Macy's Supports Local Youth
Thanks to the generous support of Macy's, the City of Midfield, and the State Department of Mental Health, Gateway's Community Connections is able to partner with Rutledge Middle School to provide two programs:
*Too Good for Drugs--a school-based substance abuse prevention program; and
*Positive Reinforcement of Uplifting Development (PROUD)--an after-school and summer camp program designed to help keep children in a safe and positive environment outside of school hours.
Children at-risk for drug use include those with poor self-esteem who are raised in poverty...often in single parent homes with minimal supervision. In Too Good for Drugs, Gateway staff members provide information on the risks of substance use and teach problem solving, communication skills, and social skills. Active participation is encouraged; and role-plays and small group discussions are used to teach goal setting, resisting peer pressure, and decision-making skills, which will help the students develop both confidence and self-esteem.
After school and during the summer, Community Connections will use Positive Reinforcement of Uplifting Development (PROUD), developed by Gateway. PROUD provides substance abuse prevention programs to Rutledge students ages 11-14. The program is offered at the Highland Center twice a week during the school year and four times a week during the summer, offering:
*Life skills classes
*Drug prevention activities
*Recreational/Social activities
*Service learning activities
After-school participants are provided with nutritious snacks, which may well serve as the only dinner some of these young people will get. The needs of summer program participants may be even greater, as they won't have access to the free breakfast and lunch programs offered at school.
If you would like to provide tickets for recreational/educational activities or support the program's efforts to see that these children get enough to eat, please call 510-2612.
