NOVEMBER 2026
Upcoming Events
Wednesday, 11/11 at noon - Monthly Coalition Meeting. Everyone is welcome, you don’t have to be a member! Join us in person at the Webster Chamber of Commerce or online via Google Meet. See details and RSVP here.
11/7 from 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Family Scavenger Hunt at the Webster Arboretum 1700 Schlegel Rd. We are in need of volunteers to work the WHEN table for this event, please sign up here to share an hour or two of your time with WHEN and our community.
WHEN Family Game Nights have been scheduled at Webster elementary schools in partnership with PTSA teams at each school. Save the date to attend Family Game Night at your child’s school, or volunteer at any or all of these if you’re looking for an hour of community fun. That’s it, just one hour - please lend a hand if you can!
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Wednesday, 11/18 at 6:30 p.m. Plank South Elementary - Register here | Volunteer here
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Thursday, 12/10 at 6:30 p.m. Schlegel Rd Elementary
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Thursday, 1/14 at 6:15 p.m. Klem North Elementary
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Thursday, 1/21 at 6:30 p.m. DeWitt Rd Elementary
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Thursday, 1/28 at 6:30 p.m. State Rd Elementary
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Thursday, 3/4 at 6:30 p.m. Plank North Elementary
Webster Headlines
Happy birthday to these WHEN members celebrating in November:
Jennivyn W., Nicole B., Kathy M., Tricia H., Karen M. Thank you for supporting WHEN through membership! We look forward to seeing you soon.
October was a whirlwind of WHEN activities! Here’s a quick recap of our recent adventures:
Reintroducing Webster School District staff to WHEN
Several volunteers gathered to pack 2,000 bags with pens, sticky notes, resource cards, candy, and more to give to all WCSD staff. The info card shared what we are all about, as well as specific resources available. Our hope is that having all this in hand will help folks working with kids in our community be better prepared to meet their prevention needs and to think of WHEN as their local resource. Many thanks to WCSD for welcoming this effort, the Webster Chamber of Commerce for letting us pack bags and stage supplies there, as well as packing and delivery volunteers; Kate, Penny, Krista, Courtney, Julianne, Dustin, and Desiree.
Red Ribbon Week
As the nation’s largest drug and alcohol prevention week specifically for youth, Red Ribbon Week is a big deal for WHEN. We have curated free and meaningful activities in our online Red Ribbon Week kit to encourage participation by busy educators and group leaders. This year we welcomed hundreds of unique visitors to our online kit. We are pleased to provide these free resources on-demand, to our community and beyond. PHOTOS. We also shared specific activities from our kit directly on social media to get folks thinking about all the possibilities.
Lunchtime Legends - Red Ribbon Style
We scheduled our second round of Lunchtime Legends (visits to middle school lunches) near Red Ribbon Week, and shared “Why I choose to be drug free” coloring pages as well as the usual games, activities, and conversations our middle schoolers have come to enjoy. This has become one of our volunteers’ favorite events. Thank you
Carolyn, Garrett, Dustin, Desiree, Tom, Lindsay, David, Hailey and Penny for helping out. It's not too late to become a Legend! Watch for our next volunteer sign-ups coming soon.
Webster’s Fall DEA Drug Take-Back
Another successful Drug Take Back is in the books! Thank you to all Webster residents who participated! The next national Take-Back day is in April. In the meantime, you can visit the eco park website for information about the pharmaceuticals they accept, including sharps. Thank you to our event volunteers: Jen, Carolyn, Linda, Penny, Garrett and Joe. We appreciate the Town of Webster and Webster Police Department for their partnership in this important community service.
A Holiday of Unity
“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 November begins most Americans start the month by anticipating the end of the month, specifically Thursday of that last week, Thanksgiving Day. While it may conjure up thoughts of roasted turkey, pumpkin or apple pie, pilgrims and Native Americans, and family gatherings, typically it also brings up the importance and place of gratitude in our lives. Diving deeper into this special day and its meaning over time, little did I know about its true origins.
Sarah Josepha Hale was a woman ahead of her times. Born in 1788 in Newport, New Hampshire, Sarah was smart, curious, and well-read from a young age. She was taught history and literature by her educated family, who were strong advocates for the education of both sexes. She was also supported in her own writings by her husband, David, who was a Dartmouth College graduate. Unfortunately, Sarah found herself widowed with five children at the age of 33. In order to make ends meet she wrote and published poems and novels and became an editor for a popular magazine. In fact, one of her most famous poems became the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” National Women’s History Museum, Sarah Josepha Hale, Arlisha R. Norwood, NWHM Fellow | 2017, e-newsletter
Sarah Josepha Hale, 1831,
by James Lambdin
Throughout her time as an editor, Hale wrote hundreds of letters to governors, ministers, newspaper editors, and every U.S. president with one request: that the last Thursday in November be set aside to “offer to God our tribute of joy and gratitude for the blessings of the year.”
Sarah Josepha Hale: The Godmother of Thanksgiving, Catherine Boeckmann, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, November 3, 2025
In a country torn by civil war, Sarah persevered with this message and campaigned from 1846 until 1863 when she finally caught the attention of one of our most beloved presidents, Abraham Lincoln.
On October 3, 1863, Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November to be a National Day of Thanksgiving and ordered all government offices in Washington to close. This special declaration was announced during tremendously difficult times in the middle of our Civil War. Despite our country’s challenging circumstances, Sarah recognized the need for the American people to be grateful and gather for one day of unity.
In honoring a true pioneer, maybe this Thanksgiving we can teach our children not only about gratitude, but also the importance of interconnectedness. Our children are future agents of change. If we as parents, educators, and community leaders model a world that values differences in identity, race, and political opinion, our children will be the Sarah Josepha Hales of the 21st century.
“Perhaps now is the moment to create a third narrative in America, one that exists in other parts of the world – unity and harmony without fragmentation. A unity steeped in a belief that we are all interconnected and that our individual happiness and success are connected to that of our community, and our country. This unity embraces diversity, recognizes differences as enrichment, and breeds curiosity that increases the exchange of ideas and strength of our collective humanity."
These slides show some ideas about fostering each of the pillars of “kindness activism” in our children.
Unity in Diversity: Fostering the Pillars of Activism in Children, PBS So Cal, Alia Malik, January 25, 2021
To catalyze societal transformation, we must turn up the HEAT: Humility-Empathy-Action-Togetherness.
Spotlight
Many thanks to Desiree Bernard, who started volunteering for WHEN when recent opportunities arose to engage with students. Desiree works for Young Life and is a head guard at the YMCA. She is passionate about supporting young people and enjoys how WHEN builds relationships with students. As an advocate for young people, she knows that one trusted adult in the life of an adolescent changes every metric for the better. She hopes to be an encouragement to students and resource for our community.
Upcoming Meetings
Our next meeting is Wednesday, November 11 at noon. Register here to receive details for both in-person and online options.
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 last month's Coalition Meeting Minutes.
Quick Resources
November is Lung Cancer Awareness month. Here are some tips for talking to kids about vaping. It’s important for kids to know that particulates and chemicals from these products harm lung health. It may be helpful to remind them that lung health is critical to achieving their goals, especially for athletes. For those wanting to quit, here are some resources to help:
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URMC is offering Nicotine Dependence Treatment for all ages. In-person appointments, telehealth, and free Commit to Quit group sessions are all available.
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SmokeFree.gov offers these resources.
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Truth Initiative offers This Is Quitting.