MYC First Quarter Newsletter

Here is what MYC has been up too the past three months.

MYC Newsletter Outline

Letter from Meghan

Dear Coalition Members,

First, thank you so much for signing up for this newsletter. This is another effort on our part to bring more awareness to our coalition’s mission and vision. As a team we continue to grow our social media, website, and now a quarterly newsletter.

I want to use this letter to speak on our coalition’s sustainability. Sustainability has certainly been on our mind as a coalition. We recently submitted our 5th year grant application. This is the final year of our secured funding. After this we will need to re-apply for another 5 years within a competitive application process. Our team is positive in securing this grant and having funding for another 5 years. With this unknown we also begin to think of what our funding will look like 5 more years down the line. How will we sustain our efforts without government funding?

We are working to grow our sustainability through events like our community paint and sip featuring mocktails donated from local bars and restaurants. We encourage our coalition members to come and show your support for the coalition. Registration is $20 to support a local artist Corin, food, mocktail, beverages, and hopefully allow for a little fundraising for future youth events like CADCA and coalition camp.

On a final note, our volunteers are what make the coalition. We would be nowhere without the support of all of our volunteers and community partners. We encourage you to become more involved and aware of coalition’s work and reach out to Meghan or Gianna with any questions or suggestions. We want to hear from you and most of all we want to support you and our community to move toward positive change.

Sincerely,

Meghan Marcucci

Coalition Director

Jan recap: Will shorten for final newsletter

The Monadnock Youth Coalition had a very busy month in January. The youth coalition began the month with developing a refusal skills workshop. Youth members, Bailey and Deepu implemented this workshop at Keene Middle School to two health classes. It was a great success and both classes were very receptive to the workshop. MYC plans on doing more workshops and partnering with more schools in the future.

MYC also had its very successful Annual Report meeting where youth and adult members came together to celebrate all the accomplishments of MYC’s third year.
The Monadnock Youth Coalition continued to volunteer at the Keene Community Kitchen where we helped serve 150 people.
MYC continues to partner with the Y to put on fun free Teen Night Out’s. January’s TNO was a glow stick party where 150 teens attended.
MYC Director, Meghan Marcucci started prevention education this Month in Gathering Waters Charter School. She brought in the Natural High Campaign to 9th and 10th graders. The Natural High Campaign is an evidence-based program using storytelling that makes use of current scientific findings on youth behavior, brain development, social norming, and substance misuse prevention. When it comes to issues around substance misuse, kids and teens need to be engaged in a positive way. NHC is dedicated to bringing the power of positive example to young people’s lives by delivering stories that help youth find their own ‘natural highs’ and that give them the skills to live life well
To end January and start February, MYC director Meghan Marcucci and Keene YMCA’s teen director, Sam Hill takes three MYC youth members, Bailey, Gabby, and Cadence to CADCA’s National Youth Leadership Forum in Washington D.C. The forum gives the youth opportunity to network, learn, and bring back knowledge and skills to our community in the prevention of youth substance misuse.

Feb recap:

The Coalition began the year 5 application process for the DFC grant that funds all of the coalition work and paid positions.
Meghan, Sam Hill, and 3 youth group members concluded their trip to CADCA.
The Swanzey Youth Pack continues to meet and work on their projects. They are continuing their morning announcements that include mental health tips and substance use information. The Youth Pack also launched their poster contest and received 5 amazing submissions. The winner will receive a gift card to the Huskey store and a professionally printed poster.
Our two KSC interns continued to support our MYC youth group, generate quality content for our social media channels, and support coalition committees.

Our governance committee finalized the proposal to KPD to start an anonymous tip line through Tip411.
Meghan finished up The Natural High Prevention Program at Gathering Waters.
Meghan and Sam Hill supported the start of a club called Chill and Be Well at Keene Middle School. So far, the club is averaging 10-15 youth in attendance.
The Adult Coalition came together to speak about the Fentanyl crisis and the recent overdoses in Manchester. Together the coalition brainstormed and came up with strategies such as more community education, Narcan trainings, and myth busting of common misconceptions around Fentanyl
Meghan the coalition director was invited to join The Govenor’s Task Force on Coordination and Communication.

The sustainability committee agrees to switch over to a quarterly schedule.
The Monadnock Youth Coalition begins action planning for April. April is Take Down Tobacco month as well as Alcohol Awareness Month.
Meghan hosted a parent night for Surry Village Charter to educate parents on the Natural High Program that will be administered at Surry Village Charter.
The coalition continues to volunteer monthly at The Community Kitchen.

March Recap:

MYC started the month collaborating with the Keene Family YMCA to put on another Teen Night Out. It was March Madness themed and a little over 100 teens attended.
The youth members filmed several TikTok to bring awareness to youth substance misuse
We continued to have several volunteers that represented MYC at the Community Kitchen

We celebrated National Drug and Alcohol Facts week by posting information and facts all week long.
The adult coalition came together to speak about questions to ask the Governor’s Task Force, how to get teens involved for Take Down Tobacco month and Alcohol Awareness month, and we had a community Partner, Anne Marie Donnavan to talk to us about CHINS (Children in Need of Services).
Evalutation’s Committee sat down together to go over Keene High’s 2021 YRBS data
Our KSC Interns, Olivia Marques and Johanedcy Gonzalez Baez ended the month by attending the Supporting at Risk Youth with Communities of Care conference at Rivier University.

Upcoming in April and May

Take Down tobacco tabling at the Y
Alcohol awareness month tabling at the Y schools
Pool Party Teen Night Out
MYC & Dover Youth 2 Youth Teen lock in at the Y
Earth Day Bag the Butts Clean up 10-12

Earth Day event tabling 12-4
MAC meeting 4/20
4/11 MPS Grand Re-opening
4/11 Legislative Lunch & Learn: Marijuana legislation
5/4 Paint & sip

5/5 April Teen Night Out:

Read of the Month: Polysubstance Use

Polysubstance use is when two or more drugs are taken together or taken within a short time period. Intentional polysubstance use happens when a person takes a drug to increase or decrease the effects of a different drug or wants to experience the effects of the combination. Unintentional polysubstance use happens when a person takes drugs that have been mixed or cut with other substances, like fentanyl, without them knowing. Whether it’s intentional or not, mixing drugs is never safe because the effects from combining drugs may be stronger and more unpredictable than one drug alone, even deadly. According to the CDC, in 2019 nearly half of drug overdoses involved more than one drug. Mixing stimulants like cocaine, methamphetamines, etc. can increase your heart rate and blood pressure to really dangerous numbers and increase the risk of serious health problems. Combining stimulants may even directly or indirectly increase your risk of brain injury, liver damage, heart attacks, and strokes. Mixing depressants like opioids and benzodiazepines can slow down your breathing and increase your risk of health problems. Combining depressants can also increase your risk of damage to the brain and other organs. Mixing both stimulants and depressants doesn’t balance or cancel them out. The results of combining drugs are unpredictable, one drug can modify or even mask the effects of the other. This may make you think that the drugs are not affecting you, this makes it easier to overdose. Drinking alcohol while using other drugs also isn’t a good idea. Mixing alcohol with other drugs can increase your risk of overdose and serious damage to the brain, heart, and other organs. It’s important to know what the different effects of combining drugs are. As teenagers become older and enter young adulthood, they become more exposed to different substances. Especially in college where young adults are discovering and trying new things, they can often feel the peer pressure to drink, smoke, and try drugs separately or together.

Source: cdc.gov

Drug Awareness Word Scramble

ANRMUAJAI _________________________________________
AEICNCO ___________________________________________
BTCOCOA ___________________________________________
OAHLLCO ___________________________________________
AIDCINODT _________________________________________
EIROHN ____________________________________________
NTINAHLA __________________________________________
SRLTACY HMTE ______________________________________
STYASCE ___________________________________________
NCATISRCO _________________________________________
DOSIESTR __________________________________________
ITIEONNC __________________________________________
ENLTUAAHICL _______________________________________
TAIULTNSM _________________________________________
TSANSDEEPR ________________________________________

Marijuana Cocaine Tobacco Alcohol Addiction Heroin Inhalant Crystal Meth Ecstasy Narcotics Steroids Nicotine Hallucinate Stimulant Depressant

Community Member Spotlight

Hey! My name is Olivia Marques, I am an intern with the Monadnock Youth Coalition, and I attend Keene State College. I am majoring in Public Health Addiction and Pre-Professional Mental Health. While working with the Monadnock Youth Coalition I have had a great time collaborating with the youth to spread awareness, educate, and destigmatize substance use among their peers and in the community. Working for the Coalition has made me realize we do not have a program like this in my hometown. After graduation, I plan on bringing forward what I have learned to members of my community in hope of establishing a similar program.

Hi! My name is Johanedcy Gonzalez, and I’m one of the interns at MYC. I’m a senior at Keene State College majoring in Criminal Justice and Sociology with a minor in Addictions. During my time here I worked with the youth group and our community partners by spreading awareness and educating teens on the effects of different drugs and alcohol use, finding and providing resources, and creating prevention programs/activities. Working at the Monadnock Youth Coalition made me realize that I want to continue working with teens and possibly create a safe place for them where they aren’t afraid to ask for help and be themselves.