Wishing You a Wonderful Holiday Season
It seems hard to believe that we are already into the holiday season. This is a wonderful time of the year with all the decorations and lights indoors and outdoors. Alexandria’s neighborhoods look so magical this time of the year.
It’s also a time to think about all the gifts we receive and all the gifts we give. I’m talking about those invaluable and heart-warming non-monetary gifts. The gifts of love and support our family members give to us and we give to them. The gifts of caring and companionship our friends give to us and we give to them. The gifts of support and time community members give to us and we give to our community.
The members of SAPCA’s Board of Directors and I wish you, your family and friends a wonderful, joyous and safe holiday season AND a fantastic and happy 2022!
Allen Lomax
SAPCA Chair
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Join the Children Youth and Families Collaborative Commission, the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP), and SAPCA on December 9 from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. for a virtual conversation featuring Alexandria’s youth voices. Hear directly from a panel of Alexandria teens as they highlight what they need from adults to navigate life after the pandemic. Teens will provide insight on helpful and not-so-helpful practices implemented during the pandemic so participants can learn from the past to bring intention to future youth development efforts in our community. Click here to register.
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SAPCA Delivers Facts and Consequences Presentations to Alexandria Students
On November 15 and 16, SAPCA met with Alexandria City High School (ACHS) students involved in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program to deliver Facts and Consequences presentations to 150 cadets. SAPCA also visited health classes at Bishop Ireton on November 30 and December 1 to share this presentation with 100 freshmen students.
During these presentations, students learned about the health, legal, and social consequences of using alcohol, e-cigarettes, marijuana, and prescription and over-the-counter medication. Students also discussed ways to respond to peer pressure and tools to cope with stress in a healthy way.
SAPCA is appreciative of the opportunity to share this important information with students in our community and looks forward to continuing to collaborate with the JROTC program and Bishop Ireton High School in the future.
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Resource Spotlight: Tips for Communicating With Teens
Last month, SAPCA and ACAP presented at two PTA meetings to highlight tips for improving parent-teen communication. During these virtual meetings, ACHS and George Washington Middle School parents learned key ways to strengthen communication with their children, including to listen, show trust, give praise, share regular meals, and be observant. The full list of tips, adapted from childmind.org, can be found in English and Spanish. SAPCA and ACAP encourage parents and other caring adults to share these resources with personal and professional networks to continue building a community of trusted adults for Alexandria's youth.
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Partnership Spotlight: Working Together to Prevent Medication Misuse and Abuse
With the support of multiple efforts to prevent and end medication misuse and abuse, 280 lbs of unused and expired medication were collected and destroyed in November 2021.
Medication was collected through the City of Alexandria's year-round permanent medication drop boxes and from homebound residents served by the Meals on Wheels Program through a collaboration between the Alexandria Sheriff's Office and Senior Services of Alexandria.
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Neighborhood Pharmacy: 2204 Mt Vernon Ave.; open Mon - Fri: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., Sat: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Sun: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
- Inova Alexandria Hospital: Visitor's Center Lobby (near cashier's window), 4320 Seminary Road; open daily from 1 - 5 p.m.
- Alexandria Police Department Headquarters (just inside front entrance, ring bell for access): 3600 Wheeler Ave.; available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Meals on Wheels is a life-sustaining program that allows seniors who are unable to leave their homes to shop, or have difficulty preparing a meal, to have two healthy meals a day delivered to their homes. Learn more about Meals on Wheels here.
SAPCA thanks our partners for their efforts to dispose of unused and expired medication safely. Visit alexandriava.gov/Opioids for more information about safe medicine disposal and to learn about Alexandria’s efforts regarding the opioid crisis.
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Upcoming Events & Resources |
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Get Involved: Holiday Fundraiser for Alexandria Students
Help make the holidays a little brighter this year by donating a virtual gift card to a student in need. ACHS social workers are collecting virtual gift cards since they provide a quick way to give students and their families the support they need.
Last year through the help and support of the community, ACHS social workers raised over $17,000 to distribute gift cards to families in need. To continue these efforts this holiday season, you can purchase a virtual gift cards at giftcardmall.com and submit it to Ms. Taaj Browne at aleisha.browne@acps.k12.va.us before December 13. If you would like to make a contribution via Venmo, email erik.perini@acps.k12.va.us
All donations will be distributed in the form of gift cards between December 13 and 17 so students and families will have them in time for the winter break. Thank you for your help supporting our Titan community!
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Call for Volunteers: Join the All-Night Grad Party Committee
Are you interested in helping to ensure our 2022 Titan graduates have a safe, fun, and memorable celebration this spring? Join the ACHS All-Night Grad Party committee to help plan this special event for our seniors.
This annual tradition, sponsored by the ACHS PTSA, is made possible by the generous support of local businesses, citizens, community organizations, and alumni and sends a clear message that the Alexandria community values the academic achievements of our students and cares deeply about their safety and well-being. Since our community began this tradition in 1989, there have been no drug or alcohol-related graduation night fatalities.
For more information, contact Lachelle Cato, chairperson for the 2022 ACHS All Night Graduation Party at achsangpchair@gmail.com.
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Sign up for the Snow Buddy Program
Do you love snow? Help your senior and disabled neighbors safely leave their homes for medical or other essential appointments this winter by signing up to be a Snow Buddy. The Snow Buddy Program matches low-income seniors and disabled Alexandria residents with volunteers who can help clear their sidewalks and driveways. Volunteers are matched according to their location and once assigned, will serve their resident(s) for the entire winter season. For more details and to register, click here.
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Apply for the Kids Safe Online Poster Contest
All K-12 students in Virginia have the opportunity to use their creativity to encourage their peers to use the internet safely. The Virginia Information Technologies Agency and the Virginia Department of Education are accepting entries for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center’s annual Kids Safe Online Poster Contest. The goal of the contest is to engage young people in creating posters to encourage other young people to use the Internet safely and securely.
The state’s top five winners from each grade will be entered into the national competition. Entries received may be used in national, regional, and state cyber and computer security awareness campaigns. Entries are due by midnight on January 12, 2022.
Click here to read the contest rules, explore topic suggestions or to apply for the contest.
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Wear It Well - Do Your Part. Stop The Spread.
The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department urge Alexandria residents, businesses and visitors to “Wear It Well” by wearing a mask in public indoor spaces, whether vaccinated or not. This follows updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that everyone should wear masks in indoor public settings in communities of substantial or high transmission.
Wearing a mask protects yourself, your family and your community from the current surge of the more contagious COVID-19 delta variant. In addition to wearing a mask in indoor public places, “Wear It Well” by ensuring the mask fits snugly over the nose and chin without gaps. Masks with multiple layers of fabric provide greater protection against transmission.
Every Alexandrian can take precautions to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Learn more about how to protect yourself and those around you at alexandriava.gov/coronavirus
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Emma Beall, MPH
SAPCA Coordinator
O: 703.746.3670
C: 571.302.1022
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Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria
123 N Pitt St, Suite 225
Alexandria, VA 22314
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