July 2025

Call for Volunteers: National Night

Alexandria will join communities across the country in celebration of National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5. For those who have not experienced this event, it is a fun evening where neighborhoods around the City host events, block parties, barbeques, etc. with the goal of preventing crime by building a sense of community. 

SAPCA is seeking volunteers of all ages to visit neighborhoods and provide outreach about our work, including the upcoming Alexandria Youth Leadership Conference (YLC). This free event is open to rising 9th through 12th graders residing in the City of Alexandria and will be held August 12-14 at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Dr.) This year’s conference theme is: Young Voices, Powerful Choices! This event is free and youth must register here by August 8. 

Volunteers will:

• Meet at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center, 4850 Mark Center Drive, on August 5 at 5:00 p.m. to join a team and receive neighborhood assignments.
• Drive or walk to assigned neighborhood events to connect with community members, promote the YLC, distribute prevention resources, and "cover the city" with information about our work.
• Have fun, eat good food, and snap some pictures!
• The total time commitment will be from approximately 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

No previous experience is required to volunteer.

Please contact Emma Beall at emma.beall@alexandriava.gov or 571.302.1022 by August 1 if you want to join us for this fun community event!

Click here to register for the Youth Leadership Conference!

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 14, from 4:00-5:00 p.m. at the Del Pepper Community Resource Center Café (4850 Mark Center Dr.) Please register here by August 1.

In partnership with the Alexandria Sexual Assault Center and the Alexandria Library, SAPCA and ACAP are sponsoring the 12th 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:

• Meet Alexandria's youth leaders at this Networking Event and throughout the year.
• Help orient you as to why it is important or beneficial to have youth leaders on Alexandria's boards, commissions and work groups, and
• 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,

Partnership Spotlight: Promoting Prevention Resources

On June 4 and June 11, Opioid Work Group Coordinator Hope Sievers presented to a group of Alexandria Seaport Foundation apprentices about staying safe, healthy, and work-ready. During the presentation, apprentices discussed professional, social, psychological, and biological impacts of substance use; the connections between mental health and substance use; and healthy ways to cope with stress. Apprentices also learned how to use naloxone, a safe and easy-to-administer nasal spray that can save the life of someone experiencing an opioid overdose. 

The Alexandria Seaport Foundation Apprentice Program is a hands-on learning opportunity for disconnected youth ages 18-23. Since 1993, Seaport’s Apprentice Program has used the craft of woodworking and traditional boatbuilding to deliver an immersive experience that prepares these young adults for success in both employment and adulthood.

We appreciate these opportunities to connect with our community and look forward to continuing to collaborate with our partners to promote prevention resources.

Learn more about the Opioid Work Group at alexandriav.gov/Opioids.

Learn more about the Alexandria Seaport Foundation at alexandriaseaport.org.

Celebrating Alexandria's Champions of Children

On June 11, the Children Youth and Families Collaborative Commission (CYFCC) recognized 11 local leaders for their efforts to support the goals of the Children & Youth Community Plan (CYCP), a roadmap for how our community will work together to create the conditions for all young people to thrive in Alexandria. Please join us in recognizing this year's Champions of Children awardees:

• Terri Cheshire, Executive Director, Center for Alexandria's Children
• Aida Raygada, Learn&PlayGroup™ Facilitator, Center for Alexandria's Children
• Rodney Hughey, Alexandria City High School (ACHS) teacher and ACHS football coach, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS)
• Ana Bonilla-Galdamez, ACHS Family Engagement Social Worker, ACPS
• Tesfaye Amberber, Bilingual Division Wide (Amharic) Family Liaison Specialist, ACPS 
• Lisa Jacobs, Executive Director, Alexandria Tutoring Consortium
• Roberto Gomez, Executive Director, Cornerstone Craftsman
• Amanda Kropp, ACHS U.S. Government Teacher, Business and Government Academy Lead, and Social Studies Department Co-Chair, ACPS
• Madeline Nance, Alexandria Mentoring Partnership Regional Program Director, Department of Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Activities
• Lisa Falleroni, Naomi L. Brooks Elementary School Counselor, ACPS
• Krystal Fenwick, Resource & Adoption Unit Supervisor, Department of Community and Human Services

Together with our community, the CYFCC recognized these awardees for their dedication to supporting Alexandria children, youth, and families by fostering partnerships, demonstrating strategic thinking and leadership, promoting service access or best practices, creatively addressing challenges, and working to implement policy. Please join us in congratulating the 2025 Champions of Children!

The CYFCC provides advice, advocacy, and pertinent information to Alexandria City staff, City Council, School Board, and other relevant entities in order to influence policy and decisions that result in better outcomes for children, youth, and families in Alexandria.

Learn more at alexandriava.gov/CYFCC

Five Things You Should Know: Tips for a Safe Summer

As summer begins, many teens have more free time and less structure. This month, we will be highlighting tips to support teens to make safe and healthy choices all summer long.

Set summertime rules

Be clear about your rules for teens who spend time unsupervised with their friends and your expectations around drinking, smoking, and other risky behaviors. Ensure your teen knows the consequences for breaking the rules and that you will enforce the consequences. Remember that consequences should be “reasonable, enforceable, and short-lived.” Try to notice and point out when they make smart decisions and follow the rules – positive reinforcement can go a long way.

Encourage healthy risk-taking

Teenagers take risks as part of their natural identity development. Risks don’t have to be dangerous, like vaping or drinking. Healthy risk-taking can build teens’ confidence and develop essential life skills. Work with your teen to brainstorm safe and healthy ways that they can express their energy and desire to take risks. Ask about what excites them and work to find a healthy challenge that produces the same feeling of excitement that they get from taking a risk.

Host alcohol-free celebrations

Contrary to popular belief, alcohol isn't a necessity for a memorable party. Embracing alcohol-free celebrations can promote inclusivity and well-being. Offer a variety of creative non-alcoholic beverages, like mocktails or festive punches, that are both delicious and fun. Incorporate games, music, and storytelling to connect and create lasting memories without the need for alcohol.

Help them get active in the community

Encourage your teen to spend time with friends while participating in your community. Look for opportunities for them to volunteer or become involved with civic activities in the community. Volunteering can allow teenagers to develop relationships and social skills and be physically active. Encouraging their involvement in the community can also help them to feel valued, which can decrease their likelihood of using substances.

Remember, you are a role model

As a parent/guardian, you are one of the biggest influences in your child’s life. Keep in mind: Kids are always watching and listening -- not just to what you say, but also to what you do. Demonstrating healthy and safe decision making encourages your child to follow your lead and learn to develop responsible habits. 

Explore additional prevention resources at alexandriava.gov/SAPCA.

Quick Links

SummerQuest 2025

Get ready for a bright and vivid summer with Alexandria Library's SummerQuest reading program! Open to children, teens, and adults, this year's program theme is “Color Our World.” 

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 the downloadable brochure for this year's SummerQuest are listed here. 

Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria 

4850 Mark Center Drive

Alexandria, VA 22311