JANUARY 2013
Greetings Nancy,
Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership teaches parents how to set boundaries and reinforce healthy messages to help kids grow up safe, healthy and drug-free. We inform and involve parents, while developing parent leaders, who work together to change unhealthy social norms in our homes, schools and communities. We hope you gain some insight from our eCATalyst newsletter and we welcome your comments!
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![]() Message from the President
Keeping Our Children Safe In 2013
Happy New Year!
It's that time of year when we make promises to ourselves about improving our health and relationships, advancing our careers, etc.; but what if our environments are toxic? It's time for our fresh start.
After December's tragic school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, we may all be feeling a little more vulnerable and protective of our children. We feel stressed because there is no easy answer or quick fix. Why not channel some of that energy and commit to staying on top of the latest trends among children and what they face daily in their environments?
Recently, people have been very concerned about synthetic drugs and bath salts, yet when we asked them to do a simple environmental scan at their local convenient store/gas station, not one person made the simple commitment to do it.
Informed Families can help you be a more involved parent. Make a commitment to sign up to watch Informed Families' monthly webinars. Watch them live or watch the recorded version on our website at your convenience just one week after it airs. Better yet, we need your help to host a viewing party at home or at work…only by recreating the PARENT NETWORK will we be able to collective take a stand against the toxic environments our child endure daily.
The first webinar of the year, on January 24th from Noon to 1pm (EST) is Lock Your Meds®: A Prescription For A Safe & Healthy Family. Why is this topic so important? Did you know that:
- More people die each year from prescription drug abuse than from car accidents
- Every day, 2,000 teenagers use prescription drugs without a doctor's guidance for the 1st time
- 3.1 million 12-25 year olds have used over-the-counter cough or cold medicine at least once to get high
- 13 is the median age of the first non prescribed use of sedatives and stimulants
SIGN UP for our webinar NOW.
In the mean time, take a fresh look at your medicine cabinet to be sure that your medication is secure, download our inventory chart to take regular inventory to make sure nothing is missing and safely dispose of your unused medication.
Looking for more? Here are 10 tips from Informed Families to help you improve your parenting skills and protect your children.
Happy New Year,
Peggy
Parenting Tools![]()
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Bullying Prevention![Students Signing Banner At Pine Meadow Elementary School]()
Who knew the holidays would offer a wonderful opportunity to talk to kids about bullying? The inspiration...Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Students in an Informed Families youth group at Ransom Middle School in Pensacola developed a project to educate other students about the importance of standing up against bullying. The project included an anti-bullying sign-up banner and a series of morning announcements stressing the importance of being a friend and not a bully.
The sign-up banner says, "Rudolph was bullied for his red nose and he ended up saving Christmas. Get on Santa’s nice list and be a friend; not a bully! Appreciate everyone's differences! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa!"
Students in six schools in the Orlando and Pensacola areas signed the banner after participating in a discussion about bullying: Lancaster Elementary School in Orlando, Ransom Middle School, Pine Meadow Elementary School (photographed above), Ensley Elementary School, Oakcrest Elementary School and Ferry Pass Middle School in Pensacola.
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Donor Spotlight
Informed Families is incredibly grateful to the Woman's Relief Association for their ongoing support of our efforts to help kids grow up safe, healthy and drug free in the Greater Miami Shores Community.
![]() Cleaning House = Safer Kids
Do you have old, unused prescription medication in your house? Take action to keep your family and home safe by properly disposing of it. Here are federal guidelines for safe disposal of prescription medication. Save the Date: April 27th - National Take-Back Day, sponsored by the DEA. Communities across the nation will be joining together to prevent prescription drug abuse.
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Educational Ambassadors Wanted
PTA leaders, Educators and Prevention Coordinators - Informed Families wants to help YOU spread the message of substance abuse prevention. Become a Red Ribbon Ambassador at your school and get FREE online access to announcements, events, pledges and contests for our four most popular Universal Prevention Campaigns. Learn how Informed Families can help your school, prevention organization, or coalition can deliver effective, year-round prevention in your community with our four universal prevention campaigns (Family Day, Red Ribbon, Lock Your Meds and Safe Homes Safe Parties) . Contact us today.
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The Passing Of Ethel Beckham
Informed Families is deeply saddened by the loss of long-time supporter and activist, Ethel Beckham. As a member of the Miami Dade County School Board, Ethel made it possible for Informed Families to be funded to provide school prevention and parent programs to Miami Dade County Public Schools. Ethel was also an enthusiastic supporter of the Red Ribbon Campaign (October 23-31st).
Long-time donors of Informed Families, Ethel, her late husband Walter, and her children attended the first Informed Families Fundraising Dinner at Joe's and have continued to support Joe's every year. We are proud that her grandson Justin and wife Melissa are carrying on that tradition. The Beckham Family created a tradition of giving to the betterment of the Miami community and for that we will always be grateful. We miss Ethel tremendously.
![]() Boynton Beach Family & School Recognized For Prevention
Florida Senator Jeff Clemens, DEA Special Agent Oscar Negron, President & CEO Peggy Sapp and other special guests honored The Kennedy Family and Poinciana Elementary School in Boynton Beach on December 14th, 2012, for their outstanding efforts to spread the message of drug prevention in homes, the school and the community during Red Ribbon Week 2012. As Region 4 winners of the National Red Ribbon Photo Contest, the family won an iPad and the school, represented by Principal Lisa Lee, was awarded $1,000 to be used towards drug prevention. Other guests at the recognition ceremony included representatives from the Department of Juvenile Justice and the Department of Children & Families. Check out these photos from the event.
Poinciana Elementary School student Cooper Kennedy's contest entry featured a poster with various photos of Cooper modeling fun, drug free activities. The National Red Ribbon Photo Contest was co-sponsored by the National Family Partnership and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Meet all ten winners from across the country. W
Board Spotlight
This month, Informed Families is grateful to the following board members for their incredible support of our mission of helping kids grow up safe, healthy and drug free:
- Board Members Pat Barton (Naples), Calvina Fay (Tampa), Rona Levitt (Broward) and new board member Tom Tomczyk for speaking on behalf of Informed Families before the Department of Juvenile Justice Blueprint Hearings.
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Eddy Barea for speaking on Teen Safety During The Holidays on Univision 23 on December 7th and on Univision Radio on December 5th.
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Georgee Kluck for writing a very compelling letter in support of Informed Families to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
![]() Outstanding Volunteer: Helena Garcia
Informed Families would like to recognize Helena Garcia for her outstanding commitment to helping kids grow up safe, healthy and drug free.
As the Community Involvement Specialist at West Miami Middle School, Garcia was exposed to the Informed Families Community Action Team program three years ago through West Miami Middle School Principal Colleen Del Terzo. Since then, Helena has been leading the charge as a Parent Peer Group Trainer and volunteer, working very closely with Community Action Team Coordinator Raysa Perez Tabares.
"I feel very fortunate to have Parent Peer Group trainings in our school," says Garcia. "It is so good to see all the parents getting together to talk about these important topics. I especially enjoy seeing how much the parents are engaged in the trainings. They ask questions and challenge each other."
A passionate spokesperson for Informed Families, Garcia recently represented the agency along with Board Member Eddy Barea on Univision Radio, discussing keeping children safe during the holidays. "I told listeners that when you have teenagers attending a party, it is so important to assess the party and who will be there, to know the parents, know what they are serving, what they are doing, etc.," says Garcia. "If you don't know anyone, stay at the party. There's never a 100% guarantee that our kids will be safe, but given proper guidance, our children will have better judgment."
To find out how you can volunteer for Informed Families, click here.
Special Thanks To Informed Families' Sponsors
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![National Drug Facts Week: January 28-February 3, 2013. Register to host an educational event in your community. Get started now with FREE materials!]( "National Drug Facts Week: January 28-February 3, 2013. Register to host an educational event in your community. Get started now with FREE materials!")
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