During this season of giving, think about the best and most thoughtful gift you may give to yourself and those you care about. Being well informed and knowing where to find potenitally lifesaving information and resources should be at the top of that list.
ASK is proud to curate the virtual Save A Life Wellness Fair which will connect you to resources that support Substance Misuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery; Mental Health and Opportunities for Thoughtful Service.
Click here to view the virtual Save A Life Wellness Fair and download the application on your phone. You never know when you, a friend, neighbor or loved one may need this vital information and by having it readily available it truly may be the most important gift you have ever given yourself or shared.
Life is hard, let’s be prepared to take good care of ourselves and one another.
The “Happiest” Time of the Year: Tips for Managing Holiday Stress
(National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Whether you are filled with holiday cheer or would prefer to skip the whole season, we can all agree that there are levels of stress that accompany the holidays. Here are some ways you can make them a little merrier and brighter. Read more.
Facts About Fentanyl
Volunteer Opportunities
There are a variety of volunteer opportunities at awesome nonprofits throughout Westchester and Putnam Counties. To view these opportunities, please check out Volunteer New York!
The John C. Hart Memorial Library in Shrub Oak can always use some volunteers! To find out about their Teen Volunteer Program, click here.
Yorktown Leos Club
Leadership, Experience, Opportunity! The Yorktown Leos are a community service club for people ages 12-25 willing to help others in the community. They host and participate in a variety of fun and collaborative events. The Yorktown Leos Club has been helping the Yorktown community for over 25 years and to learn how to get involved, click here.
Weekly Spotlight Family Support Groups
From our partners at Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, weekly Spotlight Family Support Groups, held virtually every Tuesday and Wednesday via Zoom. Spotlight on Recovery is a Family Educational and Support Group for families struggling with a loved one misusing substances. For more information, click here.
Virtual Naloxone Training
Naloxone is a prescription medicine that reverses an overdose by blocking heroin or other opioids in the nervous system for 30-90 minutes. Naloxone is administered by injection or intranasal. Following training, participants receive a kit by mail. Presented by our partners at Drug Crisis in Our Backyard. Please inquire about setting up a virtual training by contacting Susan Salomone at: ssal@drugcrisisinourbackyard.com.
Grief Support Group
A new group is starting that will deal with the strong feelings and emotions that parents have when they lose their child to a drug overdose. The group will be facilitated by Phyllis Eliott, LCSW who has experienced this loss herself. The meeting will take place in her office in Peekskill, date and time to be determined by those who sign up for the group. There will be no fee for this group. This will be a safe space where we can support each other as we deal with our grief. Please contact Phyllis at 845-234-3928.
Student Assistance Services Corner
“Helping Students Enhance Their Well Being by Making Healthy Decisions and Remaining Substance Free”
A partnership between a parent/guardian and Student Assistance Counselor best supports the nurturing of the social and emotional wellbeing of students. We encourage you to contact the SAC at your child’s school for a confidential consultation. Click here to learn more.
| Lakeland High School Sasha Meyer Porco, LMSW, CASAC smeyerporco@lakelandschools.org | Lakeland Copper Beech Middle School Ms. Finan, MS lfinan@lakelandschools.org | Yorktown High School Kiara Loughran, MS sacounselor@yorktown.org |
Upcoming Events
December 2 – Giving Tuesday
Please consider making a gift to provide a safety net that supports a healthy lifestyle for our youth and families. Additionally, as the fiscal sponsor for Drug Crisis in Our Backyard, ASK supports bringing awareness of the rampant abuse of prescription and illegal drugs in our community and programs that assist individuals and their families who are struggling with the effects of substance use in a friend or loved one.
Your donation will not only support the ongoing connections between the community and potentially lifesaving resources, but will allow for important programs from Drug Crisis in Our Backyard to continue. Click here to learn more about the programs.
December 2 – The Pouch Problem: Protecting Kids from a New Nicotine Trend
Join Parents Against Vaping and Dr. Shivani Mathur Gaiha of Boston Children’s Hospital for a vital conversation on the rise of Nicotine pouches that are being sold as “tobacco-free” alternatives. Register here.
December 2 – The Power of Connection: A Parent’s Greatest Protective Tool
Operation Parent invites you to a powerful presentation where you may learn practical ways to foster open communication, build trust, and strengthen bonds so children feel safe, seen, and supported. Register here.
December 8 – Behind the Screen: Protect Kids in Today’s Digital World
Our friends at K.N.O.W. 2 Prevent are hosting Westchester County Assistant District Attorney Laura A. Forbes, Bureau Chief and Internet Safety Coordinator, for an engaging and practical session on helping kids make safer choices online. Register here.
December 9 – Internet Safety for Parents
An important presentation by Thomas Roidl, a retired investigator in the Computer Crime Unit from the New York State Police and service as a U.S. Deputy Marshall with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Hosted by PNW BOCES, Regional Safety Services. Register here.
NAMI Westchester
The families and members of NAMI Westchester are here to help! They offer understanding to anyone concerned about mental illnesses and the treatment of mental illness. To view their calendar, click here.
Westchester Breathes is an ongoing program offered by the Westchester Library System offering an experience of gentle movement, breathing and relaxation exercises that reduce stress and anxiety and increase a sense of calm and well-being. These exercises are simple and evidence-based – which is to say …they work! They are free and on Zoom. Register here.