Category: Coalition Updates

Prevention Happens Here

The Community Coalition of Forest County has been working diligently to bring the community together to celebrate prevention efforts county wide. CCFC has partnered with Forest County Potawatomi, Sokaogon Chippewa of Mole Lake, UW Extension, the county school districts and Stop the Dealing and Start the Healing to provide an action filled week. The planning committee is following CDC guidelines to have events outdoors and follow safety protocol.  

National Prevention Week, celebrated the week of May 9 – 15th, is a program of SAMHSA-Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services. Some of this year’s Forest county highlights include bringing nationally known speakers to our area!   National youth speaker Jake White from VIVE 18 will be visit the Forest county schools during the week to speak about sober parties.  The Forest County Potawatomi Tribal community is excited to have comedian Mylo Smith, sharing in a sobriety feast and bringing his sense of humor during these difficult times.

Listed below are activities being planned:

Sunday May 9th a Mother’s Day Golf Scramble will be held at Maplewood Golf Course in Pickerel

Monday May10th Drive in Movie at Laona School 7:30 PM

Tuesday May 11th Sobriety Feast with Comedy show by Mylo Smith at Pow Wow grounds in Carter 6-9 PM

Wednesday May 12th VIVE 18 at Laona School,  at 6:00 PM   parents from Forest County are invited to join Facebook Live with VIVE 18- Jake White

Thursday May 13th VIVE18 at Crandon and Wabeno Schools,  Drumming and Recovery Talking Circle in  Mole Lake at Dinesen House  4 PM

Friday May 14th  The 4th Annual Recovery Walk- Meeting at Stone Lake C-store at 8:00 AM, 8:30 send off  to Dinesen House in Mole Lake with fire, feast , and speakers to follow. Rides and rest stops available.  

Saturday May15th Parade at Noon in Crandon with celebration at Cardinal Park to follow with games, food, prizes, educational materials, and speakers. Forest County is fortunate to have many generous businesses and personal donations that make events like this happen to enhance our county and health. Please join us!

Facebook LIVE Event a success

The Community Coalition of Forest county is excited to release the Facebook LIVE video event that took place on the evening of Wednesday, March 24th. The intent of the event was to create a community gathering space that educated and united community members about substance abuse issues, solutions, and prevention efforts taking place in Forest County. The Facebook LIVE venue was chosen due to issues related to the COVID pandemic.

Support for the event was almost immediate with 20+ viewers engaging in the LIVE broadcast and over 600 viewers engaging with the LIVE video post since the event.

Public Invited to Participate in the Community Coalition of Forest County’s Facebook Live Presentation

The Community Coalition of Forest County is hosting a Facebook Live event on Wednesday March 24 at 6:00 PM.

This event is to highlight the Coalition’s efforts to build and support a healthy, safe and substance free community. The Community Coalition of Forest County has continued to focus on the wellbeing on the citizens of Forest County during the pandemic and although we hoped to offer an Education Series in a Town Hall setting the Covid 19 Pandemic allowed us the opportunity to complete an educational video series. The video series addresses Mental Health, Understanding Addiction, Trauma, and Prevention efforts in our county. 

 Larry Palubicki – Crandon School Administrator, will be the moderator for this event with some of our guest panelist who offered their expertise while making the videos. Please join us on Facebook March 24th at 6:00 PM with comments, questions, and to show support.

Holiday Pajama Drive a Huge Success

The Community Coalition of Forest County in partnership with the Forest County Social Services Department and the Forest County Drug Endangered Children Committee hosted a Holiday PajamaDrive.  This was a HUGE success.  We would like to thank the individuals and businesses who donated and helped with the Pajama Drive.

Jody Jensen, Director of Social Services and Mary Thornton, Community Coalition of Forest County AmeriCorps Recovery Advocate, pose with the pajama sets that were generously donated by local individuals, and businesses in support of the Drug Endangered Children Committee.

Holiday Pajama Drive

The Community Coalition of Forest County, in partnership with the Forest County Social Services Department and the Forest County Drug Endangered Children committee are hosting a Holiday Pajama Drive now through December 22nd. 

The pajamas will be distributed as part of the Forest County Drug Endangered Children committee’s backpack program utilized by both the Forest County Social Services Departments and the Forest County Sheriff Department as part of their work with drug endangered children.  The backpacks contain personal care items, including pajamas, for children that are removed from endangered environments and must leave their belongings behind due to various circumstances.

Drop off sites for the Holiday Pajama drive are as follows:  Forest County Courthouse lobby, Crandon Public Library, Laona State Bank – Laona office, Laona Town Hall and the Wabeno Branch of the Laona State Bank.

The Community Coalition asks that the pajamas be brand-new, in children’s sizes 3T through age 12, and manufactured as pajamas in order to ensure they are flame-retardant and safe.  For more information please contact Mary Thornton at mary.thornton@co.forest.wi.us or call 715-478-7797. 

Community Coalition of Forest County Receives Awards

Forest County has once again proven that it is ahead of many other Wisconsin counties in the area of substance abuse prevention.

In a virtual ceremony on July 1, 2020, Marshfield Clinic Health Systems Northwoods Coalition, a conglomerate of community coalitions dedicated to substance abuse prevention, presented four awards to The Community Coalition of Forest County (CCFC) and their members:

Prevention Coalition of Excellence Award

To CCFC for significant improvements to a community in the area of prevention. The CCFC has long brought passion and drive to the many prevention programs and community partnerships in which they have been involved.

Innovative Prevention Program

To CCFC for their participation in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 2019 Prevention Week held May 12-19, 2019.

The week included a Prevention Parade, a Recovery Walk, and a cookout that included speeches from local authorities. All of these events engaged community youth and both local tribes, Forest County Potawatomi and Sokaogon Chippewa.

Outstanding Prevention Professional Award

To Jorge Cisneros for his strong passion to make a difference in people’s lives. Jorge has changed lives by sharing his own personal story about recovery and continues to promote “Good Medicine” and using cultural ways to help people heal.

Jorge works tirelessly to lead planning for prevention events, and represents the Forest County Potawatomi Tribes prevention efforts in Coalition meetings. He initiated “See Something/Say Something, Stop the Dealing, Start the Healing,” and worked with the jail population to teach and advocate for resources to help people successfully transition into the community.

AmeriCorps Member of Distinction

To Elizabeth Mary Thornton for serving two terms as a Marshfield Clinic Health Systems AmeriCorps Recovery Corps recovery coach for the Community Coalition of Forest County. Her accomplishments include supporting many community events, being an advocate to help people make positive changes in their lives, assisting Laona School’s Guidance Counselor Jason Bertrand with the implementation of the BOTVIN LifeSkills program, and helping form a transition team to address the needs of the jail population. She continues to serve in her community and has signed on for another year of service for CCFC.

Congratulations to this amazing group of individuals and community members!

MORE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY COALITION OF FOREST COUNTY (CCFC)

The CCFC) is a 501 (3) (c) Non-Profit Organization that was formed in 2008 for the purpose of informing and engaging all age groups and cultures in our diverse county in a collaborative effort to measurably improve the health and well-being of our residents with a focus on substance abuse and prevention. The CCFC meets the second Tuesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. Currently these meetings are virtual due to Covid-19.

2020 Northwoods Coalition Awards Ceremony

On July 1, 2020, the Northwoods Coalition announced their 2020 awards virtually and we are excited to share the following awards:

Prevention Coalition of Excellence Award: Community Coalition of Forest County

Innovative Prevention Program: Community Coalition of Forest County for our participation in SAMSHA’s 2019 Prevention Week

Outstanding Prevention Professional Award: Jorge Cisneros

AmeriCorps Member of Distinction: Elizabeth Mary Thornton

Congratulations to this amazing group of individuals and community members!