The coronavirus pandemic has curtailed many activities, but Red Ribbon Week is taking place regardless. The Alcohol & Drug Abuse Council will be hosting virtual Red Ribbon rallies on YouTube and Facebook, and this month Informed Families announced its Red Ribbon Mask Challenge to encourage everyone to wear a Red Ribbon-Themed face mask this week.

Students, families and schools across America are invited to participate in the 10th Annual National Red Ribbon Week Photo Contest aimed at calling attention to the benefits of staying drug free with photography. The contest, co-sponsored by the National Family Partnership (NFP) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), will be held in conjunction with National Red Ribbon Week, which takes place each year from October 23 through 31. The contest will award more than $20,000 to K-12 schools in cities across America.

The photo contest involves participants decorating the fronts of their homes (front door, mailbox or fence), or virtual school/school campuses with double-looped red ribbons while incorporating this year's Red Ribbon theme, Be Happy. Be Brave. Be Drug Free.™ Participants enter the contest by taking a photo of their decorations and by uploading the image to the RedRibbon.org website.

Congratulations to the winners of the Family Day Photo Contest: Lesley Adkins Stanton from Winter Springs, FL; Lauren Schere Shpigler from Orlando, FL; and Jeanette Teixeira from Miami, FL. The winners, who were randomly selected, each win a $100 Publix gift card.

Laurel Oak Elementary in Naples, FL won the grand prize for schools by having the most entries in the State of Florida. They will receive a $250 Publix gift card.

The contest was sponsored by Publix, Simply Healthcare and Seminole Prevention Coalition.

Families come in all forms, sizes and colors. Their diversity is what makes them so beautiful. We love seeing your lovely #FLFamilyDay dinner photos on social media each year. Thank you to all of the families that have participated in Family Day and our Family Day Photo Contest in the past. We have shared some of their heart-warming photos in this post.

Participating in our Family Day photo contest is a simple way that you can help spread awareness about Family Day and the importance of eating dinner together as a family. Research shows that children who eat dinner with their families 4 or more times a week do better in school and are less likely to use drugs or participate in other destructive behaviors. We all want what’s best for our children. Wouldn’t your family and friends with children want to know that something as simple as regular family dinners can improve parent-child communication?

National Family Day is on the Fourth Monday of September - that's September 28, 2020 this year. It’s a great opportunity for families to eat dinner together. Watch this 1 in video to learn more about why you should engage in regular family dinners.

Parents are often surprised to hear that something as simple as eating dinner together 4 times a week can reduce the likelihood that their kids will engage risky behavior. Parental engagement is the single most potent weapon in preventing substance use among youth. Check out our Family Days Activity Guide for ideas on how to turn dinner time into something everyone looks forward.

Congratulations to our 2020 Red Ribbon Certified Schools: Eccleston Elementary, Lake Como School and Rock Lake Elementary in Orange County and Redland Middle School in Miami-Dade County.

Becoming a Red Ribbon Certified School is a distinguished achievement for schools focused on prevention and healthy student outcomes.  The UCF Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences at University of Central Florida assessed their performance in four areas: school environment, best practices in education, parent engagement and substance abuse prevention activities. 

“Studies show that in the wake of the pandemic, youth are experiencing an increase in mental health issues like loneliness, depression, anxiety and grief.  We expect to see an increase in alcohol and drug misuse to cope with the secondary effects of Covid-19,” said Peggy Sapp, Informed Families President and CEO.  “The pandemic is highlighting the need for healthy environments and prevention practices as part of school culture. Schools offer more than just academics. They provide support and services to help kids grow up safe, healthy and drug free.  We are so proud of all the schools that recognize the importance of prevention and have gone the extra mile to become Red Ribbon Certified.”

Informed Families/Florida Family Partnership is teaming up with Family Table Time to help families bond, communicate better and deal with difficult scenarios.

Back to school time is a stressful time for many families. With schools reopening for the first time since March or continuing remote learning, many families are more anxious than usual. Family Table Time’s unique, dinner table conversation starter toolkit can help families better navigate this stressful time together. Conversation starters for the month of August include Back to School and Fears & Anxiety.

Americans continue to celebrate essential workers keeping the country going during the coronavirus pandemic. McDonald's provided essential workers with free 'Thank You Meals'. Starbucks offered all front-line responders a free tall brewed coffee.Give Essential, a new nonprofit that boxes up people's extra household items to donate to those on the front line, was recently profiled on ABC News (see the coverage here). We are continuing to demonstrate our capacity to come together and support others during these unprecedented times.

Informed Families, the National Family Partnership and Family Table Time are also saying thanks and giving it up for front-line workers. While families are away from the office and school, these heroes put their health on the line to keep us safe, happy and healthy.  When you buy a six-month subscription to Family Table Time, the family of an Essential Worker will receive a six-month subscription for free. You can designate the family to receive this gift or select an option to send  it to an essential worker who needs it.

Orlando resident Ms. Jones is helping to care for four of her grandchildren this summer. Parents have to return to work, but most summer camps have to limit the number of children they accept as a result of the pandemic and CDC social distancing guidelines. Ms. Jones has taken on the responsibility of being there for her grandkids. She enjoys doing fun activities with them.