August 2026

Reminder: Register for the Alexandria Youth Leadership Conference

There is stil time to register for the Alexandria Youth Leadership Conference! This free event is open to rising 9th through 12th graders residing in the City of Alexandria and will be held August 11-13 at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Dr.) Register here by August 7.

The first two days of this three-day conference will feature interactive workshops. The last day of the conference will include an afternoon networking session with some of Alexandria's most prominent community leaders. Lunch will be provided all three days of the conference and youth who attend the conference in its entirety are eligible to receive a $20 gift card.

The Youth Leadership Conference empowers emerging young leaders by providing training opportunities and connecting them to resources in their community. This event is hosted by the SAPCA, the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP), the Alexandria Sexual Assault Center, and the Alexandria Library.

Reminder: Invitation to 2026 Youth Leadership Conference Networking Event

Dear Community Leaders,

The Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA) and the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP) cordially invite you to an in-person Networking Event with some of Alexandria's rising youth leaders, on Thursday, August 13, from 4 - 5 p.m. at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center Café (4850 Mark Center Dr.) Please register here by August 3.

In partnership with the Alexandria Sexual Assault Center and the Alexandria Library, SAPCA and ACAP are sponsoring the 13th annual Alexandria Youth Leadership Conference, an event to teach youth how to engage, lead, and advocate for issues in our community. We anticipate between 50 and 75 young leaders will participate in the leadership conference this year.

In addition to skill-building, the Youth Leadership Conference helps to strengthen essential building blocks for young people, or Developmental Assets, including a sense of feeling valued by their community, self-esteem, recognizing themselves as a resource to others, and planning and decision-making.

The Youth Leadership Conference is excited to continue our annual Networking Event to encourage youth civic engagement in Alexandria. Our goal is to facilitate youth-adult partnerships by providing a forum in which organizations can connect directly with Alexandria's youth leaders. Your participation as a leader in the Alexandria community is invaluable. Youth will have an opportunity to talk with you and other adult community leaders and learn about volunteer and leadership opportunities available in Alexandria. Youth have much to learn from your experience and are deeply connected to the work you are doing in our City.

This is also your opportunity to recruit youth who have the necessary skills to participate in your organization in a leadership position such as a member of your Board of Directors, Commission member, or Committee Chair. Many Alexandria boards, commissions and community groups have space reserved for youth representatives or could be stronger if youth voices were included in the group. Unfortunately, many youth spaces remain consistently unfilled, or organizations do not think of including youth leaders on their boards. Our aim is to help build a network of youth leaders who can serve effectively and to help boards, commissions, and community groups understand how to benefit from youth voices. We believe the first step is to have community leaders talk with youth to learn about their abilities and interests and to see where their voices and skills could fit within our community. To accomplish this, SAPCA and ACAP will work with you to:

1. Meet Alexandria's youth leaders at this Networking Event and throughout the year.
2. Help orient you as to why it is important or beneficial to have youth leaders on Alexandria's boards, commissions, and work groups, and
3. Work with you to make sure that our city's boards and commissions know how to engage youth who serve with your adult leadership.

We hope you can join us for this important event. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact one of us listed below.

Sincerely,

Youth Spotlight: Recognition of Outgoing SAPCA Youth Board Members

SAPCA extends our gratitude and appreciation to outgoing SAPCA Youth Board members KC Cortez, Khamille Muhammad, and Mya Medrano. During their time on the Board, KC, Khamille, and Mya shared their experiences and ideas to support SAPCA in decreasing substance use in our community.

These youth leaders also supported SAPCA's prevention efforts outside of monthly meetings:


• KC helped share prevention information with families through in-person outreach events.
• Khamille was recognized during a City Council meeting for her winning Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest artwork. Additionally, her beautiful and meaningful artwork is displayed at the Minnie Howard Student Resource Center.
• Mya helped facilitate honest, youth-driven conversations during a series of engaging substance use prevention assemblies delivered to more than 1,200 Alexandria City High School students.
• KC, Khamille, and Mya attended the Alexandria Youth Leadership Conference, a free annual event that empowers emerging young leaders by providing training opportunities and connecting them to resources in the Alexandria community.

We wish KC, Khamille, and Mya all the best and are grateful for their contributions during their involvement with SAPCA!

Congratulations and Farewell to Leia Stuart

In July, the Youth Development Team said farewell to Leia Stuart! For the past two years, Leia supervised the Peer Advocates, a group of Alexandria youth who work closely with SAPCA, ACAP, and the Alexandria Sexual Assault Center to support prevention and outreach efforts.

During her time in this role, Leia was instrumental in helping to plan Youth Speak Up, a youth-led event that brought our community together to discuss issues youth are facing and brainstorm solutions to address these topics. Leia also mentored countless Alexandria youth, taking the time to listen to their ideas and concerns, helping youth find their voice, and empowering youth to advocate for their peers.

This past June, the Children Youth and Families Collaborative Commission recognized Leia's dedication to supporting Alexandria youth, naming her as one of Alexandria's 2026 Champions of Children awardees. On behalf of SAPCA, we wish Leia all the best as she embarks on her next adventure and are so appreciative of all her hard work during her time here.

Five Things You Can Do: Recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day



On August 31, the City of Alexandria will join communities around the world in support of International Overdose Awareness Day. The goal of this annual campaign is to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died, acknowledge the grief of family and friends left behind, and raise awareness that substance use disorders can be successfully managed with treatment. 

This year's awareness campaign theme is "25 Years On. Still Needed."

Here are five ways our community can come together this month and year-round in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day.

Store medication safely

The Lock & Talk statewide suicide prevention initiative strives to promote safe care of lethal means and encourages community conversation around mental wellness. Residents can access free locking medication boxes at the following locations and times, except holidays:

• Alexandria Health Department- 4850 Mark Center, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 703.746.3382
• Del Pepper Community Resource Center DCHS, 4850 Mark Center, contact noraine.buttar@alexandriava.gov to schedule a pick up.
• Alexandria Sheriff’s Office, 2003 Mill Road, Visitor Center, 24 hours a day. 703.746.4114.

Dispose of medication safely

Dispose of unwanted or unused pills, liquids or other medication at one of three permanent medication drop boxes that provide year-round access to safe drug disposal.

Help Address Stigma

The words we use matter. Stigma around substance use disorders can prevent people from seeking help and can isolate individuals and families who are struggling. Help create a more supportive Alexandria by listening without judgment, recognizing that substance use disorder is a treatable health condition, and reminding others that recovery is possible.

Pick up Narcan

If given in time, Narcan® (also known as Naloxone) can save the life of someone who is overdosing from opioids. It can stop an overdose and restore normal breathing until emergency response can arrive. Narcan is available for free from the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) by calling 703.746.4888.

Explore Resources and Spread the Word

Learn more about free resources available and help promote them within our community. The Partnership to End Addiction provides free resources, a helpline, and support specifically for parents and caregivers of teens and young adults. The Addiction Policy Forum also offers free trainings and courses, including resources for families navigating a loved one's addiction and a community-focused training on recognizing and responding to substance use.

Learn more about Alexandria's efforts to eliminate opioid misuse and its harmful effects at alexandriava.gov/opioids.

Quick Links

For more details or to contribute online, visit VolunteerAlexandria.org/food

SummerQuest 2026

Can you dig it? Get ready to bury yourself in a good book this summer with Alexandria’s SummerQuest reading program! Open to children, teens, and adults, this year's theme is “Unearth A Story.”   

From June through August, visit Alexandria Library locations in person and online for music, magic, storytelling, reading, nature shows, hands-on activities and more! Participants of all ages can earn prizes for reading and completing activities, including free books and tickets to a Washington Nationals or Washington Spirit game. 

Scheduled events and a downloadable brochure for this year’s SummerQuest are listed here. The full brochure is also available in Spanish, and the game boards for tracking your reading progress are available in Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, and Dari/Farsi. 

To learn more about Project Discovery, contact Alicia Washington at alicia.washington@alexandriava.gov. 

Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria 

4850 Mark Center Drive

Alexandria, VA 22311