|
February 2017 News & Updates
|
|
Smithtown Youth Bureau
Global Youth Service Day Celebration 2017
Global Youth Service Day
is a campaign through Youth Service America (YSA) and is an annual worldwide day of service that empowers youth to take positive action in their own part of the world.
At the Town of Smithtown celebration, school-age youth & families will have the opportunity to personally meet and thank local Emergency Responder honored guests (police officers, EMS and firefighters), as well as prepare personalized Thank You Cards as a token of appreciation, and meet other community minded families. Previous volunteer service is
not
required to participate in this event.
The Smithtown Youth Bureau and Youth Advisory Board are now accepting applications for their 8th annual Global Youth Service Day event (GYSD) for Smithtown, Kings Park, Hauppauge and Commack school districts, grades K-12.
The event will be held on Saturday,
April 22, 2017 at the Smithtown Landing Country Club from 9am-11am
. Families will also enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast and enjoy a morning of family community service.
Smithtown Landing Country Club
*Attention:
Registration is required for this FREE event. See Registration Link below.
Students/families must register by Friday, March 17, 2017.
Register early. Space is limited for this event.
OPTIONAL: Opportunity to apply for a Town Outstanding Volunteer Award
Although participation in GYSD does not require any previous volunteer experience, students who do have previous, significant volunteer experience have the
option
of applying to be considered for a Town of Smithtown Outstanding Volunteer Award. These awards will be presented at the GYSD event.
*****************************************************************************
Smithtown Youth Bureau
Town-wide letter Writing Contest
Say
"Thank you"
to our Local Emergency Responders!
This contest is open to students in grades K-12. Please write a one page letter to an Emergency Responder who has made a difference in your life, or appreciation and gratitude to all Emergency Responders.
Please keep your message positive and thankful and s
ign the letter with your first name only
.
Kindly submit your entry no later than
February 24, 2017
.
**Entries MUST include first and last name, grade, address, phone number and your email on a cover sheet or in an email
.
Winners of the 2017 Town-Wide Letter Writing Contest will also receive awards at the April GYSD event. Approximately 400 students throughout Smithtown Township submitted letters to thank active duty troops and veterans for the 2016 writing contest, which were all sent to active or veteran service members after the contest. Letter entries for the 2017 contest will all be sent to local Emergency Responders.
For more information, contact Stacey A. Sanders, Executive Director: (631) 360-7595 or
Visit our web site and/or see links below for further information about the Town-wide Contest and Global Youth Service Day.
Use the link below to REGISTER (yourself, group or family) to participate in Global Youth Service Day
(with option to apply for an Outstanding Volunteer Award)
|
|
Smithtown Youth Bureau Volunteer Corps
NOW APPLY ONLINE!!!
|
|
Apply to become a volunteer with the Smithtown Youth Bureau Volunteer Corps.
Complete and submit the online volunteer application by clicking on the link below.
|
The Smithtown Youth Bureau now has a
Volunteer Program Database for tracking volunteer information and your volunteer hours. If you would like to be included in this database, please complete the Online Volunteer Corps Application. Once you are registered as a Youth Bureau volunteer, all of your community service hours will be recorded and can be accessed to provide formal documentation of your community service hours.
Registered volunteers will receive early notification of volunteer opportunities with the Youth Bureau, other Town Departments, as well as opportunities with our local partners.
Note: Please be sure to include any previous volunteer service(s) on your application.
* Students, as well as adults are invited to register.*
Adults are needed to assist with program supervision and serve on the
Smithtown Youth Advisory Board (details on our web site), and the
Youth & Community Alliance of Smithtown
(See article below)
|
|
|
|
Youth & Community Alliance of Smithtown
PLEASE attend and get involved.
YOUR local community alliance needs your help!
Adults and High School Students needed...
The Youth & Community Alliance of Smithtown held several community Brainstorming Meetings and three Town-wide Special Committees were formed to address what members felt were the most pressing issues in their communities.
The committees included: Substance Abuse Committee; Healthy Relationships Committee; and Bullying/Cyberbullying Committee.
Each committee has met and will be discussing their community work at the next
Youth & Community Alliance of Smithtown - General Membership meeting.
Community Volunteers are still needed so
PLEASE attend -
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Smithtown Library Main Branch
1 North Country Rd, Smithtown, NY 11787
For further information and/or to become involved with one or more of these community committees,
please contact the Smithtown Youth Bureau at (631) 360-7595, or email Stacey A. Sanders, Executive Director at [email protected]
Click the links below to read about various committee objectives and activities.
It's NOT too late to get involved!!!
*************************************************************************************************************
Check This Out!!!
What Youth & Community Alliance Members are up to...
"Family Charging Station"
One of the Bullying-Cyber bullying Committee members - who happens to be the Superintendent of the Kings Park School District,
Dr. Timonthy Eagan
created an informational video about having and making your own
family charging station
.
If it's 10 p.m. - "Do you know where your children's electronic devices are?" To watch the video, click below.
|
H
ealth, Safety & Wellness:
"Fans Don't Let Fans Drive Drunk!"
When it comes to the Super Bowl, everyone is a fan! The Super Bowl is America's most watched national sporting event. On
Super Bowl Sunday, February 5, 2017 there will be lots of game day socializing that may include drinking....
That's why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (website -
www.nhtsa.gov) is urging football fans to
plan ahead for a safe ride home.
This will reduce the heightened dangers of drunk driving on our roads during Super Bowl Weekend. Be safe!
|
|
|
 |
National Eating Disorders
Awareness Week
The goal of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (#NEDAwareness) is to shine the spotlight on eating disorders by educating the public, spreading a message of hope, and
putting life-saving resources into the hands of those in need. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness and will affect 30 million Americans at some point in their lives, but myths and misinformation still keep people from getting the help they need.
During NEDA Awareness Week, communities across the country join the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) to raise awareness through social media campaigns, legislative advocacy, building lightings, local events, and many more activities.
With this year's theme - "It's Time to Talk About It" - NEDA is opening up the conversation about eating disorders as a growing public health priority that affects all kinds of people, regardless of age, gender identity, ethnicity, sexuality, or background.
By starting conversations, busting myths, sharing the online screening tool, and framing eating disorders in a more holistic way, we can reach new audiences by sharing resources and diverse stories of recovery. You can read more about National Eating Disorders Awareness Week here
**
The Smithtown Youth Bureau has partnered with NEDA and is proud to offer one of their programs, "The Body Project", for young women in High Schools in our communities.
Starting Soon..... "The Body Project" program series will be presented by trained Youth Bureau staff at Commack High School.
|
|
|
|
Highlighted Youth Bureau Programs
The Youth Bureau offers ongoing youth development, prevention and intervention programs for youth and families in the Commack, Kings Park, Hauppauge and Smithtown school districts. Our popular programs include:
- Babysitting Skills/Basic Child Care
- Anger Management
- Positive Action
- Reconnecting Youth
- Middle School Employment Readiness
- Parent Study Group
- Upstander Revolution - Bullying/Cyber Bullying presentation
- Eight Dimensions of Wellness
- Community Service Opportunities
Inspire. Learn. Grow.
Please contact us if you would like more information - or would like to schedule a program for your school or community group.
[email protected]
|
|
**Volunteer Corner**
"From One Mother to Another"
Smithtown Youth Bureau Volunteer Corps member AND
Town of Smithtown Youth Advisory Board member, Abinaya Anand is also very involved with a group called "
From One Mother To Another."
This is a non-profit charity dedicated to community-driven gifting of new/unopened children's essentials to mothers in need. Thank you Abinaya for sharing this information and letting our readers know what else they can do to help others.
For more information, please visit:
|
|
More from our Volunteers...
"What is the Smithtown Youth Advisory Board?"
Submitted by Michelle Wolk
"I am so proud to be on the Smithtown Youth Advisory Board as the Committee Co-Chairperson that is responsible for engaging the youth in our community with safe and recreational activities. What is truly special about the Smithtown Youth Advisory Board is that the majority of the members are teenagers instead of adults. The organization passionately encourages young people in the Town of Smithtown to give back to other youth in their community.
My responsibility is to help organize all of the events. The board wants to make a difference just as much as I do. Through our sincerity, passion and collaboration, I think we make Smithtown a better place for everyone, not just our children. Through the many enrichment programs, such as a talent show, scavenger hunts,a pool party, food and school supply drives and community meetings, we teach leadership skills, drug and alcohol prevention to the youth and much more.
In addition to providing the children of our town with fun activities, we also do our best to impart the importance of community service from a young age. One example is that we organized a pool party where instead of paying money to attend, students put together back- to-school packages for families with financial constraints.
After completing a set number of packages, attendees were invited into the pool party where they could swim, dance along with the DJ and have pizza. The incredible part is that many kids have just as much fun completing the community service as they do swimming in the pool. That's why I volunteer my time and organize these events. When I see a child laughing and having a great time, it makes all of my time spent planning well worth it."
Thanks for sharing Michelle!!!
|
|
Youth Bureau Staff Corner
Happy Valentine's Day & Have a Fabulous February!!!
from the Smithtown Youth Bureau Staff...
Stacey Sanders, Janine Marc-Anthony, Cynthia Grimley, Karen Aldrich,
Gina Shalhoub and Crystal Belli
&
Town of Smithtown Horizons Counseling & Education Center
|
|
|
Town of Smithtown Horizons/Youth Bureau Department
Horizons Counseling and Education Center
is the Town of Smithtown's program for the prevention and treatment of drug and alcohol related problems. Services include counseling, specialized adolescent and adult treatment groups, and referrals for additional services. Smithown Horizons and Smithtown Youth Bureau work in collaboration to provide prevention education to school districts and community organizations.
Partners:
NYS Office of Children & Family Services, NYS Department of Transportation, Suffolk County Police Department - 4th Precinct, Suffolk County Youth Bureau,
NYS Association of Youth Bureaus, Suffolk County Youth Board Coordinating Council, Smithtown Animal Shelter, Smithtown Recreation Department, Smithtown Parks Department, Long Island Volunteer Center, National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA),Verizon in Smithtown, Target in Commack, Huntington Learning Center in Smithtown, Smithtown Industry Advisory Board,
Commack Coalition of Caring,
Smithtown Library System,
Hauppauge Youth & Community Coalition, Kings Park in the k
NO
w, Smithtown Children's Foundation, Kings Park Council of Schools, Communities of Solution, League of Women, Voters, Smithtown Food Pantry, Partners in Prevention, Project9line, Lessings at Smithtown Landing Country Club, and many others.
Useful Links:
Hauppauge-Smithtown Macaroni Kid
is a free, weekly e-newsletter and website for parents.
Each week they share articles, events, discounts, and giveaways for families with children of all ages.
They even have giveaways just for moms and dads!
Sign up
for your free subscription!
|
|
|
|
|
|
