getting involved
June 18th, 2012
There are fundamental reasons that getting involved can be for YOU: Drug and alcohol abuse affects everyone in a community in some way. Through collaborations, NR FOCUS is able to address this problem through a multifaceted approach. A community problem needs the whole community to solve it, and NR FOCUS collaboratively partnered with over 1,000 individuals, agencies and institutions!
Here is a list of benefits (by sector) that may spark your interest into action.
Youth
- Community involvement looks great on future college and job applications
- Learn what resources are available for someone who you are concerned about
- Gain knowledge, vocational experience, and apprenticeship opportunities
- Empower yourself – voice your thoughts on issues that concern you
- Develop leadership skills
- Build positive peer relationships
- Improve your neighborhood
Families
- Network with other parents and learn what young people are really up to
- Learn what is being done in your community to make it better for young people
- Understand which drugs teens are using and what you as a parent can do
- Learn the factors in the community that place young people at risk for substance abuse and other problem behaviors
- Participate in a planning process that will help influence your community’s prevention strategy
- Help ensure that prevention programs being used in your community are effective
- Refer your adolescent to the coalition for a rewarding experience with community leaders that will look great on college and job applications
Faith Based Organizations
- The faith community has a unique spiritual perspective that should be brought to the community prevention planning table
- Research says that participation in faith is a strong protective factor providing an opportunity for spiritual strength, and spiritual and social growth
- Spiritual counseling, youth ministries, groups, activities and programs can be made available to help to connect youth to community
- Most families have or want a spiritual connection where they feel they belong. Faith involvement on a coalition can foster this
- Provide opportunities for mentoring, leadership opportunities and inspiration
Schools Education Community
- FOCUS helps schools and communities work together
- The community mobilization process builds an infrastructure for a coalition to develop its members, building a long-term commitment to prevention efforts
- School leaders will learn ways to increase student/school bonding. Students that are bonded to their school are more protected from drug use
- Schools interact with youth daily and have important information for the community and vice versa
- School staff have unique perspectives on the issues and needs of young people
- Schools have an opportunity to share the responsibility for change with other community leaders, which helps provide seamless services to families
Civic Groups
- Help identify gaps in services and develop programs to eliminate gaps
- Set a positive example for youth
- Become a mentor to our youth helping young people to develop character and marketable skills
- Improve community safety
- Promote leadership/partnership
- Publish progress, accomplishments and rewards
- Help improve available services for youth
- Be an advocate for youth services
- Create a safer, more desirable community
Businesses
- Position yourself as a business that cares about local youth and families
- Discuss how local teen alcohol and drug use impact your business and profit and
- Strategize to create positive change
- Contribute to a planning process that will help influence the community’s prevention strategy
- Learn what is being done in your community to prevent and reduce teen alcohol and drug use
- Hear how businesses have improved productivity and decreased costs by using low-cost strategies addressing employee alcohol consumption and drug use
- Alcohol servers and sellers: learn how to safeguard yourself from lawsuits
- Improve the quality of the city’s future workforce and leaders
- Identify meaningful ways to sponsor and support local programs for families
- Benefit from positive media promotion
Law Enforcement
- Reduction in violent and drug related crime with better community collaboration
- Improved community relations resulting in better police image
- Decrease corrections spending
- Reduction in gang activity and judicial caseloads as a result of better prevention
Government
- Gain visibility and input from important leaders in your community
- Hear community issues directly from community members themselves
- Be a proactive channel in communication with your community
- Affect policy and legislation directly associated with your community’s youth
- Create better funding for programs and opportunities that have been shown to work