We've had the best time over the last few weeks delivering ice cream sundaes and hosting ice cream socials with leaders of our IMPACT Community Coalitions. It is truly amazing to hear about all the great prevention work happening through our seven coalitions.
For example, in Corsicana, IMPACT Navarro celebrated 12 years of changing lives through community partnerships. Over ice cream, our own Alvis Reeves spoke about the value of long-standing partnerships with the NAACP, Community National Bank and Trust, VOICE and P&S Pharmacy which hosts one of the city’s permanent prescription drug drop-boxes. Support from the Corsicana Daily Sun has played a key role in keeping the community informed and engaged in coalition initiatives. You can read more about our Corsicana story here.
In Waxahachie, we were honored to accept a $5,000 check from the Waxahachie Foundation that will underwrite IMPACT Waxahachie’s upcoming community education event slated for Drug Prevention Month in October.
We also received very warm welcomes from coalition members in Ennis, Garland and Cedar Hill. It is quite evident that our coalition coordinators are needed and respected as the “go-to” resource within their communities. We are so proud of our coalition team and want you to know that they are a key part of Drug Prevention Resources (DPR).
Visiting all of our coalitions gave us the perfect opportunity to share our new Vision and Mission as well as our new logo and website. The URL (drugfreegeneration.org) reflects both and explains how we will achieve that Vision (through education, collaboration, innovation and advocacy). Please share your feedback at drugfreegeneration.org.
Everywhere we went gave us an opportunity to share about North Texas Giving Day #NTxGivingDay and how residents of each coalition community can make a donation to DPR on 9/14/17 but designate that the contribution be directed back to an individual IMPACT community. This funding can be used to help your coalition address needs that are unique to your coalition. Now that’s something to celebrate!
In each of these communities, it's incredibly apparent that hearts are being touched and lives are being changed. One coalition chair sent me a personal note after our visit letting me know how much our IMPACT team means to her and her family. She said that chairing the coalition just isn’t enough and asked how else she can volunteer to help DPR. That touched my heart.
We’ve been blessed to have worked with hundreds of volunteers over the past eighty-two years. Without your willingness to pound the pavement, host events, and talk with parents, students and other stakeholders about the effects of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, our jobs would be much more difficult. And I know one thing for sure. They wouldn’t be nearly as fun! Thank you all for your generous support!
