One Pill Can Kill: Fentanyl Awareness

Fentanyl Awareness

Fentanyl, along with other illicit substances such as methamphetamine and cocaine, is added to counterfeit prescription drugs. Since these counterfeit pills are not made in a lab, the dosing is not precise. In a batch of counterfeit pills, one pill may contain a small dose of harmful additives, and others may contain 100% additives such as fentanyl.

Counterfeit pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media, making them easily available to anyone with a smartphone – including minors. Buying drugs through social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram has become increasingly popular among students. Dealers use these platforms to post photos of their products, with further communication happening on encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp.

Fentanyl seizures at the US-Mexico Border have reached an all-time high. Over 2,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized in July 2022 – which was three times higher than the amount seized in June, and up 200% from May. “Rainbow fentanyl,” pictured above, is particularly concerning to deputies due to its candy-like appearance. This rainbow coloring may be an attempt for drug cartels to target younger users.

You can learn more about the danger of illicit fentanyl through Facing Fentanyl, the DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign, or The Hub CT’s You Think You Know page. For more information on minors using social media to purchase drugs, read The Hub CT’s article “Kids Can Buy Drugs Easier Than You Think.”

World’s Worst Mom: Lenore Skenazy

Lenore Skenazy is the World’s Worst Mom

When Lenore Skenazy published her newspaper column “Why I Let My 9-Year-Old Ride the Subway Alone she was quickly labeled the “World’s Worst Mom.” She explains it best in this snippet. Lenore suggests that “over-protectiveness is a danger in and of itself. A child who thinks he can’t do anything on his own eventually can’t.”

Lenore published Free-Range Kids, a book that launched a movement. Free-range parenting urges parents to give their children independence, let them have adventures, and learn to solve problems for themselves. Lenore recognizes that as a parent, there is an innate need to protect children, but over-protecting them can be harmful. Step back so kids can step up, Lenore’s non-profit Let Grow urges. In the long term, parents are looking to launch their kids into a life of independence, resilience, and resourcefulness.

You can learn more about Lenore Skenazy and her work by visiting Let Grow‘s website, Free-Range Kids‘ website with blog posts by Lenore, and by watching World’s Worst Mom, Lenore’s reality TV series similar to Supernanny with episodes such as “20-Year Old Not Allowed On The Public Transport,” “Mum Doesn’t Let Her 10-Year-Old Eat By Himself,” and “9-Year-Old Can’t Go Anywhere Without His Mother.”

Listen and laugh with Lenore Skenazy speak on Wednesday, September 14th, at Saxe Auditorium. Learn more about the program and registration here.

Summer Fun with New Canaan CARES 2022

School’s out for the summer, which means it’s time for Summer Fun with New Canaan CARES!

We’ve curated an amazing list of summer activities, ranging from crafting, cooking, community events and concerts, and suggestions of what to watch and what to read.

For more information, visit out our page with full descriptions and registration links.

Download the Summer Fun calendar

Juneteenth 2022

June 19th is Freedom Day

When the Emancipation Proclamation took effect in 1863, not all enslaved people in Confederate territory were immediately freed. In Texas, freedom came for enslaved people on June 19, 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, took control of the state, and announced the 250,000 enslaved black people were free by executive decree.

Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day. Although it has long been celebrated in the African American community, this monumental event remains largely unknown to most Americans. June 19, 2022 is the second year that Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday.

To learn more about this significant holiday, check out these resources:

National Museum of African American History and Culture: Understanding and Celebrating Juneteenth

Learning for Justice: Teaching Juneteenth

Colors of Us: 20 Children’s Books Celebrating Juneteenth

CT Post: What Juneteenth means to CT community leaders

Join the CARES Team!

Education and Program Coordinator

Are you an energetic, flexible, team-driven person passionate about empowering youth, strengthening families and building community? Would you like a flexible work environment that emphasizes a healthy work-life balance and supporting each other to achieve our goals? CARES is looking for an Education and Program Coordinator who fits this description. This is a 25-hour-per-week, full-year position. Afternoon availability, as well as some evenings and weekends, is required. If interested, please send your resume with a cover letter that includes salary requirements to jphillips@newcanaancares.org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Click here for the full job description.

Experience Wellness Poolside with JerMar Designs and Dr. Katie

Thursday, May 26th from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Join lifestyle experts, Jeanne Collins, founder of the luxury interior design firm JerMar Designs, and Dr. Katie Takayasu, an Integrative Medicine physician and author of Plants First, for a poolside chat on all things “wellness” moderated by Elizabeth Ethridge McGann.

Guests will learn how to elevate their lifestyle through home design, nutrition, exercise and so much more. We promise that you will learn something new! Best of all, the experience takes place poolside at the stunning New Canaan Cares Pool House designed by JerMar Designs.

In addition to Jeanne Collins and Dr. Katie, other lifestyle pros at the event include Chef Lisa of Soiree, Dr. Jen Morgan of Centrality Physical Therapy & Wellness, and Shari Lebowitz of Bespoke Designs.

10:00 – Mix and Mingle with Hot Tea & Mocktails Poolside at the JerMar Designs Pool House
10:30 – Poolside Chat with Jeanne Collins of JerMar Designs and Dr. Katie
11:00 – Meditation & Breathing with Dr. Katie’s Physical Therapy Guru, Dr. Jen Morgan
11:30 – Grab n Go Salads and Smoothies provided by Dr. Katie’s Chef Lisa for all guests

April 1st Means 30 Days of Family!

New Canaan CARES, the New Canaan Department of Human Services, and the New Canaan Chamber of Commerce present the eighth annual 30 Days of Family! Thank you to our amazing 2022 community partners: Carriage Barn Arts Center, First Presbyterian Church of New Canaan, Interfaith Council of New Canaan, New Canaan Library, and the New Canaan Police Department.

Step away from the television, put your phone down, and connect with each other. Your family can mean those you live with, your extended family, your friends who are like family, or your community family.

Visit our event page, and check out our Facebook and Instagram for more information! Post your pictures on social media with the hashtag #NC30DAYS22 and tag us @newcanaancares!

Download the 30 Days of Family 2022 calendar here.

A Parent’s Guide to Modern Teen Dating

On Wednesday, March 9th, New Canaan CARES, and NCHS PFA presented “A Parent’s Guide to Modern Teen Dating” with Emma Kate Freatman, LPC with Silver Hill Hospital.

This program was an open and honest conversation about modern teen dating. Emma Kate Freatman taught parents what teens wished their parents knew, what misconceptions teens think their parents have, and what questions teens wanted their parents to ask them about their dating lives. Parents left this PFA presentation with tips on how to start the conversation about dating with their teens, and how to keep the conversation going.

A full recording of this program is available on the NCHS PFA YouTube page. The slide deck Emma Kate Freatman used as a visual aid can be downloaded here.

For upcoming programs, check out the NCHS PFA website and the New Canaan CARES calendar.