The February luncheon for the Carbon County Chamber of Commerce (CCCC) was hosted at Price Chapel on Feb. 15. To begin the luncheon, the month’s community spotlight was announced.
For February, this honor went to the C.A.R.E. Coalition. Taylor Passarella of Four Corners Community Behavioral Health thanked the chamber for allowing them to be in the spotlight before explaining that they are the fiscal agent for the coalition.
The C.A.R.E. Coalition is a community substance use prevention coalition and its mission is to create a more connected and resilient community by implementing evidence-based prevention strategies.
This is achieved through education, programs, advocacy and opportunities that mitigate risk factors. The coalition is a nonprofit organization that serves all of Carbon County. Over the last year, 11 free community connection events were hosted across the cities of the county.
During these events, prevention topics specific to the community were targeted, as well as what risk and prevention factors were associated. They included substance use, bullying, mental health, resiliency and many more. After sharing, the remaining of the evenings were spent participating in a free activity for community members to enjoy.
The C.A.R.E. Coalition also hosted its second-annual Family Field Day, which served over 500 community members with a free dinner to highlight national Eat Dinner As a Family Day and bonding activities.
Passerella then stated that creating healthy youth behaviors is a priority goal and to achieve it, the coalition uses a social development strategy, which consists of three simple steps: opportunity, skill and recognition. The youth are given the opportunity to develop a skill and recognize said development. This can be anything from washing dishes to fixing a motor.
The coalition believes in Carbon County’s resiliency through thick and thin and Passerella said that none of the efforts the coalition makes would be as successful without valued community partners.
She thanked coalition members for their time and dedication while also thanking the community partners and key leaders that support them. Finally, she extended appreciation to their prevention specialist, Alyssa Potter.
Passerella stated that Potter, who leads the C.A.R.E. Coalition, has unwavering dedication that has been the driving force behind every achievement that they have celebrated.
Those who would like more information on the coalition and to stay up to date on events are encouraged to visit the coalition’s Facebook and website.