By Christopher Snook.  Beginning early in the new year a group of parents and community members gathered weekly at the Paradise Hill library for a six week intensive seminar on drug awareness.  Led by Kerri Robb of Maidstone’s Addiction Services, the programme followed a textbook on addictions prepared by Focus on the Family, Drug Proofing Your Kids.

The programme included introductory classes on the types and effects of street drugs, a presentation by a local constable on the actual drug-use situation in this region, and consecutive classes on drug use in families. Some of the questions addressed included: how do you know if a child is experimenting with drugs? how can parents best address suspected drug and alcohol use with their children? what are the signs of addiction? what strategies best support a person who is trying to give up their drug dependency?

Throughout the month and a half long series there was a consistent emphasis on the importance of spending time with family in constructive and supportive ways.  Role-playing and homework helped participants bring their learning into their homes where they were forced to think concretely about their relationships with their children and spouses.

The idea for this seminar came from Elaine Reeve, a member of the vestry in Fort Pitt Anglican Mission. In response to the Mission’s desire to serve its community in concrete forms of outreach, Ms. Reeve (who has herself conducted workshops on crystal meth) organized the seminar with the help of Mrs. Marjorie Steele. Fort Pitt Mission paid for the expenses of the seminar’s participants and was also responsible for advertising the evening series.

The series concluded on Monday, March 12. A sign of its success was the group’s unanimous decision to continue meeting once a month to speak about youth issues. Others also expressed a desire to form an ecumenical youth group in Paradise Hill.

All of the seminar’s participants strongly encourage other communities to hold similar seminars with the addictions workers in their areas. They are wonderful opportunities to learn about the pressures facing our youth. And in additon to this, they are an ideal way to share with other parents the struggles and concerns of raising a family.

Fort Pitt Mission hopes that the friendships deepened during this six-week seminar will bear fruit in the service of our community.