Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Coalition Youth Leaders Training
The Partnership Training Center was a center of high energy on Sunday when 40 high school students from area coalitions got together for the first time for a Coalition Youth Leaders Training. The youth, who represent 6 Toledo area coalitions and TILT (the Partnership's Youth Board), were quiet and shy as they entered the building at noon. Just 6 hours later, they had met each other, developed workshop presentations, learned games, ice breakers, energizers and made friendships. The purpose of the training was to develop a staff to run a conference for 100 8th graders to be held in December. The students represented the following: Oregon Community & Family Coalition; Ottawa Hills Prevention Advisory Council; Perrysburg Alternatives to Substance Abuse Youth Board; Sylvania Community Action Team; Springfield Holland Assets Promoting Excellence; Swanton Area Community Coalition and The Community Partnership's Teen Institute Leaders Team. Twenty five adults from the coalitions and area colleges/universities assisted in the training. Check out the pictures from the training!
Monday, August 27, 2007
From the Desk of Kevin Mullan - Public Information Officer
August 27, 2007 - The Community Partnership, Owens Community College, United Way and Bowling Green High School are all teaming up to research the lives of teenagers throughout the 20th century.
"Terriffic Teens" begins in October and includes monthly workshops on Saturdays at Owens Community College and concludes its first year with an exhibition that the students will create.
Owens Community College has agreed to provide 4 units of Post Secondary credit for students who atttend the scheduled workshops and classes.
The course and workshops will cover topics such as oral history, interviewing and ethics, analyzing artifacts, graphic and web design, video editing and theatrical presentations.
"Terriffic Teens is a great opportunity for youth to collaborate with other teens and present what they’ve learned about teen culture in the past through unique creative expresssions," said Kathy Schnapp, project manager for The Community Partnership. "I can’t wait to see what they come up with!"
"Terriffic Teens" begins in October and includes monthly workshops on Saturdays at Owens Community College and concludes its first year with an exhibition that the students will create.
Owens Community College has agreed to provide 4 units of Post Secondary credit for students who atttend the scheduled workshops and classes.
The course and workshops will cover topics such as oral history, interviewing and ethics, analyzing artifacts, graphic and web design, video editing and theatrical presentations.
"Terriffic Teens is a great opportunity for youth to collaborate with other teens and present what they’ve learned about teen culture in the past through unique creative expresssions," said Kathy Schnapp, project manager for The Community Partnership. "I can’t wait to see what they come up with!"
Monday, August 13, 2007
From the Desk of: Rob Kasprzak
August 13, 2007 - The Community Partnership is exploring substance abuse prevention in the workplace
According to a 2007 SAMHSA report, past month illicit drug use among adult full-time workers was 8.2 percent. Nearly one out of five (19.0 percent) workers aged 18 to 25 used illicit drugs during the past month. This was a higher percentage than among the 26-to-34 (10.3 percent), 35-to-49 (7.0 percent), and 50-to-64 (2.6 percent) age groups. Males were more likely than females to report past month illicit drug use (9.7 vs. 6.2 percent). Males accounted for about two thirds (6.4 million) of the workers who reported past month illicit drug use. An estimated 6.4 percent, or 7.3 million, of full-time workers reported use of marijuana during the past month. Workers in the Midwest had the highest prevalence of past year heavy alcohol use (10.6 vs. 8.4 percent in the Northeast, 8.5 percent in the South, and 7.8 percent in the West). And finally, the major occupational groups for 2002 through 2004, food service workers (17.4 percent) and construction workers (15.1 percent) exhibited a higher prevalence of past month illicit drug use than other occupational groups.
In view of this information, The Community Partnership has decided to expand it’s prevention activities into creating a Drug Free Workplace program in northwest Ohio by October 1, 2007. The project will offer employee and supervisor trainings, policy development, and training of trainers.
According to a 2007 SAMHSA report, past month illicit drug use among adult full-time workers was 8.2 percent. Nearly one out of five (19.0 percent) workers aged 18 to 25 used illicit drugs during the past month. This was a higher percentage than among the 26-to-34 (10.3 percent), 35-to-49 (7.0 percent), and 50-to-64 (2.6 percent) age groups. Males were more likely than females to report past month illicit drug use (9.7 vs. 6.2 percent). Males accounted for about two thirds (6.4 million) of the workers who reported past month illicit drug use. An estimated 6.4 percent, or 7.3 million, of full-time workers reported use of marijuana during the past month. Workers in the Midwest had the highest prevalence of past year heavy alcohol use (10.6 vs. 8.4 percent in the Northeast, 8.5 percent in the South, and 7.8 percent in the West). And finally, the major occupational groups for 2002 through 2004, food service workers (17.4 percent) and construction workers (15.1 percent) exhibited a higher prevalence of past month illicit drug use than other occupational groups.
In view of this information, The Community Partnership has decided to expand it’s prevention activities into creating a Drug Free Workplace program in northwest Ohio by October 1, 2007. The project will offer employee and supervisor trainings, policy development, and training of trainers.
Monday, August 6, 2007
From the Desk of Jamie Stanley - Project Manager / Getting Ahead
August 6, 2007 - The Bridges Out of Poverty (BOP) project was implemented in Toledo due to the riots resulting from a Neo-Nazi march in the impoverished North Toledo area in October 2005. Once again, this white supremacist group has planned a march for the same area. Poverty is a risk factor for crime and violence. The economic stress of a shrinking manufacturing sector already permeates these neighborhoods and the citizens are faced with more than their share of crime. The underlying poverty of this area provides the powder keg for additional violence when this supremacist group arrives. This group is trying to “stir the pot” and create more strife. They are a predator trying to further destroy an already unstable area.
The BOP project aims to assist individuals living in this area and other economically depressed areas of Toledo to garner knowledge and hope through participation in the Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin’ By World program so that they can better combat the ignorance spewed by groups such as these.
Poverty can be impacted one person at a time with a change in attitude and behaviors by individuals regardless of their socio-economic status. European countries are also looking at ways to impact poverty. For example, Slovakia is trying to combat poverty and is looking at Toledo as an example. With other countries looking to us for guidance, we need to stand up a make sure that Toledo continues to combat poverty one person at a time.
The BOP project aims to assist individuals living in this area and other economically depressed areas of Toledo to garner knowledge and hope through participation in the Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin’ By World program so that they can better combat the ignorance spewed by groups such as these.
Poverty can be impacted one person at a time with a change in attitude and behaviors by individuals regardless of their socio-economic status. European countries are also looking at ways to impact poverty. For example, Slovakia is trying to combat poverty and is looking at Toledo as an example. With other countries looking to us for guidance, we need to stand up a make sure that Toledo continues to combat poverty one person at a time.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
From the Desk of Dannie Edmond - Project Manager
July 26, 2007 - I saw a story on young people using hand sanitizer as a way of getting drunk. This story will without a doubt raise some eyebrows, hand sanitizer?? A small bottle of hand sanitizer is stronger than most of us think. A closer look at the hand sanitizer will show us that a small bottle contains 62% alcohol and there is only 35% in a bottle of rum.
Before we dismiss this as just another urban myth its not a new thing for young people to use alternative products to get drunk like mouth wash, or cough medicine. Add to this that the 62% ethel alcohol contained in the small bottle of hand sanitizer equals to be about 124 proof , about four shots of vodka. The American association of Poison Centers reported last year 12,000 cases of poisoning from hand sanitizer last year and already this year in 2007 more than 6,000 cases have already been reported.
Before we dismiss this as just another urban myth its not a new thing for young people to use alternative products to get drunk like mouth wash, or cough medicine. Add to this that the 62% ethel alcohol contained in the small bottle of hand sanitizer equals to be about 124 proof , about four shots of vodka. The American association of Poison Centers reported last year 12,000 cases of poisoning from hand sanitizer last year and already this year in 2007 more than 6,000 cases have already been reported.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
From the Desk of Marian Brannon - Project Manager
July 19, 2007 - ”Two Men in a burning house do not have time to argue”
This is an Ashante proverb that means that in times of crisis survival is less about the individual but rather about the combined efforts of all that are being affected by the occurrence. Here at The Partnership our efforts to address poverty are grounded by this principle. Our Bridges Out of Poverty training helps service providers and professionals to begin thinking about classism and how, by increasing knowledge and heightening their self awareness, they can improve their relationships and effectiveness with the poor. Our Getting Ahead training provides individuals who are living in poverty the tools to understand this condition and make plans to change if they choose. Both of these efforts are aimed at improving the quality of life in Lucas County and even though the target audiences are different, the goal of affecting poverty is the same. Our community is divided and suffering because of poverty related issues and it’s going to take a combined effort of all the “classes” to make improvements. The house is on fire, that fire is poverty, and this is not the time to argue.
This is an Ashante proverb that means that in times of crisis survival is less about the individual but rather about the combined efforts of all that are being affected by the occurrence. Here at The Partnership our efforts to address poverty are grounded by this principle. Our Bridges Out of Poverty training helps service providers and professionals to begin thinking about classism and how, by increasing knowledge and heightening their self awareness, they can improve their relationships and effectiveness with the poor. Our Getting Ahead training provides individuals who are living in poverty the tools to understand this condition and make plans to change if they choose. Both of these efforts are aimed at improving the quality of life in Lucas County and even though the target audiences are different, the goal of affecting poverty is the same. Our community is divided and suffering because of poverty related issues and it’s going to take a combined effort of all the “classes” to make improvements. The house is on fire, that fire is poverty, and this is not the time to argue.
From the Desk of Cathy Sperling - Chief Operating Officer
July 12, 2007 - I am writing this from the idealic village of gambier Ohio home of Kenyon college and the 2007 teen institute conference. I have spent 5 and a half very long and hot summer days with 140 teens and adults in workshops presentations and family groups. My responsibility here has been to work with new prevention professionals. We met 11 times in 4 days taking them throu their own family group experience as well as educating them on the research behind the how's and why's of prevention. Ilm tired and looking forward to home sleep and work tomorrow.
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