December 2014 Newsletter | notMYkid.org

Happy Holidays from notMYkid

December 17, 2014

In This Issue

Updates

notMYkid in the Community

Upcoming Events

Parent Blog

notMYkid Updates

notMYkid Welcomes New CEO Aimee Runyon

notMYkid is excited to announce the arrival of our new CEO, Aimee Runyon. Aimee previously served as the the Executive Director of Assistance League of Phoenix, a nonprofit organization that has been improving the lives of children throughout Phoenix for over 50 years. Aimee was selected to be the 1st Executive Director for Assistance League of Phoenix as well as the first out of 122 chapters nationwide.

With over 18 years of experience in nonprofit management, the scope of her work has included programs that benefit foster youth and physically challenged youth, provide technology for underserved populations, and offer nationwide tutoring programs. Aimee was also responsible for bringing together Freddie Mac, Pearson Education, and Fifth Third Bank to fund projects that provided resources in Mississippi & Louisiana for Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. Aimee has a passion for bringing innovative solutions to at-risk and underserved populations.

Aimee received a BA degree in Communications from Arizona State University and a Masters in Business Administration and Masters in Public Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management. Aimee was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and is the proud mother of her six year old son Amare.

notMYkid in the Community

notMYkid Founder Appointed to Transition Subcommittee

notMYkid is proud and honored to announce that Governor-Elect Doug Ducey has appointed our co-founder Debbie Moak to serve on his Transition Subcommittee on Crime and Child Safety. Congratulations Debbie! Thank you for all the work you continue to do to benefit Arizona's children, families, and schools.

A Special "Thank You" to Our Women's Auxiliary Board

notMYkid would like to recognize and thank the members of our Women's Auxiliary Board and Junior Women's Auxiliary Board. We greatly appreciate your dedication to educating the community on our programs and topics, and your tireless work organizing our annual gala and fundraising events. We couldn't do it without you. Thank you!

2014-2015 Women's Auxiliary Board Members:

Susie Alofs, Lisa Benick, Charlene Berge-Blum, Mirav Bradshaw, Courtney Buck, Tara Cavanaugh, Angela Ducey, Meghan Fable, Laurie Fielder, Tracy Fitzgerald, Martha Fratt, Anne Fundner, Julie Furey, Kerri Geisler, Lisa Haffner, Bridget Hanger, Lisa Holmes, Lisa Johnson, Mary Kaplan, Julie Kroot, Lisa Lannon, Barbara Lytle, Celestina Majerle, Martha Martin, Laura McElroy, Debbie Moak, Heather Novak, Christy Orders, Kara Peterson, Kathy Pidgeon, Dawn Scanlon, Alexa Schneider, Lisa Shapiro, Carol Shilliday, Kimberly Tate, Kristine Thompson, Penny Warring, Jennifer Winssinger

2014-2014 Junior Women's Auxiliary Board Members:

Claire Archbold, Martha Fratt, Lauren Gannon

Help notMYkid by Using Amazon Smile for Purchases

What if you could contribute to notMYkid's prevention education programs while purchasing items you need?

Now you can, thanks to Amazon Smile. For every eligible purchase made through Amazon Smile, notMYkid will receive .5% of the purchase price.

Signing up is easy:

Visit smile.amazon.com
Choose a charity. (Type "notMYkid" in the search box and select "Not My Kid Inc.")
After making your selection, you will be redirected to Amazon and see some subtle differences. At the top of your account it will say "Amazon Smile" and "Supporting Not My Kid Inc."
When selecting items for purchase, you will know they are eligible to benefit notMYkid if, under the stock amount or details, you see the Amazon Smile logo and the phrase "Eligible for Amazon Smile donation."
Please be sure to log in to smile.amazon.com when making your Amazon purchases

Thank you for helping notMYkid bring a message of positive life choices to Arizona's kids, families, and schools.

Upcoming notMYkid Events

notMYkid Community Education Event: Internet Safety

Advances in technology have provided us with the ability to communicate anytime and anywhere. However, with the increased convenience has come a number of new concerns, including online predators, cyberbullying, and identity theft. Many parents feel unable to keep up with the ever-changing face of the Internet, social media, and smartphone apps.

That's why notMYkid has responded to the need for information and education on this very important topic. We invite you to join us on January 14th for a free community education event on Internet safety.

Adults will be treated to a presentation created in conjunction with behavioral health professionals and delivered by a member of local law enforcement. Teens will experience a special presentation from one of our young adult Peer Educators.

This special event is open to all adults, and children and teens 11 years old and above.

Seating is limited, so please RSVP today via the following link:

notMYkid Internet Safety Community Event Registration

If you have questions regarding this event, please contact Jansen Neff via phone at (602) 652-0163 x110 or via email at jansen@notmykid.org.

Date: Wednesday, January 14th
Time: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: notMYkid office - 5230 E. Shea Blvd. Scottsdale, AZ 85254 .

Save The Date for notMYkid's Annual Gala Event

Mark your calendars. We now have a confirmed date for the 2015 notMYkid Gala. We hope you can join us on April 17th, 2015 for an evening of fun to benefit our prevention education programs. It's sure to be a night that you won't want to miss.

Parent Alert - "Inhalant Abuse"

"22% of the individuals who died from Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome had no history of previous inhalant abuse."

Recently, notMYkid Co-Founder Debbie Moak began noticing a pile of used nitrous oxide cartridges or "Whip-Its" accumulating on the side of a road in an affluent area of town. Over the course of a week, she collected 40 used cartridges, including one that was wrapped up in a high school class schedule.

She brought the collected cartridges to a meeting of notMYkid's Women's Auxiliary Board to share her findings with the members. A number of attendees were unfamiliar with Whip-Its, their use and effects, and the wide range of inhalants that are often abused. Others were surprised to hear of where the empty cartridges were found.

Used nitrous oxide cartridges or "Whip-Its" found on the side of a local street

However, like substance abuse in general, inhalant abuse reaches across all demographics. As with any other substance of abuse, awareness of the symptoms, effects, and dangers of inhalants is key to preventing and combating their abuse. We encourage you to read the following link and forward it to others, including parents, grandparents, and educators. Knowledge is power.

READ THE FULL notMYkid PARENT ALERT ON INHALANT ABUSE HERE

You make it possible for notMYkid to take a message of hope and positive life choices to students, parents, and educators in Arizona. It's because of your generosity that notMYkid is able to reach so many young people across the state and prevent the pain, sorrow, and even death that can result from destructive youth behaviors.

Your donation is tax-deductible. Please click the button above to support notMYkid's prevention education programs.

At notMYkid, we inspire positive life choices by educating our community about the consequences of destructive youth behaviors. Young adults who have overcome life-controlling addictions and behaviors share their personal stories with middle and high school students. In an effort to promote our prevention message we educate adults on the same addictions and destructive behaviors. Our goal is to increase awareness of the challenges kids face, provide information, and offer resources to support the success of students, families, and educators.

Stay Connected with notMYkid

notMYkid | 602-652-0163 | communications@notmykid.org | http://www.notmykid.org
5230 East Shea Boulevard
Suite 100
Scottsdale, AZ 85254