Excelsior Springs SAFE Community Newsletter: October 28th, 2021
Welcome to our Excelsior Springs SAFE (Substance Abuse Free Environments) Community Newsletter, a resource for local prevention information. If you would like to receive this newsletter monthly, just email Julia Mees, our Program Director.
Take-Back Day Update

Thank you to those who took part in Take-Back Day!
141 lbs of medications were collected at the ESPD Drop-Box! Missed it? No problem! The drop-box is available 365 days/year. Drug Disposal Bags are also always available from SAFE for individuals or organizations as well. Let us know if you need them! Decreasing availability of excess prescription drugs helps prevent misuse and addiction. 70% of youth who misuse prescription drugs got them from family and friends, so this is something we can all do to help prevent prescription drug misuse in our community.
State Prevention Conference
The State Prevention Conference will be held virtually on November 15-16. This is a great opportunity for those interested in learning more about prevention. There are a variety of speakers and there's something for everyone. Here is more information about the conference. SAFE can cover the registration fee for anyone who lives or works in Excelsior Springs. Just fill out this form if you would like us to register you. Thank you!
Help End Youth Vaping
Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, coaches, community leaders -- everyone can do their part to help end teen vaping. Vaping is harmful to the adolescent brain and can lead to lifelong addiction. Take a stand and let kids and teens in your life know you disapprove of vaping. To learn more, visit ParentUpKC.com/Vaping.
SAFE Featured as Business of the Month at ES Chamber
SAFE was ES Chamber of Commerce's Business of the Month for October. Julia Mees, Program Director, spoke at the 10/20 Chamber meeting, introducing Chamber members to SAFE and providing a handout of ways they could be involved in our efforts. Excelsior Springs Hospital, SAFE's new fiscal agent for our Drug-Free Communities Grant, sponsored the meeting. Kristen DeHart, Hospital CEO, and Dr. AJ Strickland, Chief Medical Officer, presented to Chamber members on current happenings at the hospital. Such great things happening at ES Hospital!
FUSE Events
Have you seen these new events sponsored by ES Hospital and ES Community Center? Each month, there's a calendar of public events focused on health and wellness. This partnership and the new FUSE (Foster. Understand. Share. Empower.) program is fantastic for our community! Help spread the word about these events and take advantage of these opportunities to improve your health and wellness.
Prepped and Ready Videos--Children's Mercy Hospital
Children's Mercy has created a great series of videos on a variety of child health topics including youth vaping, suicide prevention, and handling tough questions. The series is called Prepped and Ready: Expert's Edition Check it out and help get the word out to parents!
Big Brothers Big Sisters
SAFE has been working to increase the number of big/little matches in Excelsior. Right now, four "littles" from Excelsior are waiting for their "big". If you have been looking for a way to give back and enjoy working with kids, volunteering to be a Big could be the perfect opportunity for you! BBBSKC provides tons of great resources for Big/Little Matches! Check it out!
Parents! We Need You!
SAFE is looking for a few local parents who would like to be part of our Youth Connections magazine team. This is a local prevention-focused magazine for parents. You would help with selecting content and collecting local photos of youth. You can see an example of YC here. Local content is on pages 10-13. Email us if you are interested in being on this team! The time commitment would be minimal--3-4 hours 2x/year.
If you are interested in being a part of SAFE, email us for more information!