Meet the Drug-free Task Force!
The Drug-Free Task Force is a work group within the Partnership for Health in Hunterdon County, NJ. The goal of the Drug-Free Task Force is to reduce underage drinking and substance use within Hunterdon County. We work with our community to help young people make positive and healthy choices.
VISION: to empower youth, families and communities in Hunterdon County, NJ, to make positive choices to live long, safe, drug-free, and healthy lives.
MISSION: to empower youth and families to make healthy decisions and implement sustainable environmental change through collaborative community engagement and education to live long, safe, drug-free, and healthy lives.
If you would like to be part of the innovative work with the Drug-Free Task Force contact Wendy Sidebottom, wsidebottom@njprevent.com
Out in the Community in 2022
Volunteering with America's Grow A Row
On September 14th we volunteered with America’s Grow a Row to harvest corn. It was fun and exhausting working in the corn fields. Grow A Row is an excellent place to volunteer. Click here for more information.
Freshman Locker Project
Dr. Greg Cottrell (Principal, NHHS) provided our coalition with a great idea! He wanted his Freshman class to start off High School with the tools they needed to be successful. One tool is having access to the HELP app. We created goody bags for the entering Freshmen at the High School. This goody bag contained treats with a message: information about the HELP App and a reminder to make good choices and having the HELP App can be a lifesaver. Best of luck to all the Freshmen! You can learn more about the HELP App here.
National Night Out Events
On August 2nd, we partnered with the Safe Communities Coalition and joined the Clinton & Readington Township police departments for National Night Out (NNO). NNO is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. We had fun games for the kids, great giveaways and provided parents and community members with really important information. 61 community members completed a quick survey to provide us information. We learned that Opioids/Rx medication was their leading substance of concern. This was closely followed by Alcohol and Nicotine/Vaping. Thank you to everyone who came out that night!
Family Meals Initiative
Starting in May 2022, the Drug-Free Task Force along with Prevention Resources, Positive YOUth, Safe Communities Coalition and Harvest Family Success Center joined forces with the Flemington Food Pantry and America’s Grow-A-Row in their Family Meals initiative. They provide recipes and ingredients for families and encourage preparing and eating together as a family. We created “conversation cards” for families to use to start the conversation about these topics. Cards are written in English on one side and in Spanish on the other. Participants who complete a survey can win a ShopRite gift card. Learn more about the Flemington Area Food Pantry and America’s Grow A Row.
Latino Town Hall
In April 2022, we partnered with One Voice, the local faith-based coalition, and Harvest Family Success Center to host a Latino Town Hall all in Spanish at Hunterdon Central High School where we had over 97 attendees. We expanded capacity with resources that provide services in Spanish including YMCA, United Way, NAMI, RVCC, Union County College, Fisherman’s Mark of Lambertville, Shoprite of Flemington and RHUB.
Help App Bathroom Poster Project
The Drug-Free Task Force partnered with Positive YOUth on their Help App initiative to get posters and mirror clings into Middle and High Schools.
Our own task force member, Dr. Greg Cottrell gave us the idea for the mirror clings! Thank you Greg for being so helpful and an active member of our task force!
CADCA National Forum and Capitol Hill Day
In February 2022, members of the DFTF attended Capitol Hill Day during our CADCA Forum. We were able to meet virtually with representatives from Senator Menendez, Senator Booker and Congressman Malinowski’s office to encourage support of DFC programs and bills related to the NOPAIN Act (Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation Act). Bills S.586 and H.R.3259
