The Courage to Speak® Foundation Newsletter September 2011
Welcome to Our September Issue!
In the News:
“An Army of Moms™ “
Courage to Speak- Courageous Parenting 101®
is Rolling Out 10 Times this Fall
Back to School Drug Prevention Tips
The Courage to Speak® Support Group
“We belong to a club that none of us ever wanted to join.” -Ginger Katz
Upcoming Presentations
“Lightfoot Runners Cover Nine Miles in Memory of Eaccarino”
Results of the 13th Annual Ian James Eaccarino Memorial 9-Mile Race
IN THE NEWS
An Army of Moms™
“Norwalk Mom Dreams of an Army Battling Drug Abuse”
by Jeremy Cole 7/6/11
Norwalker Ginger Katz, with the support of her husband Larry, wants to raise an army. It is her goal – her wish – to see a battalion of mothers shout out in one singular voice that they will not be silent about the ravages of drug addiction.
“Could you imagine if all of the moms who lost a child to addiction got together, how powerful that would be?” Ginger says on her patio on a warm summer Sunday. A few feet away, Larry listens to his wife talk about their family’s tragedy and the organization born from her tears: the Courage to Speak Foundation. She says, “Wouldn’t that be incredible? There are a lot of mothers out there who have been through this, and they’re fighting mad.”
To read the entire article click here.
Courage to Speak- Courageous Parenting 101®
Rolling Out in 10 Locations this Fall
Offered free of charge, this multi-session substance abuse prevention
education program available in English and Spanish is designed to
help parents understand the impact of drug abuse on youth and give them
the knowledge required to communicate more effectively with their
children about the dangers of drugs.
The Yale University School of Medicine recently evaluated Courage to Speak- Courageous Parenting 101® and key findings indicated that parents who took the course reported a significant increase in:
- General communication with their child
- Communication with their child about alcohol and other drugs
- Parents’ knowledge about their childrens’ lives
- Parents’ confidence in ability to intervene and prevent their child from using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
- Parents’ confidence in their knowledge of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and ability to recognize the warning signs of substance use in their children
- Parents’ confidence that they would tell the parents of their children’s friends if the friends were using alcohol, tobacco and other drugs
West Rocks Middle School (Norwalk, CT)
Sponsored by The Courage to Speak® Foundation in both English & Spanish
Kicking off with the Courage to Speak® Presentation by Ginger Katz
on October 20th at 6:30 pm
The course will continue with trained facilitators, Dawn Roy, MSW, and Millie Seguinot, Community Health Educator, on October 27th and November 3rd at 6:30 pm
To download the flyer, please click ENGLISH or SPANISH
To resgister, please click ENGLISH or SPANISH
Haddam-Killingworth Middle School (Killingworth, CT)
Sponsored by Youth and Family Services of Haddam-Killingworth and School District 17
Kicking off with the Courage to Speak® Presentation by Ginger Katz on October 5th at 7 pm
The course will continue with trained facilitator, Cheryl Chandler, Executive Director of the Youth and Family Servces of Haddam-Killingworth, on October 12th, 19th, 26th and November 2nd at 7 pm
To download the flyer, please click HERE
To resgister, please click HERE
East Windsor Middle School (East Windsor, CT)
Sponsored by the East Windsor Wellness Coalition
Courage to Speak- Courageous Parenting 101® will be taught by trained facilitator, JoAnn Burnham, Chair of the East Windsor Wellness Coalition, on October 17th & 24th and November 1st & 7th at 6:30 pm
To download the flyer, please click HERE
To resgister, please click HERE
Department of Children and Families:
Foster Parent Meeting (Bridgeport, CT)
Sponsored by The Courage to Speak® Foundation
Courage to Speak- Courageous Parenting 101® will be taught by trained facilitator,
Millie Seguinot, Community Health Educator on October 19th, 26th and November 2nd
Closed Session
Guilford High School (Guilford, CT)
Sponsored by the Guilfford Youth and Family Services
Kicking off with the Courage to Speak® Presentation by Ginger Katz
on November 3rd at 6:30 pm
The course will continue with trained facilitator, Karolin Regan, Program Director of Guilford Youth and Family Services, on November 7th, 10th, 14th and 17th at 6:30 pm
To download the flyer, please click HERE
To resgister, please click HERE
Canton High School (Collinsville, CT)
Sponsored by Canton High School
Courage to Speak- Courageous Parenting 101® will be taught by trained facilitator,
Kevin Pettit, Prevention Program Supervisor at the McCall Foundation,
on October 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th at 7 pm
Northwestern Regional High School (Winsted, CT)
Sponsored by The McCall Foundation
Courage to Speak- Courageous Parenting 101® will be taught by trained facilitator,
Kevin Pettit, Prevention Program Supervisor at the McCall Foundation,
on October 11th, 18th, 25th and November 1st at 6:30 pm
Torrington High School (Torrington, CT)
Sponsored by The McCall Foundation
Courage to Speak- Courageous Parenting 101® will be taught by trained facilitator,
Kevin Pettit, Prevention Program Supervisor at the McCall Foundation,
dates and times are to be determined.
Lewis Mills High School (Burlington, CT)
Sponsored by The McCall Foundation
Courage to Speak- Courageous Parenting 101® will be taught by trained facilitator,
Kevin Pettit, Prevention Program Supervisor at the McCall Foundation,
dates and times are to be determined.
Back to School Drug Prevention Tips
According to The Office of National Drug Control Policy, studies prove that summer is the time when most students begin to experiment with alcohol and other drugs. Therefore, with the new school year approaching, more students will be returning with experience with drugs. It is important for parents and educators to be aware of the signs of drug use.
- Skipping class or not doing well in school
- Significant mood changes
- Loss of interest in personal appearance
- A change in friends
- Heightened secrecy about actions and/or possessions
- A lack of interest in activities
To read the entire article, please click here.
The Courage to Speak® Foundation Support Group
“We belong to a club that none of us ever wanted to join”
-Ginger Katz
For family members who have lost a loved one to substance abuse,
we meet once a month. Times vary in order to accommodate varying schedules.
Please contact Ginger Katz at (203) 831-9700
or email at [email protected]
For more information, please click here to see The Courage to Speak® Support Group brochure.
Upcoming Presentations Click here to view the entire Courage to Speak® Presentation schedule.
September 22nd
Haddam-Killingworth Middle School- 6th- 8th Grade (Killingworth, CT)
September 26th
Roton Middle School- 7th Grade (Norwalk, CT)
October 4th
Middlesex Middle School- 8th Grade (Darien, CT)
October 5th
Haddam-Killingworth Middle School- Kick Off to Courage to Speak- Courageous Parenting 101®
with The Courage to Speak® Presentation by Ginger Katz,
taught by trained facilitator Cheryl Chandler, Executive Director of
Youth & Family Services of Haddam-Killingworth (Higganum, CT)
October 7th
Nathan Hale Middle School- 7th Grade (Norwalk, CT)
October 17th
West Rocks Middle School- 7th Grade (Norwalk, CT)
October 19th
Manhasset Town Hall Meeting- Community Members (Manhasset, NY)
October 20th
West Rocks Middle School- Kick Off to Courage to Speak- Courageous Parenting 101®
with The Courage to Speak® Presentation by Ginger Katz,
taught by trained facilitator Dawn Roy, MSW (Norwalk, CT)
October 24th
Xavior High School- Parents (New York, NY)
October 26th
Haddam-Killingworth High School- Students (Higganum, CT)
October 27th
Xavior High School- Students (New York, NY)
November 3rd
Guilford Youth & Family Services- Kick Off to Courage to Speak- Courageous Parenting 101®
with The Courage to Speak® Presentation by Ginger Katz,
taught by trained facilitator Karolin Regan,
Program Director of Guilford Youth & Family Services (Guilford, CT)
November 15th
Fordham Prep- 9th Grade (Bronx, NY)
December 7th
Oliver Ames High School- Students (North Easton, MA)
January 10th
Black Rock Elementary School- Parents (Bridgeport, CT)
in both English and Spanish
Click here to read about the Presentation.
Click here to book your Presentation now!
The Norwalk Citizen News
“Lightfoot Runners Cover Nine Miles in Memory of Eaccarino”
by Andy Hutchison 8/8/11
NORWALK — It might not have been an easy run for everybody, but those competing in last Saturday’s Lightfoot Running Club‘s race certainly had plenty of motivation to complete the 9-mile course which started and finished at Calf Pasture Beach.
The Lightfoot Running Club’s third to last race in this year’s series was also the 13th Annual Ian James Eaccarino Memorial 9-Mile Race, for the benefit of the Courage To Speak Foundation. Representatives from the Courage To Speak Foundation, including CEO and founder Virginia Katz of Norwalk, were on hand to offer support and recognize runners who ran in memory of Eaccarino, Katz’s son, whom she lost to a drug overdose at the age of 20 in 1996. He had worked at Calf Pasture Beach and planted trees that line the beach.
To read the entire article click here.
Thank You to Everyone who Came Out for the13th Annual Ian James Eaccarino Memorial 9-Mile Race! Thank you to all the runners…
and the volunteers…
Photography by Rich Bonenfant
and to our sponsors:
The Lightfoot Running Club,
Norwalk Parks & Recreational Department,
WSTC 1400/WNLK 1350, Norwalk Cove Marina,
William & Sandra Bennett, John Bumpus,
Booth Financial Associates, People’s United Bank,
Dr. Mark Franks D.M.D., West Rocks Shell,
Zotos International Inc., Norman J. Coltin,
the Pigue Family and Charlie Howell
Congratulations!
First Place Runner:
Eneas Freyre of Norwalk, CT
Youngest First Place Runner:
Alex Baluha (17 yrs. old) of Milford, CT
Every year, The Courage to Speak® Foundation not only presents a plaque to the first place winner, but also to the youngest participant in the race. They are recognized because they truly underscore the importance of
a healthy lifestyle for our youth.
For more information about the race, please see the Press Release.
To see the full list of results from the race, please click here.
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