Schools

Kids Drug, Alcohol Prevention Program Seeks Volunteers

Volunteers will receive training; no prior experience is required.

Volunteers are needed to make a difference in children's lives and help them to steer clear of drugs and alcohol.

The Riverhead Community Awareness Program, Inc. is looking for volunteers to teach its 2013 - 2014 drug and alcohol prevention program to fifth and sixth grade students at the Pulaski Street School.

The program consists of seven monthly sessions taught by community volunteers, who are assisted by peer leaders from the eighth grade and high school.

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Volunteers receive training by professional staff each month prior to the presentation; no prior experience is required. Training begins in October.

Those who want to sign on will commit only about three hours a month during the school year.

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“This small investment of time yields a tremendous payoff, both for the volunteers and the community,”  Felicia Scocozza, executive director of Riverhead CAP, said.

The CAP program has been available to Riverhead students since 1982; the research-based program undergoes "rigorous" statistical testing and evaluation each year to prove its effectiveness, Scocozza said.

The program will conclude this year with the 29th Annual 'Say No to Drugs' march.

“Being a CAP volunteer has been a rewarding experience,” Carla Hanson, a CAP Volunteer since 2007, and past president of the Riley Avenue PTO, said.  “In this day and age, I feel we need to give our children as many tools as possible to combat the attraction of drugs and alcohol.”

She added,  “Students are very receptive to the program and they come away with skills that will help them say ‘no' to drugs and alcohol. They also learn basic life skills such as decision making, how to build self-esteem and how to handle bullying.” 

Hanson applauded CAP's use of older students as peer leaders and role models for the younger kids.

For more information about becoming a CAP volunteer, or to sign up, contact Clare Marie Lundberg, Community Prevention Specialist, at 631-727-3722, or click here.



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