Batesville, IN — The Coalition for a Drug-Free Batesville on Wednesday celebrated the successes of the past year as well as since the organization’s founding in February 2012.
One of those highlights was the WAVE Camp in June for this school year’s 5th and 6th graders.
Campers learned about resilience, and drug and alcohol prevention methods, among other things.
Coalition Executive Director Kim Linkel says members of the Mayor’s Youth Council ran the camp.
“We partnered with Safe Passage and Ripley County Purdue Extension for that,” Linkel said. “We’re very proud that we had 36 youth attend and this year, we’re actually in 2023, we’re going to increase that to 48.”
Linkel says another success is the use of Wellness Tool Kits in local schools.
That’s where students going through a rough time can go to their counselor and get a so-called tool to help get them through the day.
The group gathered at Izzy’s at Hillcrest also heard from guest speaker Nicole Schiesler, the President and CEO of Prevention First (formerly known as the Coalition for a Drug-Free Cincinnati).
The Coalition for a Drug-Free Batesville meets at 11 am on the first Monday of each month at the Memorial Building.
Linkel says anyone interested in being part of a community-wide quest to solve local substance abuse problems is welcome to attend.
