By Shari L. Johnson
Project Director
The logo of the CMHS Youth Force is three arms connected in a triangular shape; and not by coincidence. The three sides are meant as a symbolic and literal connection of how the agency approaches substance abuse in Calhoun County.
One of those arms represents Calhoun County Schools. As Project Director I am in the school offering the after school program Pride-Youth In Action to teens who would like a creative outlet through filming public service announcements, web page development and creating community opportunities for they and their friends to have alternative activities such as the Crashing Jericho Concert at the Calhoun County Park on the evening of May 9th. Too Good for Drugs curriculum for 3rd and 5th grades and High school is also available though the project and will hopefully be implemented in the future.
The Community "Arm" is where we address substance abuse concerns with families of all ages from birth to senior citizens and how they can be affected. This has entailed speaking to church groups, senior citizens and civic organizations about safeguarding your home against prescription drug theft, the laws regarding underage consumption of alcohol, and many others topics regarding what puts our families at risk with a goal of encouraging family communication and activities.
The third "arm" represents Calhoun County as a whole where I'm more concerned with encouraging law enforcement to conduct DUI checkpoints, helping merchants to be aware of the laws regarding selling alcohol to underage, and speaking to our Legislators about passing legislation to further prevention measures in the State and thus reducing the continual rising cost of substance abuse on the tax payers. In 2006 alone, substance abuse cost West Virginia 1.8 billion dollars in direct and indirect costs. It needs to stop!
The Youth Force project strives to consider the culture of Calhoun County and believes that it takes local people to solve local problems. Another reason that I have been going to the communities individually is to establish a line of communication and hopefully gain insight to what each community deems as "their" problem. I'm there to listen to your story. But I have had very little interest shown at the community meetings making it difficult to "hear."
My next community meeting will be at the Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church on Tuesday Evening May 12th. You don't' have to be from the Pleasant Hill area to attend. Everyone is welcome! The next meeting is a coalition building meeting on the 19th of May at Victory Baptist Church at 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome there too!
If you'd like to contact me regarding scheduling me to speak to your organization or for more information you can stop by my office at 229 Court Street, Suite 202, Grantsville, WV (above the old jail) or call my cell phone at 304-940-0115, or email me at talk2shari@gmail.com
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