Holistic Health and Wellness Expo
The National Office of Drug Control Policy has identified a growing national concern regarding the increase use, misuse and abuse of prescription medications in the past five years. In 2013, the Royal Oak Community Coalition developed an innovative, out-of-the-box program to address this public health crisis. The Holistic Health and Wellness Expo is designed to connect local youth and families with complimentary and alternative healthcare approaches which help manage physical, mental, and emotional pain without having to rely on potentially addictive or harmful prescription drugs.
Mending Fences Program
Mending Fences Program is a FREE service for qualified homeowners (low-income, senior, vet, disabled) living in houses that need minor repairs, replacements and renovations necessary for home safety. This program is about revitalizing our city and eliminating blight with a community of volunteers, skilled craftspersons, and generous donors through collaboration, partnerships and teamwork, focusing on providing home improvements to provide residents who are in dire need to remain safe, comfortable, and habitable in their own homes.
Safe Medication Collection
After holding a Town Hall Meeting on Prescription Abuse, the Drug Free Task Force decided to look into ways to get medications out of the hands of those who might misuse them and ways to keep medication from being disposed of ways that were harmful to the environment. The group educated themselves on the negative impact medications have on our water system when they are flushed and learned about the process to hold a medication collection. This group organized the first safe medication collection for all residents in Madison County in 2009.
Main Streets Go Blue
Global Society for Youth Empowerment
We primarily worked with the Deep Sea Slums community and partnered with two local grassroots organizations, and DJ Kalonje, a local celebrity. Prior to implementing our six week program we met with the parents to discuss the agenda and desired outcomes. After that we met with Project Mabawa, Victoria Sports Association to discuss our program and the schedule of speakers from the community, including female business owners. We met three times a week with the children providing snacks, sanitary, and hygienic products with each interaction.
Reducing Harmful Environmental Exposures
Insurgency against Food Insecurity
Soups and Sweets Culinary Training Program
Jewish Family & Children's Service designed the "Soups and Sweets" culinary training program to provide young adults with special needs an opportunity to gain marketable, transferable food service skills. The goal of the program is to increase paid employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. Limited training opportunities exist for employment in the food services field. Soups and Sweets addressed this deficiency by establishing a training and internship program.
Show You Care--VOLUNTEER
Representatives associated with United Way of McPherson County created a children’s book focused on volunteerism. The book included discussion questions that could be used by parents, caretakers, teachers and others to facilitate conversation about volunteerism and community service. Bookmarks highlighting local United Way progress provided a supplemental tool for all community members. Ultimately, the initiative was designed to encourage young students to read, to encourage individuals to volunteer and to improve county-wide relationships.