May 2022
CARTER COUNTY CONNECTS |
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May CCC Meeting
May 5th
Virtual: Join Zoom @ 12pm
Meeting will end @ 1:30pm
Things to do before the meeting:
- Please make sure you have filled out this membership form.
- Please use this form to share any upcoming events or activities you would like the collaborative members to know about.
- Committee chairs, please use this form to submit committee progress.
Speakers:
Committees will meet in breakout rooms following the speakers.
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May Outstanding Coalition Partner
Elizabethton Parks & Recreation
Shout out to Elizabethton Parks and Rec for helping us to create a nicotine-free environment for Carter County's youngest sluggers and for the MILLION other ways they support us!
The mission of the City of Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Department is to enrich the lives of its citizens and visitors by providing clean, safe spaces to increase physical, mental and emotional health for all demographics while preserving the historical integrity of our community; They believe in the simple importance of play, and its ability to build, strengthen, energize and relax while stimulating a desire to live, grow and thrive.
The City of Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Department operates a Recreation Center, an outdoor aquatic facility, 11 youth baseball/softball fields, 3 tennis courts, 3 walking/biking trails and 101 acres of parkland which includes playgrounds, pavilions and open park space. Throughout the year, they also provide numerous adult recreational sports leagues spanning a variety of impact and ability to keep our citizens age 16+ healthy and engaged.
Each year, the Elizabethton Parks and Recreation Department hosts more than a dozen free community special events which serves the interests of all demographics of citizens. Each event is unique in character and mission, but all provide free family fun and entertainment. Each of the Parks and Recreation Department’s parks and facilities have hosted a community event, so access is easy, no matter where our citizens live.
Elizabethton Parks and Rec is one of CCDP’s greatest partners in the PEAK Mentorship Program! They also provide space, opportunities for engagement and collaboration on dozens of events and programs each year.
Check out their other upcoming events here!
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May Outstanding Coalition Member
This month we would like to recognize
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Jayne Harper,
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Northeast Regional Health Department
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Jayne is a tremendous asset to our coalition. She has served tirelessly throughout the past year and a half to ensure the successful creation of our monthly Carter County Collaborative meeting. She is always willing to do whatever is needed and jumps in to help. We are so grateful for Jayne and her partnership. Learn more about her here:
What program or organization do you work for/with?
I’m on the Community Services Team at the TN Department of Health’s Regional Office in Johnson City.
Why is Carter County Drug Prevention important to you and/or our community?
CCDP is such a well-coordinated, effective and active community coalition that is embedded into the fabric of the community. That is how this coalition is able to achieve its mission to reduce substance abuse through collaborative planning, community action and policy advocacy. I am proud to call myself a member of this group and be part of creating positive change in Carter County!
What is your favorite memory, moment, event or partnership with Carter County Drug Prevention?
I’m a bit of a planning geek, so that makes one of my favorite memories the Strategic Planning session of the Carter County Collaborative (CCDP is an integral part of this group) held earlier this year. All of the people present were so engaged and passionately discussing strategies to carry out that would continue the legacy of making a difference in Carter County.
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Hello coalition members,
We are so grateful for each of our partners and members and the way you help us to make a positive impact. Thanks for being here, reading this and supporting us and our community.
One of the ways we wanted to help our community during this month was by asking our candidates for election in the May 1st Republican Primary about their personal and professional experience with alcohol, tobacco and drugs and any ideas they may have to assist in combatting these issues in our community. CCDP does not endorse any candidate and has asked all who are running to complete the same survey. Make sure you read their answers here or below!
Some of our April 2022 highlghts are:
- Five CCDP staff members attended the Rx Summit in Atlanta, GA. We are grateful for all we learned and are excited to bring new programs and initiatives back to our community from this training.
- Nash was able to share about our CCDP programs at Northeast Community Credit Union's East Tennessee Community Network meeting. Check out some of the ways NCCU is involved in the community here.
- With the opening of our second office location, CCDP was recognized at the Downtown Elizabethton Merchant Meeting in April. Thanks to Main Street and the downtown merchants for welcoming us back!
- We hosted the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for our annual fiscal and programmatic monitoring visits and are pleased with our results. We are grateful for them and the funding and support they provide us each year!
- April is Drug Take Back time! This year, Nash organized several locations for families in Carter County to get rid of medications they no longer need. On April 30th at the Elizabethton Police Department, Elizabethton/Carter County Boys & Girls Club and Harmony Freewill Baptist Church , dozens of community members dropped off unwanted or unused medications. For more about why this is important, check out this awesome video (created by our youth coalition) that shares why it's important to ditch those old meds in a safe way!
- Nicole hosted Carter County's first Prom Promise/Sober Grad event. Watch for billboards around town reminding out youth how important it is to stay substance free through prom and graduation.
- Shannon and Brooke loved meeting youth and families from throughout the region at the Kid Power event. Thanks to all of the many sponsors for hosting it in Carter County this year!
- Youth coalition member, Sammy, received funding from Youth Service America to start a community garden. BIG thanks to St. Thomas Episcopal Church for their support in making the garden a reality.
Some upcoming events include:
- Our friends at Summit Leadership and 4ThirTEEN are hosting an amazing opportunity for teenagers in our community. Learn more below!
- So. Many. Exciting opportunities are coming this summer! Stay tuned in to our facebook page and next newsletter!
If you are looking for a way to support Carter County Drug Prevention this month, we could use snack and art supply donations in preparation for summer camps and activities.
Thanks for helping us make Carter County a healthier place to live.
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It's almost election time in Carter County! We sent a survey to all candidates running in this year's election and asked them to share their thoughts and experiences around substance use with us.
Please note: Carter County Drug Prevention does not endorse any candidates, but requested this information from ALL candidates to assist our community members in making their own educated choice in voting. |
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4ThirTEEN brings message of HOPE with Guest Speaker Tim Tebow
Over the past several months, we have lost seven students to suicide within our region. There have been countless more suicide attempts among teenagers.
The Centers for Disease Control tells us that before the arrival of COVID-19, in 2019, an average of nearly 36.7% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Last year, that number jumped to 44.2.
“Over the past two years, a spirit of depression, anxiety, defeat and death seems to have saturated our youth,” said T.R. Dunn, founder of 4ThirTEEN. “Mental health, particularly among teens, has become something that people all over the world have had to learn to acknowledge and seek support to cope with life’s challenges. We cannot just sit back and allow this to continue without trying to reach those hurting and present them with a message of hope.”
4ThirTEEN, a ministry of Summit Leadership, will host a community event May 15 at Freedom Hall Civic Center to counter the despair that is claiming our youth. “There is HOPE” will feature a message of inspiration from keynote speaker, author, Heisman Trophy winner and two-time NCAA National Football Champion, Tim Tebow.
4ThirTEEN, an organization created for teens and led by a teen advisory board, provides support to youth ages 13-21 through principles of faith, fortitude, family, and fun. The name is derived from Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.”
“We want any teen feeling hopeless to know they are not alone,” Dunn said. “There are hundreds of peers who are going through this season of life alongside them. There are countless mentors, pastors, advisors, counselors who love them and are here to help them, talk with them, love on them right where they are in life. No one is walking this path alone.”
The “There is HOPE” event will begin with games, music, and door prizes at 5 p.m., followed by Tebow’s program on May 15, 2022 at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at this link
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Get ready for the Music & Miles Half Marathon! This event is coming up on May 7th and you can support CCDP and lots of other downtown businesses by participating in their Business Bingo!
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- National Fentanyl Awareness Day
May 10th
- Fentanyl continues to drive overdoses, both fatal and non fatal, across the state.
- In 2020 (most recent available), fentanyl was involved in 2 out of 3 overdose deaths.
- Fentanyl is not only contributing to deaths involving opioids, but illicit stimulants, such as cocaine and methamphetamine, are also testing positive for fentanyl
Website for National Fentanyl Awareness Day
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Drug Overdose Data Dashboard
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Vaping loophole closes as FDA can now regulate all forms of nicotine
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April 2022 Arrest Data
*Data Provided by Carter County Sheriff's Department & Elizabethton Police Department through https://carter-911-tn.zuercherportal.com/#/inmates.
Ages
12-21 - 3
22-30 - 4
31-40 - 8
41-50 - 9
51-60 - 0
61-70 - 0
71 and up - 0
Unknown ages - 0
Gender
Male - 25
Female - 2
Violations
DUI - 4
Public Intoxication - 3
Underage Consumption - 0
Drug Paraphernalia - 16
Violation of Implied Conscent Law - 5
Manufacture, Delivery, Sale or Possession of Methamphetamine - 11
Maintaining a Dwelling - 2
Introduction of Contraband into a Penal Institution - 0
Possession of Legend Drug without a Prescription - 0
Simple Possession/Casual Exchange - 7
Falsification of Drug Test - 0
Open Conainer - 1
Schedule I - 3
Schedule II - 3
Schedule III - 1
Schedule IV - 4
Schedule V - 0
Schedule VI - 5
9-1-1 Calls For Service
DUI - 3
Possible Drugs - 7
Overdose/Poisoning - 3
Public Intoxication - 4
Suicide/Attempt/Threat - 3
Psychiatric/ Abnormal Behavior/ Suicide Attempt - 0 |
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May Update
By Shannon Payne, PEAK Mentor Program Director
The PEAK Mentoring program would like to welcome the newest match to the fold!
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PEAK Mentors provide youth with mentors who can develop an emotional bond with a mentee to provide support, guidance, and opportunities to help youth succeed in life and meet their goals. Positive youth development research has long demonstrated that youth benefit from close, caring relationships with adults who serve as role models. If you are interested in becoming a PEAK Mentor and being a positive influence in a kiddos life, please reach out via email, phone, text, or Facebook to Shannon Payne shannon@cartercountydrugprevention.org (423) 707-9207. Please refer kiddos that could benefit from our program via email or phone.
Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story!
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CCDP Youth Coalition Update
Nicole Kendall, Drug Free Communities & Youth Coalition Coordinator
Carter County Drug Prevention held the 1st Carter County Promise event at the Elizabethton Library on April 23rd. Students were asked to visit booths from SADD, Carter County Rescue Squad, Elizabethton Fire Department and more. Students also had the opportunity to ride the Seat Belt Convincer giving them the feeling of impact from a mild simulated car crash while wearing a seat belt. Many students who rode the convincer stated that they would make sure that they would wear their seat belt knowing how it felt with a seat belt and only imagining what it would be like without.
Carter County Coalitions United student, Samanta Kendall, held an event on April 29th for a community ground breaking ceremony at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Elizabethton. This community garden has tomatoes, bell peppers, green beans and watermelon. She also has an herb garden that will be able to provide the necessary herbs for making spaghetti sauce. Her hope is that this garden will help to ease food insecurities within the community. She plans to have a canning class and different cooking classes where she can teach other youth how to use fresh vegetables and herbs to make easy family meals.
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The Book of Pride
by Mason Funk
THE BOOK OF PRIDE captures the true story of the gay rights movement from the 1960s to the present, through richly detailed, stunning interviews with the leaders, activists, and ordinary people who witnessed the movement and made it happen. These individuals fought battles both personal and political, often without the support of family or friends, frequently under the threat of violence and persecution. By shining a light on these remarkable stories of bravery and determination, THE BOOK OF PRIDE not only honors an important chapter in American history, but also empowers young people today (both LGBTQ and straight) to discover their own courage in order to create positive change. Furthermore, it serves a critically important role in ensuring the history of the LGBTQ movement can never be erased, inspiring us to resist all forms of oppression with ferocity, community, and, most importantly, pride.
Request your copy here!
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This project is funded in part by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. |
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