WEST LINN, Ore.–The kickoff lunch happened Friday March 17th. Students packed a performing arts studio. The message was clear, everyone needs to help everyone else. Nobody is alone. Executive Director of Community Living Above – substance use prevention Pam Pearce welcomed the students and others. She shared her addiction story and recovery. She’s seen here speaking with State Representative Jules Walters and her family. Along side the first photo, is the student leadership TAB Team sharing why Awareness week is important to them.
Official CLA Message:
Community Living Above with the Teen Advisory Board (TAB) club at WLHS, in partnership with the WLWV School District, City of West Linn, WLPD, and community groups/organizations, will participate in National Drug Alcohol Fact Week, March 20-26. We ask everyone (schools, groups, organizations, businesses, the city and county, youth, families, and all community members) to help and support taking time next week to educate themselves, their families, and the various communities served to share facts that will help to make a positive impact on our youth and community at large. Information has already been shared by the City of West Linn, the WLHS Roar, the WLWV District, KXL radio, and community groups and will continue through the week.
We encourage everyone to participate by forwarding “fact and resource” information via newsletters and social media posts and hanging the flyer below in places of business and where people gather. Below are a few items you are welcome to share – the flyer sharing how to get involved, the City of WL official proclamation, and pictures kicking off the week-long event. We have also included below the social media pages that will list facts daily during the week and ask everyone to please check in during the week to the social media pages for daily facts to share or forward emails and or newsletters from the city, school, and community groups. The idea is to create so many facts “out there” in the community that people take notice, and a safer reality starts to take form for our youth.
Thank you to the WLWV School District, WLHS, and School Board, City of West Linn-Mayor, City Council and Youth Advisory Council, Clackamas County-Behavioral Health and Prevention Coalition, West Linn Police Department, Chris Gibson/High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Rep. Jules Walters, Michelle Smith/Recovery is the new Black, Tony Vezina/4D Recovery, KXL, West Linn Rotary, Oregon Recovers, Work2BEWELL, Song for Charlie, Pamplin Media, WL Young Life, CLA Board and Coalition members, parents, and grandparents, and MOST IMPORTANTLY to the TAB students who despite what society has displayed as “using substances is something kids do and then when it goes negative stigmatizes it” continue to courageously show up and show the rest of us what real change can look like — you all are the heroes of this story!
