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Date: 7/2/2021
WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Rotary Club of West Springfield hosted their final virtual meeting on June 29, with guest speaker Ananda Lennox, West Springfield CARE Coalition coordinator.
At the meeting, Lennox told Rotarians that with all of all the negatives that COVID-19 brought, one positive was the decrease in substance use among teens. Lennox displayed a line graph as part of her presentation that showed a decline in use from 2018 to 2021.
Due to the lack of social gatherings and parties, Lennox believes that many teens didn’t have the access or desire to partake in substance use, she said.
With that said, Lennox said she and the entire CARE Coalition hope to see substance use continue to decline. They also want to expand their educational efforts to provide the proper information and assist children in any way possible.
The CARE Coalition aims to create substance-free youth in West Springfield, she explained. Their mission is, “Through our collective voices, leadership expertise and resources, we will provide education and prevention efforts to address and eliminate underage alcohol and substance use and promote safe, healthy lifestyle choices.”
Lennox, a Northampton resident, explained that West Springfield is a brand new community for her.
In September 2018, West Springfield CARE Coalition was awarded a Drug-Free Communities Grant. Lennox explained that they receive $125,000 each year, for five years.
With this grant the two goals, as explained by Lennox, are to “strengthen collaboration among communities to support the efforts of coalitions working to prevent and reduce youth substance abuse.” The second one is to, “reduce youth substance abuse and over time, reduce substance use among adults by addressing community risk and protective factors.”
In total, the CARE Coalition is made up of 12 community sectors. This includes youth, parents, businesses, media, school, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, state agencies, volunteer groups, religious organizations, youth serving organizations, and substance abuse organizations.
The CARE Coalition works to stay ahead of the curve – reducing kids experimenting with substances at a young age. According to Lennox, some risk factors for substance abuse occurring stem from genetics, mental health or behavioral concerns, trauma, and environmental factors. As a result, children will seek substances for dependency.
Lennox attached a quote in her presentation provided by the Partnership to End Addiction – “Starting alcohol, nicotine or other substance use at an early age is one of the strongest and most consistent predictors of an increased risk of addiction.”
To inform West Springfield’s youth on this serious matter, guest speakers have been brought into the middle and high schools, along with informational and support meetings hosted at the Town Hall.
In addition to the meetings, the West Springfield CARE Coalition offers a 30-day substance abuse survey to gather accurate data within the community. The survey questions ask how often the use is, what type of substances are being used, and even how this use may impact grades in school.
Lennox said, for about 20 years, the town has partnered with the West Springfield Police Department to offer “medication take back days” in the spring and fall. With this, people are able to properly dispose of their expired or unwanted medications.
To learn more about the West Springfield CARE Coalition, visit http://www.tows.org/care.
In addition to Lennox’s presentation, Rotary Club President Michael Bertera announced the Rotary’s spring grant recipients at the meeting. The five recipients included the CHD Cancer House of Hope, Multi-Cultural Resource Center of Massachusetts, West Springfield Boys and Girls Club, West Springfield Tree and Urban Forest Committee, and the YMCA of Greater Springfield.
Bertera additionally announced that this would be his last meeting as president, before passing the reins over to Scott Haselkorn. The next Rotary Club meeting will be on July 13 at Storrowton Tavern.