National Citizenship Day Community Forum /Una Plática Con Famlias--Amistades hosts an annual community dialogue about the process and the benefits of becoming a United States citizen. Nationally, Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is a combined event that occurs in the United States on September 17, each year. This is event held at the Ellie Towne Flowing Wells Community Center and commemorates the formation and signing of the Constitution of the United States on September 17, 1787. It also recognizes all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become United States citizens. QuickHelp serves as a collaborative partner providing participants with community resources. Amistades encourages United States citizens to remember the blessings of liberty and recognized the responsibilities of citizenship and invites the community to become active, involved, and informed! Juntos seguiremos adelante!
Take Back Drug Day--Amistades participates in an annual, state-wide drug return initiative aimed at preventing pill abuse and theft. At sites nationally, around the state, and locally in Tucson, law enforcement collects potentially dangerous unused and unwanted or expired prescription drugs for destruction. 3,400 sites are approximated nation-wide. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. This is part of a national effort to get prescription drugs out of the medicine cabinets before they get into the hands of teenagers. The Tucson Police Department sets up collection sites at each of its five patrol divisions (South, West, Midtown, East, and Downtown). Amistades hosts the West division collection site. This year, the Tucson Police Department collected over 345 pounds of unwanted/unused medication during the Prescription Take-Back Initiative. The Partnership for a Drug-Free America says 2,500 teenagers use a prescription drug to get high for the first time. A 2009 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that prescription drug abuse is on the rise, with 20% of teens saying they have taken a prescription drugs without a doctor's prescription. This event serves as a platform for community awareness and education around substance abuse. Amistades also participates in local prescription take back days done in conjunction with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and the Tucson Police Department. Four take back drug day events that Amistades has participated in have taken place locally in the last 15 months where 35 pounds of unwanted/unused medication has been collected.
The
2012 Dispose-A-Med Event collected 213 pounds of pills and 148 pounds
of liquids! Thank you to Target staff for being great hosts! This was a
collaborative with the Sheriff's Auxillary, Drug Demand Reduction Unit,
Amistades, CPC, and the FWNACC.
National Town Hall Meeting Month--The
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
works with organizations at the national, state, and local levels to
host town hall meetings as part of a concerted effort to promote the
U.S. Surgeon General’s National Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce
Underage Drinking and to promote one of SAMHSA's priority initiative
areas, Prevention of Substance Abuse and Mental Illness. In
recognition of Alcohol Awareness Month in April, communities throughout
the nation conduct town hall meetings to discuss what can be done to
prevent and reduce underage drinking. More than 1,700 community-based
organizations conduct town hall meetings across the country. Amistades
hosts its local town hall meeting during the month of April at the Ellie
Towne Flowing Wells Community Center to create a forum for discussion
on concerns and developing a foundation for solutions. Amistades
works with the Flowing Wells Unified School District and the
Amphitheater School District to recruit students and parents to
participate. The town hall meeting is organized collaboratively with other local organizations, coalitions, and schools.
Yoga en Español--Bienvenidos al mundo de yoga! Amistades works with the YOGA connection to host the city’s first Yoga en Español series. Classes are offered to the community at a very reasonable price. Many of the graduates from the REGALOS parenting program were some of the first to attend these innovative classes and continue to attend. These classes are a wonderful opportunity for Spanish speakers to enjoy the mental and physical benefits of yoga. The YOGA Connection is Tucson’s only nonprofit yoga organization, dedicated to serving the yoga community since 1987. 3929 East Pima | www.yogaconnection.org | 520.323.1222 | yoga@yogaconnection.org
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Amistades is currently recruiting community-minded, energetic, and dedicated volunteers. Opportunities are now available for the Segundo de Febrero Commemoration, Cinco de Mayo Non-Profit
Celebration & Family Festival, Juneteenth, Proyecto REGALOS, and the Amistades Substance Abuse Coalition.
Please email volunteer inquiries to volunteer@amistadesinc.org.