JULY 2022
Upcoming Events
7/13 12:00 PM Please join us for our very first IN PERSON coalition meeting since COVID started! We’ll be serving lunch and have some fun surprises planned, so please RSVP so we can plan accordingly. Be sure to wear your WHEN T-shirt. If you don’t have a blue WHEN tee and you would like one, just give Janine a holler with your size and she will bring one to the meeting for you. We’ll be at NEQALS (thanks Ahmed!) and will also accommodate remote attendees - so be sure to tell us if you will be remote or in person by clicking the Register button on this page.
7/29 6:00-9:00 PM WHEN is sponsoring the Webster BID’s 7/29 Family Game Night in the village. If you are able to help plan this event (remotely) or help at WHEN's “Planting Positivity” table that evening, please sign up here.
Summer (Dates TBD) Check out our plans to share “Talk, Monitor, Secure” posters with Webster health facilities below and sign up to help out!
Summer (Date TBD) Help us put together a Family Trail Hike in partnership with Friends of Webster Trails this summer. It will be a great opportunity for all of us to get out and see each other in person! Sign up here to help.
Webster Headlines
We had a blast at the Webster BID’s Family Movie Night on June 28! In addition to sponsoring the event, we handed out bags of chips to movie-goers with WHEN chip clips and a special coupon from our friends at Yolickity for everyone who subscribed to WHEN monthly news that evening. If you're a new subscriber, thanks for signing up!
WHEN plans to reach out to local health care facilities this summer and ask them to display our Talk, Monitor, Secure posters in their waiting rooms. This accomplishes three primary goals:
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We introduce WHEN
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Hopefully they display our posters
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We'll leave them a letter with additional ways they can partner with us in the future so we can grow our community partnerships.
There are many health care facilities, though, so we need your help! We'll have a sign up sheet at the next coalition meeting so you can sign up to bring a poster to an office you know and are comfortable with. We'll provide you with everything you need. It will be super easy if we all pitch in!
Coalition Meeting Notes
Catch up on the latest WHEN activity and reports by reading last month’s coalition meeting notes here.
Prevention Tip: Family Bonding
Bonding is defined as “the establishment of a relationship or link with someone based on shared feelings, interests, or experiences,” according to the Oxford Language Dictionary. Strong family bonds have an influence on the behavior and well-being of children in the family. These bonds can “encourage better behavior in children, improve academic performance, strengthen parent-child communication, and teach your child how to be a good friend,” according to Very Well Family.
“No amount of money or success can take the place of time spent with family.”
-Unknown.
Family bonds do not happen without effort. Parents and guardians lead the way in cultivating and protecting family bonds. According to Life Family Fun, activities such as “family game night, cooking together, reading together, eating dinner together, family trips, hiking together and volunteering together are positive ways to strengthen connections with family members.” Storytelling about shared experiences (including when things go awry) keeps family memories alive for years to come.
“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.”
-George Santayana
Family bonding also serves as a protective factor that increases resilience in children, equips them with skills to deal with stressful situations, builds confidence, and encourages communication. So, go and bond with your family. Head out for a hike, make a meal, read a book, or gaze at the stars together. WHEN has some upcoming opportunities for family bonding, so please join us. We would love to see you there!
Spotlight
If you've volunteered recently, you've probably met Joe. If not, you're missing out! Joseph Seaver is a (DDRO) Drug Demand Reduction Outreach Civil Operator working in the Air National Guard for the past two years. He's an accomplished facilitator who centers around the (SPF) Strategic Prevention Framework model. Joe supports seven coalitions in the Finger Lakes region, and has included WHEN because he is a Webster resident himself. He enjoys spending time working with local community members making an impact that may help educate our youth. He graduated from Roberts Wesleyan College with a bachelors degree in Organizational Management in 2017. He deployed overseas in 2015 in Kuwait which in his words, "helped me realize how precious life is and to not take it for granted" prompting him to assist communities to live healthier lives.
Upcoming Meetings
We meet online via Google Meet the second Wednesday of each month at noon. Many of us join during our lunch break. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate. In fact, our goal is to have representation from all walks of life, to better meet the needs of the whole community.
Our next meeting is Wednesday, July 13 at noon, BOTH in person and online. Please register here to let us know how many to expect live and how many will be remote.
Reminder
WHEN is participating in or organizing several community events this summer and we need your help! We will need both planners and event staff for each, so please check your schedule and sign up to help out with one or more of our upcoming events. WHEN is a volunteer organization and our impact is limited to our collective participation. Please try to find some time to get involved, your effort is much appreciated!