CIT and Partners Produce 2020-21 Health and Safety Guide

The North Reading Youth Substance Use Prevention Coalition is pleased to announce the production of its 2020-2021 Health and Safety Guide. In partnership with the North Reading Police Department, the Community Impact Team, and Youth Action Team, the 32-page guide focuses on local resources, health and safety issues.

Coalition Volunteer Chair Marci Bailey explained, “The CIT's Health and Safety Guide is a one-stop resource for all North Reading's residents. It can be overwhelming and time-consuming to find the right support and information for your family, especially during these trying times. For parents or guardians of youth, the guide helps understand trends in substance use and gives tangible resources, right here in North Reading, so families can find the support they need in dealing with substance use issues.” Drug-Free Communities Grant Director Amy Luckiewicz added, “This is our second guide and we really wanted to provide information that could be used across all ages. I think we accomplished that. There’s something in this guide for everyone, and we’ve already seen a great response.”

Funded by the Drug-Free Communities Grant, the initial run of 750 guides have already been distributed through various channels including the Interfaith Food Pantry, Parks and Recreation, Peabody Court, and the O’Leary Senior Center via their Thanksgiving drive-through event. Elder Services Director Mary Prenney commented, “I have already received comments from folks who received the guide from our Thanksgiving event.

They told me how much they liked having a booklet in hand for information they may need.” She continued, “Many seniors don’t have access to the internet or a family member that may help them get services. It’s great to know that our Community Impact Team took this into consideration!”

The development of the guide was also a collaboration. The editing team discussed, at length, which topics to include in the guide. Luckiewicz commented, “Of course we wanted to include COVID-19 and disease prevention. But we also wanted to incorporate information on other safety and health issues like nicotine, mental wellness, digital safety, and emergency planning. Also included in the pages are statistics local to North Reading. Topical information was also gathered from multiple sources and town departments. “We couldn’t have gotten this done without our contributors. This project is a true collaboration,” Luckiewicz said as she recognized Marci Bailey, Christie Perrone, Jen Ford, Laura Miranda, Sharon Kelleher for their editing work and to Sgt. Derek Howe, Mary Prenney and Lynne Clemens for providing content. Additionally, Meg Robertson, Lt. Tom Romeo, Det. Mike Marra and Youth Photo Voice winners Bree Dobbyn and Macy Kurchian provided photos for the guide.

In addition to the initial production, 250 more copies will be made available thanks to a donation from the North Reading Moose Lodge. Moose Lodge Member Ann Thompson commented, “The Moose Fraternity is an international organization of men and women dedicated to caring for young and old. We aim to bring communities closer together. The activities of the North Reading Community Impact Team directly align with our mission. We are happy to support this much-needed work as so many in our community continue to struggle during these difficult times.”

To receive your free copy of the North Reading 2020-2021 Health and Safety guide, visit the Flint Memorial Library Activity Room during its open hours Monday through Saturday or download it from the Community Impact Team website at www.northreadingma.gov/CIT and click on “Health and Safety Guide” in the left navigation.