YES CLUB Visits DC

Press release written by Chrissy Mizar, YES Club Advisor/ Americorp Mentor
 

Students from KCPC's YES Club at Kamiah Middle School and Kamiah High School recently attended the CADCA National Leadership Forum in Washington, DC. The Forum was held to train both students and adults in methods of promoting drug free communities, and ways to help prevent underage minors from substance abuse. The Forum boasted a number of top representatives from across the nation, as well as high-profile speakers, including the Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin.

The students who attended the Forum from Kamiah were Drake Krieger, Samantha Lahman, Jordan Stewart, Cami Krieger, and Shayla Bovey. These students, along with their AmeriCorps mentor, Chrissy Mizar, attended several workshops each day, educating them about the dangers of substance abuse and ways to help keep their friends sober. After one day of  workshops, Drake Krieger commented, "Prevention IS possible, and with the help of friends, it is easier to keep a kid from using drugs." Shayla Bovey commented, "An average of 5,000 youths die each year as a result of underage drinking." Samantha Lahman stated, "I learned today that tobacco kills more people than AIDS, unintentional injuries, suicide, homicide, alcohol, and drug use COMBINED every year." Cami Krieger added, "I also learned that cyber-bullying can drive people to suicide. We lose approximately 9,000 kids to suicide each year due to cyber-bullies." Jordan Stewart also shared what he learned at CADCA: "The number one killer of males between the ages of 12-24 is accidents caused by alcohol or drugs."

Sharlene Johnson, Executive Director of KCPC, said, "The CADCA Leadership Forum was very engaging. Our youth rose to the challenge, and made a very eye opening presentation to our local Congressmen on the need for local Social Host ordinances. They also made a very clear plea for a  "NO" statement on House Bill 19.  House Bill 19 would support the legalization of medical marijuana."

The issue of medical marijuana was raised frequently at the conference. Many people from states who have legalized marijuana reported that teen use of the drug has skyrocketed, and that marijuana is now easier to get than any other substance. Teen drinking rates have risen with the use of marijuana, and they are now facing a serious crisis of addicted young people. Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, summed up the use of medical marijuana this way: "We know that heroin also has pain-relieving properties, yet we don't prescribe heroin for medical use. Why? Because we know that it is highly addictive and destructive. So why are we prescribing marijuana, which has nearly the same levels of highly addictive properties?" After listening to the evidence presented at this conference, we are encouraging our residents to vote no to the upcoming legislation which would legalize marijuana for medical use.

On Wednesday, Feb. 9^th, our students met with Senator Jim Risch's Legislative Aid, Rachel Burkett; with Rep. Raul Labrador and his Chief of Staff, John Goodwin, Jr; and with Senator Mike Crapo's Chief of Staff, Peter Fischer, and Legislative Aid, Rachel Johnson. They presented information about our community's struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, and asked for the legislators' continued support in fighting these issues. The students were also treated to a private tour of the capitol building, including a ride on the Senatorial Subway connecting the House of Representatives to the Senate. It was very exciting for them to see the history of our nation, right in front of their eyes. They also were able to see the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and the exterior of the Washington Monument, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, and the Lincoln Memorial. It was a wonderful week of learning, and they are ready to come home and help our community change for the better!

KCPC Director honored with Community Service distinction

Johnson honored for fighting drugs

Sharlene Johnson, executive director of the Kamiah Community Partners Coalition, was honored last week for her work preventing substance abuse in her community. 

 Johnson received a Community Service Award at a statehouse ceremony in Boise from the Regional Advisory Committees (RAC) on Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment, the community voice on the Interagency Committee on Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment.

At the ceremony, Representative Sharon Block also was honored as the recipient of the eight annual Patricia Kempthorne Award in recognition for her work as a legislator who makes a difference in fighting drug and alcohol abuse.

The Patricia Kempthorne Award is named in honor of former Idaho First Lady Patricia Kempthorne, an avid advocate for substance abuse prevention and treatment.

In addition to recognizing a legislator, the committees also honor individuals from the seven Health and Welfare Regions of Idaho with Community Service Awards.

Johnson is this year's Region 2 honoree. A native of Kamiah, she was recognized for the work she has done in her community to provide a positive environment for youth.  She was instrumental in developing KCPC, dedicated to strengthening community bonds and support systems to reduce and prevent youth substance use, and is now the executive director.

"Substance abuse prevention and treatment saves lives and state resources," said Darren Richman, RAC chair from Region 4.  "The contributions of our community services honorees and Representative Block help to stretch precious funds further.  We must continue to take action to prevent the costly outcomes, personal and societal, of substance abuse." 

  Chocolate Fantasy Evening a Huge Success!

The first Annual Chocolate Fantasy Evening hosted Kamiah Community Partners Coalition (KCPC) was a great success! It was held on Saturday, February 19^th, 2011 at the exclusive Flying B Ranch in Kamiah, Idaho. KCPC is raising money to construct a wellness and recreation complex which will serve the community as a place where youth and families can come to socialize and recreate in a drug and alcohol-free environment. The goals of the Kamiah Community Partners Coalition are to reduce youth substance abuse in the community and to strengthen community collaboration to sustain the efforts. Although programs at the Complex will focus on at-risk youth, the overall objective is to engage family participation and community involvement in its programs while promoting positive change for a healthy community. This event was the kick-off fundraiser for the project.

Guests came from near and far to attend the event and enjoyed an elegant evening of sweet indulgence with over 20 different varieties of chocolate to sample. They sampled exotic items like Chocolate covered bacon, Roasted Parsnip Soup with White Chocolate Puree, Spinach salad with a chocolate vinaigrette, and Barbecued Chocolate Meatballs.  There was also an abundance of tasty chocolate desserts. Guests also were treated to live music by Hunter Mizar and Dale Granger. The evening culminated in an exciting auction! Over $4000 was raised during the event. At the end of the evening guests had the option of spending the evening in one of the rooms at the Flying B Ranch. 

Community members interested in the wellness and recreation complex project are invited to attend an open house on March 5^th.   University of Idaho students from the Architecture and Interior Design departments have been will be on hand to showcase the designs they have been working on for the project. The Open House will run from 1-2 PM and the students will make presentations on their projects from 2-4 PM. The location is yet to be determined, but will be announced when the date gets closer.

If you have further questions or are interested in helping with this project please feel free to call Sharlene Johnson, KCPC Executive Director, at 935-2290.

Photos Courtesy of Rhon Renshaw~~ More event photos can be viewed at www.kcpcchocolatefantasy.weebly.com