CAFY Mail list members PLEASE READ Action Needed
Cathy DeFuria
Dear CAFY mail list members,
In case you missed the Beacon article last October, we are copying it below for your
information.
CAFY ceased operations in October and we encouraged ABCHY to transfer some of the resources on our website to the ABCHY website and to utilize the CAFY email list as a communication tool. We also donated the remains of our funds to the Acton Boxborough United Way.
ABCHY has expressed an interest in CAFY website and they would like to gain access to the CAFY email list. We intend to forward the email list to them so that you can continue to be informed of efforts to promote youth health and wellness. If you wish for your name and contact info to be removed from the email list before we provide it to ABCHY, please reply to this email by July 30th. After that we will forward the list to them.
It has been a pleasure to work with this community to raise awareness and support families.
Signed:
CAFY Board 2012
October 11, 2012 Beacon article:
The board of the Acton-Boxborough Community Alliance for Youth (CAFY) has decided to dissolve the organization. CAFY was formed in 2002 with a defined mission to promote the wellness of the young people of Acton and Boxborough and to help them make healthy decisions as they mature to adults. The primary goal has been to help parents learn to effectively support the healthy behavior and address the high-risk behavior of their children. Over the past ten years, the organization has accomplished a great deal with the support of a significant number of committed and talented volunteers and funding from local/regional organizations such as CHNA 15, A-B United Way, and church organizations. The initiatives that have been sponsored include: 2-3 parent education programs each year; providing leadership with the start-up of Project Wellness; partnering to produce the Red Flag Book, with information related to local mental health agencies that serve adolescents; the Safe Homes Program; several open town meetings focused on underage drinking; co-sponsoring public presentations of the results of the bi-annual Youth Risky Behavior Survey; serving as a sponsor for bringing the Restorative Justice Program to Acton and Boxborough; conducting several parent surveys focused on teen wellness and teen risky behavior; and developing and maintaining the CAFY website, which provides parents with access to parenting resources. CAFY has also developed a very collaborative relationship with the A-B Regional School District, the high school and junior high, PTSO, the Acton Police Department, the Clergy Association, and ABCHY.
During the past few years, it has been increasingly difficult to raise the funds required to support new initiatives; many of the dedicated board members have withdrawn as their children have transitioned to adulthood and other issues have limited their available time; and it has been difficult to recruit the number of new board members that are needed in order to fulfill the organization’s mission. The formation of Acton-Boxborough Coalition for Healthy Youth (ABCHY), approximately five years ago, presented an additional challenge. They were initially funded with a A-B United Way challenge grant, with the defined mission to help identify and fill gaps in services for youth in the Acton and Boxborough communities in order to unite, empower and mobilize the community to promote positive youth development and prevent risky behaviors in adolescents. During ABCHY’s first few years, there appeared to be little overlap in the mission of the two organizations and the two organizations developed a very collaborative relationship; but during the past 2-3 years there has been significant overlap, competition for several regional grants, and a lot of confusion in the community related to the role and mission of the two organizations. The CAFY board has therefore decided that it is time for CAFY to step aside and make room for ABCHY to fulfill its mission.
Bob McGowan, Chair of the Board, stated, “I would like to thank the many committed volunteers who have served on our board and the leadership of the community organizations, mentioned above, with whom we have develop positive collaborative relationships. We would also encourage parents in our community to make a commitment to support ABCHY and volunteer to serve on their board and committees in order to support their mission of promoting the health and wellness of our youth.”