As in most rural areas, youth are exposed to substance abuse opportunities (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, meth) early in their tween and teen years.  Putting a noose on the supply and access routes for these substances is a responsible community action.  Another important component is educating parents and community leaders about the prevalence of substance abuse in youth and the negative consequences. Finally, it is important to offer constructive, safe, alternative activities for youth.  The Minnechaduza Foundation is working on all these fronts:  developing grant applications for northern tier counties to combat drug trafficking; providing community awareness events like free screenings of “Tweaked” and “Life or Meth”; and, hosting activities that constitute a creative diversion for kids, like: staffing coordination for Bay 323 (aka Valentine Teen Center), free screenings of “Napoleon Dynamite” and “The Incredibles”; and, hosting youth friendly activities (April Child Abuse Awareness Fun Run, Minnechaduza Plunge Run).  These activities and the short-term outcomes are reported to the North Central Nebraska Child Abuse Prevention Project (NCNCAPP) for possible replication in other Northern-tier communities.  An ongoing effort supporting substance abuse prevention in youth is the development of a comprehensive after-school program.

A new initiative for 2007 involves identifying, scheduling, and hosting special presentations from outside speakers to address substance abuse topics.  These sessions would target children, parents, and leaders for maximal impact.

All of these activities require the time of Foundation staff, and the energy of many volunteers, to whom we send a big “Thank you!”.  We would welcome your gift of time or money in support of these activities

Substance Abuse—Prevention

What it is:  Keeping kids engaged in constructive, fun activities so substance abuse is not an option.