Northshore Magazine

Northshore September 18

Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.

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NORTHSHOREMAG.COM 90 SEPTEMBER 2018 PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOE FERRARO DanversCARES acting director Lyle Harrod What does it take to get the superin- tendent of schools, a representative of the police department, a selectman, a mem- ber of the clergy, high school students, and over 20 other community leaders together each month? In Danvers, the answer is Dan- versCARES, a townwide partnership whose mission is to help youth and families make DanversCARES strives to promote healthy teens in the community. By David Thomson COMMUNAL CARING / I N - D E P T H / healthy decisions. DanversCARES started in the mid 1990s as a school-based health advisory committee with the vision to invite community partners to the table to support school-based health and physical education efforts. About 10 years ago, the group evolved into a formal community-based partnership led by former program director Peg Sallade. e group, which now includes acting director ( formerly the assistant director) Lyle Harrod, adheres to the philosophy that partnerships are built on community involvement and designed to address local needs. is is done through collaborative dialogue, prioritizing concerns, and seeking partners and resources to support the work. And boy has this group been working! Using data collected by regular surveys, Dan- versCARES has tackled issues including access to alcohol and prescription medica- tion by teens, a mentor program run by Danvers High School upperclassmen athletes for incoming freshmen athletes, internet safety, and opioid prevention. "e value of the partnership model is that we can really get a pulse on what is happen- ing in the community in order to take the appropriate measures to address [it]," says Sallade. "Having spent my career in public health and prevention, I have been pleased to work in a community where so many people from so many different parts of the town come together to make a difference." Danvers supports youth and families in many ways: a good school system, opportu- nities for community service, quality recreation programming and facilities, effective social services, and more. "All of these help make Danvers a healthy, vibrant community," says Steve Bartha, town manager. "However, we can't pretend that Danvers is perfect. We have many of the same issues facing communities across the Commonwealth and around the country. DanversCARES helps us to identify and respond to those issues." Negative media glamorizing drugs and violence, pressures from peers to conform, hurried lifestyles, and a society that equates celebration with alcohol use all influence our youth. By working together, DanversCARES is able to encourage youth to be resilient and adaptable to change. "Resilient youth feel connected, are goal-oriented, and are able to make good decisions," adds Sallade. "Despite challenges, resilient youth thrive." In fact, the after-school programs at both the high school and middle school give mem- bers of the DanversCARES youth leadership

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