Unite! Community event encourages conversations about building a connected, resilient community

Event to be held Thu., March 28 in Washougal

WASHOUGAL — Community members are invited to the Moving Forward Together event Thu., March 28, 4:30-6:00 p.m. at the Excelsior Building, 1401 39th St., Washougal. The event is sponsored by the Unite! Washougal Community Coalition and will bring together key leaders, influencers, and community members to introduce who Unite! is and to share its accomplishments and future goals. “This event is a great way for Washougal citizens and parents to get involved and make a difference in our community,” said organizer Deborah Connors. “We are so excited to share the great things we have been doing and partner with the community on future goals.” The goal of the event is to invite partnership, participation, connection and conversations.

About Unite!

Unite! is a coalition of involved citizens from all sectors working together to support youth, encourage families, enrich community and guide healthy choices. Unite! represents Washougal business, youth, public library, schools, law enforcement, faith-based organizations, city government, parents and community members. Unite! uses data driven strategies that have been shown to be effective. Unite is funded in part by a grant from the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative from the Washington State Department of Behavioral Health and the Drug Free Communities Support Program. The Drug-Free Communities Support Program is a collaborative effort between the Office of National Drug Control Policy and its two partners – the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA).

Unite! benefits the Washougal community through the following programs:

• Mental Health Promotion Grant

Youth Mental Health First Aid-training to help a youth in crisis Second Step-Social and emotional learning in the classroom for Pre-K to 5thgrade

• Parenting Resources-Evidenced Based

Guiding Good Choices- Parenting class for parents of 4th to 8th graders Incredible years- Parenting class for parents of 2 to 8 year olds

• Prescription Medication Abuse Reduction

Drug Take Back- gathering over 2000 lbs of unused medicine Personal Lock Boxes to keep your homes safe for youth

• Youth Leadership Development

Youth led projects Youth Impact Award -Spring Youth Forum Washington State Prevention Summit Washington, D.C. Leadership Forum Youth2Youth Leadership Program For more information, contact: Deborah Connors, (360) 713-1232 or [email protected]. Information provided by Washougal School District.