Dawn Doherty, Executive director of the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide and Samantha Parker, Director of Development spoke to us about the group's role in helping to identify teens who are “at risk” of hurting themselves. The group was formed in 2005 and offers two hours of training to teachers who are in a good position to recognize the signs leading to these acts. It has also trained 350,000 teachers online and its free to all Lifelines curriculum has been published. There is also a 3-day program for training school staff.The group seeks a stigma-free approach to mental health for teens and tries to help with transition between middle and high school. It emphasizes that reaching out is fine and that young people should find a trusted adult when they are in need and it is okay not to be okay. The agency works with educators, parents and students to identify those who may be tempted to harm themselves with a set of facts to see the warning signs. They work directly with teens, some who have substance abuse problems, and also partner with Monmouth and Ocean County youth agencies to teach coping skills to help kids be safe.
The trusted adult that teens seek out should be nonjudgemental and not apply shame to the teen, only asking “What's going on with you.? “ That person would be able to give the teen some ideas where they can get help and lighten the burden , relieving some of the young person's worries. Knowing the warning signs may help to lower the teen suicide rate, the second greatest cause of death for teens today.
Wishing Happy Birthdays to Karyn and Vince!.jpg)
In celebration of our 100 years of Service to the Community, this year our Club is leading the Asbury Park St Patrick's Day Parade as the Grand Marshall. We could not have a better representative of the spirit of Rotary than Mike Fornino, and that is why we are honored to have him wear the Grand Marshall sash and lead us in the parade. The Parade Committee unveiled the Banner behind which we will proudly march! 
Ken Bruton from National Write your Congressman (NWYC) joined us on a snowy Wednesday and presented the work of his organization. He was quick to point out that while there are 47,000 lobbyist in DC, all representing their point of view, his organization is the only one of its kind. NWYC presents its members with both sides of an issue, without prejudice to either side, allowing the member to understand the issue in more depth and thus make an informed decision on where they stand. Members are encouraged to share their opinion with their representatives at either the State level or with those in DC. Forty percent of Americans are registered to vote, but only a mere 2% have ever written to their legislator! NWYC is the largest “we the people” organization in the USA. They are not left nor right, Democrats nor Republicans, but simply encourage their membership to respond appropriately to the issues that they care about. And this makes a difference! An example he cites is the research that they did on the appalling state of our care for our Veterans. Through their efforts, benefits have gone up, and health care is now available outside the VA network. As a member of their organization, you not only vote, but you give your opinion and your voice is heard. It doesn’t really take a lot to make a noise, but it must be vocal. Their membership is fee-based, and they currently have more than 1m members. But it’s not the number of people, it’s how active they are. For more information, see their website, www.nwyc.com or contact Ken at kenbruton@rocketmail.com, 732.672.9746 and he’d be delighted to visit with you.
