InnerAct Alliance & UthMpact receive grant from the GiveWell Community Foundation

 

InnerAct Alliance & UthMpact Receive Grant

from the Givewell Foundation

InnerAct Alliance and its youth coalition partner, UthMpact, are proud to have been awarded a $10,000 Impact Polk grant from the George W. Jenkins Fund within the GiveWell Community Foundation to address problems related to youth mental health.   

InnerAct Alliance will use the funds to support efforts of the UthMpact Leadership Program, which brings together young leaders representing every high school in Polk County and nearly every walk of life, to work proactively in schools and in the community. The “UthMpact Leadership’s Focus on Youth Mental Health” project will endeavor to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, encourage self-care, and promote equity by smashing common stereotypes and championing tolerance among teens. UthMpact members will create dynamic virtual messaging featuring profiles of teens who represent different ethnic/racial backgrounds and highlight cultural differences while underscoring similarities. Another objective will offer mental health moments in which teens will share strategies to reduce stress and suggest community resources to peers.   

“We are extremely grateful for the support of the GiveWell Community Foundation to help broaden the reach of UthMpact Leadership Program’s messaging and social norms efforts,” said Angie Ellison, executive director of InnerAct Alliance. 

"We are pleased to award this Impact Polk grant to InnerAct Alliance's UthMpact program on behalf of the George W. Jenkins Fun," said John Attaway, GiveWell Community Foundation's President/CEO. "After a particularly isolating year, providing mental health resources to our community is critical. So, to, is combatting the stigma that prevents people from getting the care and support that they need."

InnerAct Alliance, formerly the Drug Prevention Resource Center, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency established in 1985 in Lakeland, Polk County, Florida, to reduce the abuse and underage use of harmful substances along with involvement in other risky behaviors through: Community Awareness and Involvement; Prevention Education; Economic Support; and Leadership Development. The agency serves Hardee, Highlands and Polk County with prevention services including science-based education for elementary and middle school and awareness events that touch the lives of youth, adults, families, businesses, faith-based organizations and others in need with an important substance abuse prevention message. InnerAct Alliance serves as the fiscal agent for the StandUP Polk (adult) and UthMpact (youth) Coalitions for a Drug-Free Polk, collaborations which lead proactive community efforts to reduce underage use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. 

The mission of the GiveWell Community Foundation (GWCF) is to champion charitable giving to improve the quality of life in the areas we serve, both now and for future generations. We accomplish this by working with individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits to build stronger communities in Polk, Hardee, and Highlands counties through charitable funds and competitive grant cycles. Since its founding in 1997, the community foundation has awarded more than $230 million in grants. Today, GWCF is home to more than 300 charitable funds and the Impact Polk and Empower Polk grant cycles. To learn more about GWCF, visit givecf.org or call 863-683-3131.

National Prevention Week May 9-15, 2021 Spotlight on Preventing Underage Drinking & Alcohol Misuse

 

Spotlight on Preventing Underage Drinking & Alcohol Misuse

May 9-May 15 is National Prevention Week and today's spotlight is on preventing underage drinking.

THE FACTS: Alcohol is the most widely used substance among youth, often beginning at an early age. In 2019, almost 2.3 million 12-17-year-olds used alcohol for the first time, which is equivalent to about 6,200 youth per day. Early initiation of alcohol use is associated with heavy alcohol use, substance use, and alcohol dependence later in life. Alcohol plays a factor in the death of about 4,300 people under the age of 21 each year, reducing their lives by 60 years!

GOOD NEWS: Underage drinking, binge drinking, and heavy alcohol use among our youth have declined...PREVENTION WORKS! Parents, it's so important to talk to your child about drinking.

RESOURCES: The SAMHSA campaign "Talk. They Hear You" offers some great factual information to start the conversation with your child and continue talking to help prevent underage drinking and alcohol misuse. Click here: 

https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/SAMHSA_Digital_Download/PEP21-03-10-008.pdf

SOCIAL MEDIA: Participate in this year's challenge by sharing where you are preventing substance misuse and suicide. Take a selfie and share on social media #PreventionHappensHere

InnerAct Alliance, StandUP Polk & Peace River Center Partner for Event to Mark Mental Health Awareness Month

 

InnerAct Alliance, StandUP Polk & Peace River Center
Partner for Event to Mark Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month to raise awareness of those living with mental health or behavioral issues and help reduce the stigma so many experience. To assist in this effort, InnerAct Alliance, StandUP Polk, and Peace River Center are partnering for an informative presentation, entitled “Identifying and Understanding Teens’ Risky Behaviors”, on Thursday, May 27, 2021, at 10:30 a.m., via Zoom. 

Speakers will be Angela Ellison, Executive Director of InnerAct Alliance, for Own the Upside, and Luke Bigelow, Substance Abuse Outpatient Therapist, for Peace River Center. Topics will include areas of concern surrounding teen mental health, risky behaviors and signs of possible drug use, as well as discussion about differences between normal adolescence and mental health or mental illness struggles and how to access help. The event will take place as part of the StandUP Polk coalition meeting, but all are invited to attend. The link for Registration is: http://bit.ly/may27teens. Those interested but unable to attend may register to have a recording of the presentation emailed to them. 

InnerAct Alliance, formerly the Drug Prevention Resource Center, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency established in 1985 in Lakeland, Florida, to reduce the abuse and underage use of harmful substances along with involvement in other risky behaviors through: Community Awareness and Involvement; Prevention Education; Economic Support; and Leadership Development. The agency serves as the fiscal agent for the StandUP Polk (adult) and UthMpact (youth) Coalitions for a Drug-Free Polk, collaborations which lead proactive community efforts to reduce underage use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. Own the Upside is a campaign to help prevent harm and promote health, especially for youth, and celebrates the positives that most kids are doing the right thing, while also educating parents about signs to watch for if their child may be headed in the wrong direction. Correcting risky behaviors early is the key to successful Prevention!    

Peace River Center’s mission is to engage, restore, and empower individuals in our community to reach their fullest potential. The agency provides mental health, substance abuse, primary care, 24-hour crisis response, rape crisis, and domestic violence services in its vision is to be a center of excellent for building emotional wellness.