Who: Students at Raymond High School
Age: Teens
What: Youth Action Group
This Wednesday's article is about volunteer Mary Duff and the RCFY Youth Action Group. Mary has been a volunteer for 19 years; however, the most important part this article is what the youth at Raymond High School are doing to make a difference. They took a survey of how many kids smoke cigarettes in the school and after seeing the results held "Kick Butts Day." This article can be found at Seacoast Online.
Kicking butts: Students honored for making a difference
Mary Duff and Raymond Coalition for Youth receive Spirit of the Seacoast Award
By Dan Lorenz
dlorenz@seacoastonline.com
March 21, 2008 6:00 AM
Whether organizing an anti-smoking campaign in their school, establishing a Toys for Tots program, or raising money to help a fellow student pay for hospital bills, the positive volunteer efforts of the Raymond Coalition for Youth resonate throughout their community.
In recognition of their outstanding service, volunteer Mary Duff and the RCFY Youth Action Group are receiving the Spirit of the Seacoast Award, given out quarterly to groups and citizens in the Seacoast community.
The award, which has been a tradition since 2001, is sponsored by the United Way of the Greater Seacoast Volunteer Action Center, the Federal Savings Bank in Dover, and the Portsmouth Herald.
Duff, a Raymond resident for 19 years, says that receiving the award was an unexpected honor.
"I have to say that I am very surprised this happened," Duff said. "I didn't think I had done enough. I never expected this."
Although Duff may doubt her contributions, friends and co-workers have sent in many letters of support to the award committee highlighting her impact in the community.
Described by friends as a person who doesn't need any recognition for her efforts, Duff has been actively involved in the Raymond school system for many years. As a NAMI-certified master youth suicide prevention trainer, she has worked closely with students and adults alike, teaching them effective suicide crisis management techniques.
Fluent in Japanese, Duff has also worked in classrooms, sharing with students her love of Japanese culture. As a child, Duff's father was stationed several times at army bases in Okinawa. From this experience, she was able to learn what she modestly calls "Baby Japanese."
"I watched a lot of samurai shows, and I picked up pieces of the Japanese language," Duff said.
Duff first became involved with the RCFY Youth Action Group when her daughter became a member. Since then, she has been recognized as a reliable volunteer, an active member, and an overall positive force in the group.
Tammy Reardon, a co-worker and RCFY youth worker, says that Duff's support is invaluable.
"She is a constant support for the youth as well as the adults in our community," Reardon said. "She has shown her dedication by always being there and getting involved."
Since its formation two years ago, the Raymond Coalition for Youth Action has already made a large impact in the community. Disgusted and concerned by the problem of smoking in the school bathrooms, the group of 20 dedicated students decided to form a plan to stop it.
"They came up with the idea to pass around a survey to find out how many kids were smoking," Duff said. "They were shocked to find that it was only a handful that were doing it. The rest of the students didn't want it."
Using the school's support as momentum, the group decided to establish a day dedicated to eliminating the problem.
On March 28, 2007, Raymond High School held "Kick Butts Day." More than 300 students and faculty in the school wore anti-smoking shirts designed by the Youth Action Group, and members gave out stickers, pins, and pamphlets describing the dangers of smoking. At the end of the day, smoking in the bathroom was essentially eliminated.
"The kids were proud of what they were able to accomplish," Duff said. "They also saw that with proper planning they could achieve a peaceful ending to something that is really nasty."
Kirk Beitler, principal of Raymond High School, says that he is proud of what the students have been able to do for their school.
"They have absolutely had a positive impact," Beitler said. "The group is a positive outlet for kids. I certainly whole-heartedly support their efforts toward the school, and the community at large."
Beitler adds that the students have recently attended a workshop concerning alcohol awareness, and are currently involved in teaching students the dangers of alcohol consumption.
In addition to these volunteer efforts, the RCFY Youth Action Group has sponsored dances to help pay for a classmate's medical bills, cleaned up their school's grounds for a graduation ceremony, and held a Safety Belt Challenge event.
The group also focuses on keeping their community clean. Last spring, members held a town clean-up day, in which they picked up garbage around the town common, the middle and high schools, and the cemetery.
Robin Albert, director of the UWGS Volunteer Action Center, says that Duff and the youth coalition were chosen because of their significant impact on the community.
"This is the work of a woman who is obviously so dedicated to the organization," Albert said. "It takes a lot of work, and the kids in the group certainly took action. They really seemed to make an impression on the award committee.
"They did exactly what their name says. They really put their money where there mouth is."
Duff and the RCFY Youth Action Group will receive their award at a special reception on April 28, to be held at the Great Bay Discovery Center in Greenland.
The group will be given a $500 award, which is to be given to the charity of the receiver's choice.
"I plan on putting the money right back into the coalition," Duff said. "It will help us do much more for the organization."
In the future, Duff plans to help establish a youth center in Raymond.
"I hope to make a place where kids can go do their homework, or just hang out and enjoy each other's company," Duff said. "It would be so wonderful to find a place where they could do that."
BE A VOLUNTEER
United Way of the Greater Seacoast offers a searchable database on its Web site where users can find local volunteer opportunities with a few clicks of the mouse.
Log on to uwgs.org, and click "search volunteer opportunities" at the bottom of the page. From there, enter your zip code or keywords to find an opportunity near you.
Showing posts with label smoking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smoking. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Just Eliminate Lies
Who: Melissa Nelson
Age: Teen
What: Volunteering with Just Eliminate Lies
This Wednesday we bring to you an article about a teen participating in Just Eliminate Lies (JEL) who hopes to eliminate lies about tobacco use. This is a wonderful article and an awesome youth lead organization. In addition to this article, I would like to add a thought that our youth today has more knowledge then prior young generations had about how bad tobacoo really is--yet I still see young kids smoking everyday. I know it's not something that will be stopped completely; however, if you stop for yourself, that is making a difference. This article is from The Sioux City Journal.
Student hopes to eliminate lies about tobacco use
By Joanne Fox, Journal staff writer
Melissa Nelson held a jar with contents that would make even the strongest stomach wretch -- a jar of tar, representing what would be filtered by a smoker for a year.
Nelson, who has been a member of JEL (Just Eliminate Lies) since the seventh grade, is now the president for the State of Iowa. Her involvement came about from the invitation of a classmate.
"The mom of one of my friends was involved in the Community Partnership and invited me to attend a meeting," Nelson said of the Woodbury County program funded by the State of Iowa. "JEL was part of the presentation."
It was an eye-opening moment for the young woman. Nelson has now been involved for almost five years.
"I wanted to do more than just athletics and choir," she said of her choice of this extra-curricular activity. "I thought my involvement with JEL would really be making a difference."
JEL is a youth-led, anti-tobacco group. It is operated under the auspices of the Iowa Department of Public Health -- Division of Tobacco Use Prevention and Control. The organization involves thousands of Iowa youth dedicated to giving teens the true, "unfiltered" facts about smoking, fighting against the tobacco companies campaign, and changing people's attitudes.
The organization has chapters associated with schools that have over 7,000 members, who focus their no-smoking message on younger teens who may take up smoking. But first, they are educated in the dangers and pitfalls of tobacco use, Nelson said.
"I was very surprised to learn how addictive nicotine was," she said of those early meetings she attended. "The other thing that surprised me was how much money tobacco companies make in profits."
Another shock was the advertising dollars spent to entice people to smoke -- especially young people, Nelson said.
"The more I learned the more determined I was to encourage family and friends and even people I didn't know to not start smoking or to quit," she said.
Nelson continued her association with JEL through her high school years. During her sophomore year at Bishop Heelan, she attended her first JEL summit, a three-day rally that provides participants with information and encouragement to continue their fight against smoking.
"There were 300 teens at that summit and that's when I really decided to throw myself into this," Nelson said. "I went ahead and applied to be on the executive council."
The 35 members of the JEL executive council are the driving force behind gathering information, scheduling events and orchestrating meetings. Nelson made it through the application process and was chosen to join the group during her junior year.
Nelson was elected secretary her senior year and now, as a freshman at the University of Iowa, she serves as the president. Among the pluses of being associated with JEL are the summits -- which Nelson has attended at Ames, Grinnell and Indianola -- and other travel, such as Minneapolis, Oklahoma City and New York.
Mother Mickey Nelson said her daughter tends to be humble about her involvement with JEL.
"Her trip to New York? She missed her high school prom," Mickey Nelson said. "She said it wasn't a big deal, but I think for most girls, prom is a big deal. I'm so proud of her commitment to JEL."
Nelson visited an Altria share-holders' meeting, the parent company of Philip Morris International, as part of a protest.
"Some of those in attendance were pretty verbal at the end of the meeting asking questions," she said. "We were all asked to leave, but I think we got our point across."
This year, JEL members advocated for legislation that supports local control of smoke-free ordinances in the State of Iowa. Each year, JEL Youth Advocacy Day in Des Moines gives young Iowans a chance to speak to their legislators about current tobacco control issues and bills. Approximately 250 JEL members, including Nelson, participated in this year's advocacy day on Feb. 13 on the west steps of the Capitol.
As a college student, Nelson, 18, continues working with JEL. She will remain on the executive council for another year as the past president.
"I want to stay with it because I see the effect we have on people," she said. "And then, you never know who you might help to quit or never start smoking."
VITA
Name: Melissa Nelson
Hometown: Sioux City
Education: 2007 graduate of Bishop Heelan High School; presently a freshman at the University of Iowa, majoring in communication studies
Professional: worked for Younkers in Sioux City; continues to work at Younkers in Iowa City
Personal: daughter of Randy and Mickey Nelson; three older brothers, Eric, Jim and Andy
How she's making a difference: by volunteering with Just Eliminate Lies
Want to know more?
Contact your high school or visit the JEL Web site at www.jeliowa.org.
Age: Teen
What: Volunteering with Just Eliminate Lies
This Wednesday we bring to you an article about a teen participating in Just Eliminate Lies (JEL) who hopes to eliminate lies about tobacco use. This is a wonderful article and an awesome youth lead organization. In addition to this article, I would like to add a thought that our youth today has more knowledge then prior young generations had about how bad tobacoo really is--yet I still see young kids smoking everyday. I know it's not something that will be stopped completely; however, if you stop for yourself, that is making a difference. This article is from The Sioux City Journal.
Student hopes to eliminate lies about tobacco use
By Joanne Fox, Journal staff writer
Melissa Nelson held a jar with contents that would make even the strongest stomach wretch -- a jar of tar, representing what would be filtered by a smoker for a year.
Nelson, who has been a member of JEL (Just Eliminate Lies) since the seventh grade, is now the president for the State of Iowa. Her involvement came about from the invitation of a classmate.
"The mom of one of my friends was involved in the Community Partnership and invited me to attend a meeting," Nelson said of the Woodbury County program funded by the State of Iowa. "JEL was part of the presentation."
It was an eye-opening moment for the young woman. Nelson has now been involved for almost five years.
"I wanted to do more than just athletics and choir," she said of her choice of this extra-curricular activity. "I thought my involvement with JEL would really be making a difference."
JEL is a youth-led, anti-tobacco group. It is operated under the auspices of the Iowa Department of Public Health -- Division of Tobacco Use Prevention and Control. The organization involves thousands of Iowa youth dedicated to giving teens the true, "unfiltered" facts about smoking, fighting against the tobacco companies campaign, and changing people's attitudes.
The organization has chapters associated with schools that have over 7,000 members, who focus their no-smoking message on younger teens who may take up smoking. But first, they are educated in the dangers and pitfalls of tobacco use, Nelson said.
"I was very surprised to learn how addictive nicotine was," she said of those early meetings she attended. "The other thing that surprised me was how much money tobacco companies make in profits."
Another shock was the advertising dollars spent to entice people to smoke -- especially young people, Nelson said.
"The more I learned the more determined I was to encourage family and friends and even people I didn't know to not start smoking or to quit," she said.
Nelson continued her association with JEL through her high school years. During her sophomore year at Bishop Heelan, she attended her first JEL summit, a three-day rally that provides participants with information and encouragement to continue their fight against smoking.
"There were 300 teens at that summit and that's when I really decided to throw myself into this," Nelson said. "I went ahead and applied to be on the executive council."
The 35 members of the JEL executive council are the driving force behind gathering information, scheduling events and orchestrating meetings. Nelson made it through the application process and was chosen to join the group during her junior year.
Nelson was elected secretary her senior year and now, as a freshman at the University of Iowa, she serves as the president. Among the pluses of being associated with JEL are the summits -- which Nelson has attended at Ames, Grinnell and Indianola -- and other travel, such as Minneapolis, Oklahoma City and New York.
Mother Mickey Nelson said her daughter tends to be humble about her involvement with JEL.
"Her trip to New York? She missed her high school prom," Mickey Nelson said. "She said it wasn't a big deal, but I think for most girls, prom is a big deal. I'm so proud of her commitment to JEL."
Nelson visited an Altria share-holders' meeting, the parent company of Philip Morris International, as part of a protest.
"Some of those in attendance were pretty verbal at the end of the meeting asking questions," she said. "We were all asked to leave, but I think we got our point across."
This year, JEL members advocated for legislation that supports local control of smoke-free ordinances in the State of Iowa. Each year, JEL Youth Advocacy Day in Des Moines gives young Iowans a chance to speak to their legislators about current tobacco control issues and bills. Approximately 250 JEL members, including Nelson, participated in this year's advocacy day on Feb. 13 on the west steps of the Capitol.
As a college student, Nelson, 18, continues working with JEL. She will remain on the executive council for another year as the past president.
"I want to stay with it because I see the effect we have on people," she said. "And then, you never know who you might help to quit or never start smoking."
VITA
Name: Melissa Nelson
Hometown: Sioux City
Education: 2007 graduate of Bishop Heelan High School; presently a freshman at the University of Iowa, majoring in communication studies
Professional: worked for Younkers in Sioux City; continues to work at Younkers in Iowa City
Personal: daughter of Randy and Mickey Nelson; three older brothers, Eric, Jim and Andy
How she's making a difference: by volunteering with Just Eliminate Lies
Want to know more?
Contact your high school or visit the JEL Web site at www.jeliowa.org.
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