May 23, 2017
Hot Topic:  Using Reusable Water Bottles
And so we close out our winter/spring season by returning to the importance of reusable water bottles.  First of all, our WE Go Green reusable water bottle campaign was a huge success thanks to your support! We sold 400 bottles and will be giving away 400 bottles this month to Horizons, the YMCA, The Cancer Support Community and others.  

The two links below are key to understanding why reusable water bottles are so important to our health and thus have been a key theme for WEforum.  The TED-Ed video shows what happens to disposable plastic water bottles and their impact on our environment and our health.  The article takes this a step further by showing how all those bits of plastic never really disappear but instead are showing up in our food system and so in our bodies.  Please continue to limit your use of disposable bottles and encourage your friends, families and neighbors to do the same!


Event Recap:  Community Conversation  - Responding to the Heroin Epidemic in Monmouth County

Before a captive audience of health care professionals, teachers, and concerned parents, WeForum hosted its inaugural Community Conversation on April 26th at Monmouth University's Pollack Theater. The Community Conversation topic  "Responding to the Heroin Epidemic in Monmouth County" was presented in partnership with Monmouth Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health, The Monmouth County Prosecutors Office and the Tigger House Foundation.

WeForum organized the event to give parents greater insight into the very real heroin epidemic in our backyards and how they can take a proactive approach to mitigate the risks of exposure and addition to this deadly drug. The event's Master of Ceremonies, Christian Peter, a Tigger House Foundation, Board Member monitored the riveting expert panel featuringDr. VictorAlmeida, Chairman of Emergency Medicine, Monmouth Medical Center, Monmou th County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni, and Dennis Makarowski, Co-Occurring Disorder Specialist Behavioral Health at Monmouth
 Medical Center. According to the Center for Disease Control, New Jersey's heroin ove rdose rate is triple our nation's soaring rate. The Panel's message was clear - anyone can fall prey to the deadly grasp of heroin and other opioids because it is accessible and cheap. 

Despite the sobering statistics, the Panel offered an attainable solution to seizing the upper hand on the heroin epidemic by empowering parents to have honest conversations with their children about the 

grave dangers of this and all drugs and to gain
a better understanding on the increased risk factors that can lead to children experimenting with heroine. WeForum is grateful to Monmouth Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health for setting the stage for this live-saving Community Conversation. Stay tuned for future Community Conversations in the coming months.   
Event Recap:  Yoga Community Workshop 
A big shout out and thank you to  Monmouth Beach Yoga and Wellness for hosting such a fun afternoon of community yoga.  We had a great turnout for all three classes with an opportunity for all to participate and several women joined us for more than one class.  And as a bonus, Jill Famula won  the WEforum Swell bottle and Alison Ryan won the Unlimited Monthly Yoga Pass.  A good time and some good exercise was enjoyed by all!