Rainier Lions Club: Rainier Community Cares March 2014 Newsletter!

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Rainier Community Cares March 2014 Newsletter!

Hello George and Linda ,

We made it to March! This school year is going by so quickly. It feels like summer is just around the corner. Luckily, the coalition is gearing up for some springtime events.

We're proud to introduce Strengthening Families for parents and children ages 3 - 11. Although the coalition has sponsored the Strengthening Families Program age 10-14 in the past, this age group will be new for us. RCC member, preschool teacher and daycare owner Chris Rearden and her staff will be leading the free classes at Sugar n' Spice Daycare. Classes will run every Tuesday and Friday starting April 8 and running through May 9. An additional bonus is that parents will be able to earn 2 free college credits through Centralia Community College. You can register online or call or email me to reserve your spot. Space is limited.

Here's the agenda for next week's meeting:

Coalition Meeting 5 - 6 p.m.

Welcome/Intros

Key Speakers: Paul Knox of United Way and Alex English from Community Youth Services

Old Business: CAP/CANS

Website

Strengthening Families

Go over dates and new events

New Business: Check in on meeting dates/times

Youth Forum

Parent nights

ROCS (youth group) update

Wrap Up

Announcements

Optional Training 6-7 p.m.

Tina Johnson from TOGETHER! will help kick off our media training to talk about Positive Community Norms. What does it all mean and how will we be doing this in Rainier? This will be a fun and interactive training so we hope you stick around.

I'll see you soon,

Juliette

Last month's meeting notes can be accessed here.

Mark your calendar: The regular coalition meetings are the second Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m.

Rainier Community Cares: Working together to create positive opportunities and enhance community pride while promoting an alcohol - and drug-free environment for youth.

Update on Youth Programs: New Staff, Fun Plans

Jennifer is looking forward to empowering youth in Rainier

Greetings!

I'm Jennifer Curtis, the new Youth Engagement Coordinator for Rainier Community Cares and TOGETHER!.

A little about me: I'm an Evergreen Grad with a BA in Community Psychology. I have experience in crisis intervention and suicide prevention as well as with community outreach and health and human service referral. My passion lies in working with youth. My education, background, and life experiences give me a unique view and ability to relate and empathize with youth who are faced with difficult situations and issues. I hope to be a catalyst in this community for bringing our youth into the spotlight and supporting and encouraging their positive life choices!

I'm excited to tell you that we have some new things happening for youth here in Rainier:

The Rainier Organization for Caring Students group (ROCS) is gearing up to undertake some new projects and get more youth on board to make a positive impact on our community.
We are excited to start the Let's Draw the Line project where youth will choose two community projects as well as a set third project surveying local businesses about alcohol accessibility and advertising.
Drop-in hours for youth at RCC, in the portable next to Rainier Middle School, are Mon/Tue/Thurs 3-5 p.m.

Stay tuned! There will be much more to come. Expect more updates and requests for the community to be involved and rally behind our youth to encourage healthy life choices and ensure their happy and successful futures!

Thank you!

Jennifer