuse prevention, intervention, and outpatient services in the Iroquois School District.
FAITH-BASED
Our faith-based sector seeks to include all religious groups and churches within our community, and is not limited to the Christian faith. Our sector representative is Debbie Speice, the community outreach coordinator at Wesleyville Methodist Church. She is committed to supporting developmental assets in the community in an effort to decrease substance abuse and other problem behaviors among the youth.
MEDIA
Our media representative is Cathy Zawadzki, the Iroquois High School Principal’s Secretary. She actively updates the school website, district calendar, and other forms of media with community-related events, programs and initiatives. The Coalition has used these media platforms to share relevant information about #PYDONEFAMILY Coalition related information, activities, and events.
Youth Serving Organization
Karen McLellan is the Volunteer and Communications Coordinator of the East Side YMCA. She often facilitates wellness programs and initiatives for the community, with a focus of both youth and adult involvement. Karen is committed to providing healthy, alternative lifestyle choices for youth in an effort to prevent substance abuse.
CIVIC/volunteer
Our civic sector represenative is Tammy Benovic, who serves as a commissioner on the Parks and Recreation Board of Lawrence Park Township. The Parks and Recreation Department supports a wide-range of community events and activities. Ms. Benovic has been an active member of #PYDONEFAMILY for several years. Her involvement on the Parks and Recreation board has been integral in supporting the coalition’s mission in the community.
On Saturday, May 11, #PYDONEFAMILY sponsored an “After Prom” event at Eastway Bowling Lanes. 63 student participants socialized and enjoyed bowling after enjoying the Junior/Senior Prom.