NOVEMBER 2022
Upcoming Events
Nov 5, 10-12 AM: A hike at Kent park is scheduled to benefit our partner, Friends of Webster Trails, and we've been invited to hand out WHEN information at the end of the hike. Experiencing nature together is a healthy way to reduce stress and strengthen family bonds, so please join in the fun! (Many thanks to Jen, Jane, Dustin, and Missy for volunteering to help at this event.)
Nov 7, 12:00-1:00: The WHEN Communications Team is meeting to work on the protective factor signs that we plan to put up in partnership with the WCSD. If you are interested in working on this project, but are not a member of the Communications committee, that's OK, you are still welcome to join us for this virtual meeting. Just email Jen at media@whendfcc.org for the meeting link.
Nov 14, 6:00 PM: Naloxone training available virtually to all community members. Participants are capped due to limited supply of naloxone. Register here.
Nov 15, 6:30 PM: Resiliency Webinar by Dr. Joseph D. Fantigrossi, Ed.D, Director of Intervention and Professional Development-Finger Lakes Community Schools, Coordinator-Seneca County Community Schools. Join us to learn more about the connection between toxic stress, risk/protective factors, and resilience. Bring home a fresh set of tools and strategies for supporting and building resilience in children and teens. Register here to receive the meeting link for this virtual presentation.
Webster Headlines
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URMC is now offering Nicotine Dependence Treatment for all ages. In-person appointments, telehealth, and free Commit to Quit group sessions are all available. This is an amazing resource for our community and has the potential to help so many struggling with nicotine addiction. It's particularly beneficial to our youth population who have seen an increase in nicotine dependence, but have had few resources to help them quit.
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We were thrilled to see that more local groups used activities from our Red Ribbon Week kit this year. (Thank you PTSA!) For example, St. Rita students used our coloring pages and 261 Schroeder students signed red ribbons. We welcomed an additional 250 unique visitors to our online Red Ribbon Week kit this year. We invite all who used it to share your feedback via the pop-up form on the main Red Ribbon Week page.
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Webster’s DEA Drug Take-Back event on October 29 collected three barrels of unused prescription medication from Webster area households. Thank you to all who participated. The next national Take-Back day is in April. If you missed it, you can always drop off unused meds at participating CVS stores.
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Both of the recent Webster Fire Department Open House events were well attended and WHEN was thrilled to have a presence at both of them in order to share prevention information and introduce ourselves to Webster families.
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To encourage the Webster community to lend us a hand, all WHEN volunteers each month will be entered into a drawing for a gift card that will take place at the following coalition meeting! You don't have to be a member to volunteer, everyone is welcome.
Click the arrow on the right side of the image to view more event photos.
How Gratitude Changes Your Brain
Protective Factors: recognition of prosocial involvement, opportunities for prosocial involvement in the community, attachment and bonding to family
“Even in the chaos of everyday life, moments of gratitude remind us to hold onto the good things.” - Brit Morin
Oxford Languages define gratitude as, “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” As Thanksgiving approaches we focus on being grateful and showing our appreciation for others. Yet when we practice gratitude on a consistent basis, we can rewire our brains to be happier and healthier. An article by NeuroHealth Associates states, “In fact, this lasting effect is psychologically protective. Gratitude affects brain function on a chemical level and its practice promotes feelings of self-worth and compassion for others.”
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” - Melody Beattie
A consistent practice of gratitude provides change in our brains in positive ways. Actions such as a daily gratitude journal, taking mental note of what you are grateful for, and showing appreciation to people in your life from thanking the checkout person at the grocery store to your family and friends create a ripple of positivity for each person. WHEN is grateful to the amazing Webster community who shows up with caring hearts to help and support each other. It is only through the involvement of the Webster community that WHEN has been able to provide programs and information that foster resiliency and healthy habits in our children, families, and community.
Spotlight
This month's spotlight is in loving memory of Colleen Armstrong. Colleen died September 17, 2022 at age 55 after a long battle with auto-immune disease and a short battle with COVID. Colleen served with distinction with the Webster Central School District for the past 16 years, which is how she came to know WHEN. You may have met her at a recent coalition meeting, as we were grateful for her active participation. Colleen dedicated her career to serving Webster students and her participation in WHEN was an extension of that. We miss her insight, dedication, and friendship, and wish her family and friends peace and comfort.
Upcoming Meetings
Our next coalition meeting is 12:00-1:30 PM on November 9. Registration is required this month due to our guest speaker, and there will be no virtual option. See event details and register here.
Bring your lunch and join in person at NEQALS: 1030 Jackson Rd, Webster, NY 14580 (extra parking next door)
Reminder
November is Lung Cancer Awareness month. Here are some tips for talking to kids about vaping. It’s important for our community’s young people to know that particulates and chemicals from these products harm lung health. It may be helpful to remind kids that lung health is critical to achieving their goals, especially for athletes. For those wanting to quit, here are some resources to help: https://teen.smokefree.gov/ and https://truthinitiative.org/thisisquitting.