Talbot Partnership Outreach Workers Capitalize on Community Response to Substance Abuse Statistics in Talbot County
Talbot Partnership has recently hired two outreach coordinators to help with activities to address adolescent substance abuse issues in Talbot County. Donna Allen Swartz and Kathy Meehan, both of Easton, will be involved with outreach to parents, parenting groups, faith-based and other youth-focused organizations and businesses. Janet Pfeffer, executive director of Talbot Partnership comments, "There is an exciting surge of interest in addressing adolescent substance abuse in our county. The efforts of these women will help us capitalize on this excitement and to begin to implement more parent support groups and educational programs to address this serious community issue."
Donna Allen Swartz was born and raised in Easton. Donna is a realtor with Coldwell Banker Eastern Shore Properties. Her volunteer activities include being a Character Counts coach for the second grade at Chapel District Elementary School, Waterfowl Festival chairman for Gift Shop I & II at the Easton Middle School, and Chairman of Community Service and Fund Raising for the Board of Directors for the MidShore Board of Realtors. Through her volunteer service with Teen Court, Donna has seen for herself how many youth are involved in underage drinking and smoking. As an outreach coordinator for Talbot Partnership, Donna will engage faith and youth-serving organizations in educating families and youth workers to set limits in loving ways and in supporting healthy choices by youth.
Kathy Meehan has worked for over 20 years in the Marketing Research field. Most recently she worked for the Talbot County Health Department as a Community Health Educator for cancer prevention and tobacco cessation. A breast cancer survivor herself, Kathy has a passion for educating people about the need for cancer screening and prevention and the dangers of tobacco. Her volunteer activities include the Talbot Optimist Club, previous board member with Talbot Partnership, member of the Talbot County Relay for Life, and member of the Shore Supporters, a Komen of Maryland Breast Cancer Group. As an outreach coordinator at Talbot Partnership she works for the Taking A Stand for Alcohol and Drug Free Youth grant - a Talbot Partnership initiative; promoting the Partnership's Guiding Good Choices program for parents of children in grades five through eight; informing physicians and parents about the TurnAround program for confidential drug and alcohol screening for adolescents; and promoting the Safe Homes projects for both the public and private schools in Talbot County.
For further information about Talbot Partnership's parent support groups or educational programs, call them at 410-819-8067 or e-mail them at info@talbotpartnership.org. On Tuesday, March 28, 2006, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., a town meeting, "A County Response," will be held at St. Mark's United Methodist Church on Peachblossom Avenue in Easton for persons interested in participating in the solutions to address adolescent substance abuse.
Pictured left to right are Kathy Meehan and Donna Allen Swartz, both of Easton, new outreach coordinators with Talbot Partnership.
