MAY 2025
Upcoming Events
5/4 6:00 p.m. - Digital Balancing Act at at the Webster Methodist Church. “Navigate the complexities of raising children in today’s digital world. This presentation explores the impact of technology on families and will provide practical strategies and resources to help navigate the challenges. Parents are invited to join for coffee, desert and conversation. Dinner and child care will be provided for children K-5 whose parents are attending the presentation." This event was created by Dana Buccieri and Joe Montemaro, and WHEN is thrilled to support them. See details here.
5/10 10:00-4:00 p.m. - Community Arts Day! Stop by our table - WHEN has planned a fun “Patchwork of Positivity” craft for kids to do with us. We need a few adult & teen volunteers to help out at the event on 5/10 between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM sign up here to help for an hour or two. You’ll see a ton of neighbors and friends and have a blast with the kids! Follow the Community Arts Day facebook page to stay up to date! Learn more about Community Arts Day.
5/14 at noon - May Coalition Meeting. Everyone is welcome, you don't have to be a member! Join us in person at the Webster Chamber of Commerce, 1110 Crosspointe Ln suite C, or online via Google Meet. See details and register here. Our monthly meeting is only an hour and many of us join online during our lunch break. If you attend in person, you may be lucky enough to snag some pizza or homemade sweets!
Webster Headlines
This month, we'd like to wish happy birthdays to WHEN members: Abby K., Chelsea K., Danielle V., Dana B., Georgianna R., Jane L., Jason R., Judy S., Julianne G., Krista G., Missy R., Morgan D., Patricia C., Janine S., and Rachel W. – Enjoy!
We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest members; Danielle G., Colleen H., Karen M. and Kathy M. We appreciate your support of our efforts to empower Webster kids to grow up strong and substance free. Please check out our website and sign up for any volunteer opportunities that interest you, and don’t hesitate to send any questions to Jen.
WHEN, The Town of Webster, and the Webster Police Department collaborated to provide a spring DEA National Drug Take Back event at the Webster Justice Court behind Town Hall. Thanks to our fantastic Webster residents, in just four hours more than 500 pounds of medication and 5 1/2 contractor buckets of sharps were collected and safely disposed of. That helps to keep drugs from falling into the wrong hands, protecting loved-ones, neighbors, friends, and strangers from accidental exposure or misuse. Thank you to all who participated! If you missed it, check out the ecopark website for alternative disposal options.
It Starts With YOU
“Protective factors are conditions or attributes in individuals, families, and communities that promote the health and well-being of children and families.” - ChildWelfare.gov
By WHEN member Dana Buccieri, MEd
As a parent of two adult children and almost 32 years of marriage, one of my most recent lessons in life has been discovered through the mantra, “Let it begin with me.” I am a recovering people pleaser, fixer, and a person who wants to know the answer to anything and everything. I am a Google guru and an AI ChatGPT daily user. If you do not know the answer then you look it up and find it; ahhhh, so very satisfying!
The hardest lessons in life, however, are about knowing and learning how YOU show up in your relationships. We can have an illusion of connection and think we know and understand each of our friends or family members, but if it is only coming from our own perspective, who are we really understanding?!
For instance, Sharon Salzberg, a renowned meditation teacher, has stated, “Taking responsibility for oneself is by definition an act of kindness,” highlighting the intrinsic link between self-accountability and kindness.
When we are truly learning about ourselves, growing as individuals and in our relationships, we should actually feel a level of discomfort.
YUCK! Who wants that?
But it is actually through the breakdown of our own walls, being vulnerable with ourselves and our loved ones, and asking each other and ourselves tough life questions when our deeper understandings and connections are revealed.
So next time you seek connection and understanding, let it begin with you. Share your own vulnerability, share your own story or need. Share, and then see what happens!
Spotlight
If you follow us on social media, you’ve probably noticed that we share a lot of content from Natural High. Their website states, “Natural High is a drug prevention nonprofit that inspires and empowers youth to find their natural high and develop the skills and courage to live life well.” We recommend parents and educators check out their resources and subscribe to their blog, where you’ll find great articles like “How to talk to teens about tough topics – without the eye rolls” which happens to be one of the topics Webster parents most often request.
Upcoming Meetings
Next Coalition meeting:
Wednesday, May 14 at noon.
Click here for details and to register.
Typically, we meet in person AND 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.
Read the April Coalition Meeting Minutes.
Reminders
It’s not safe to dispose of medications in your household trash or recycling and they should not be flushed down the toilet. Please visit the Pharmaceutical Waste page on the ecopark website to learn more about safe disposal options as well as local sharps disposal.