AHC

Alliance for Healthy Communities represents a wide range of ways community members can contribute to reducing alcohol and drug abuse among area youth. Becoming and staying informed about drug use trends, sharing information with others, following and sharing AHC on social media, attending AHC meetings and assisting with AHC events are all ways to contribute to collective efforts to safeguard area youth from the destruction of alcohol and drug abuse.

Participating with AHC’s efforts begins with promoting the priority of alcohol and drug-free youth within your own home, neighborhood, work place, place of worship and circles of friends. Sharing a tip sheet, hosting a safe and sober prom sign and promptly using, and encouraging others to use, local medication drop boxes are all things even the busiest people can do. And, we have deeper opportunities for participation, from attending monthly coalition meetings to volunteering for events to contributing a blog on our website or content on AHC social media platforms. We would be delighted for you to be a part of our team.

Alliance for Healthy Communities holds its general meetings on the first Tuesday of each month, excepting July (no July meeting) and January (the 2nd Tuesday in January). General meetings are held in the library of Parkway Central Middle School from 4:30 to 6 PM. AHC’s general meetings serve several priorities: fostering community partnership connections, increasing capacities to reduce youth substance abuse and work sessions in which AHC partners, organized into work groups, further their collaborations in project management. AHC general meetings are open to all community stakeholders interested in assuring the health and wellbeing of area youth. Newcomers are free to contribute to any of the active work groups.

Hidden In Plain View (a.k.a. The Bedroom Project): Alliance for Healthy Communities collaborates with Addiction is Real and the Parkway School District to provide the unique, interactive parent education program Hidden in Plain View. HPV affords parents the opportunity to search a mock bedroom for evidence of teen drug use followed by a discussion of all the hidden evidence and storage containers. Additionally, the program includes a presentation regarding how to talk with kids about the risks of underage drinking and drug use. For each Hidden in Plain View event, volunteers are needed to help set up, and take down, the mock bedroom as well as greet and assist participants.

Prescription Medication Take Back Events: Each year our community law enforcement agencies provide two medication take back events that provide community members the opportunity to safely dispose of expired or unused medications. In combination with the permanent medication drop box locations, these events remove thousands of  pounds of unused medications from area households, neighborhoods and communities. Alliance for Healthy Communities works to promote these take-back events through the distribution of event flyers and social media announcements. Volunteers are needed to assist with flyer distribution and in promoting our social media announcements about these important events.

We are always looking for good and interesting subjects to post on our website and social media. If you are into social media, writing blog posts or have something you would like to share with us, you might be a great social media volunteer.