Peer to Peer, People to People.
In the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, several things have become evident:
- Everyone must participate to stop the spread of the virus.
- Technology is an effective way to reach and involve people.
- Branding is important for people to find information.
- Clear, simple instructions are important.
Informed Families’ 4 Universal Campaigns are an effective and inexpensive way to achieve these objectives, also known as “herd immunity.”
Our four campaigns: Family Day, Red Ribbon Week, Lock Your Meds and Safe Homes Smart Parents, helps Florida’s kids grow up safe, healthy and drug free through fun and effective prevention programs for students and families in K-12 schools and communities.
This year’s Red Ribbon Campaign theme: BE HAPPY, BE BRAVE, BE DRUG FREE, was created by Tricia Nelson of Locust Corner Elementary School in Cincinnati. Tricia's theme was chosen from hundreds of submissions through our National Red Ribbon Theme Contest which runs from January 1 through December 2. Her winning theme will help amplify the campaign's mission, which is to encourage children, families and communities to live healthy, happy and drug-free lives. It also serves as a reminder that we are all empowered with shaping the communities around us through positivity, bravery and strength. We hope the theme encourages everyone to express themselves and their feelings no matter what.
During Red Ribbon Week, we held a Red Ribbon Mask Challenge to encourage everyone to wear a Red Ribbon-Themed face mask. This was a runaway hit, more than 120,000 people wore the mask and shared the message.
Peer to Peer, People to People.
There is a battle between brick-and-mortar and technology. There is a battle between bureaucratic structures and direct services. There is a battle between professionals telling people what to do and people following and finding their innate voice and common sense.
There doesn’t need to be a battle, there needs to be a balance. What is that balance?
How do you provide a role for all? High tech needs high touch. Online services need boots on the ground to network, support, and encourage.
Informed Families has been in business for 40 years, starting in 1982 with Nancy Reagan, by parents for parents, to create safe drug-free families and communities for kids to reach their full potential.
From 1976-1991, casual drug use dropped by 50%, only to slowly creep up as parents turned the reins over to the system to solve the problem.
Informed Families offers a balance and a way to involve parents effectively…as leaders! They provide the correct data, information, and education in a time-effective, user-friendly manner.
We continue to make way with our message though networking by creating Parent Peer Groups and working with Community Coalitions.
Informed Families will continue to deliver on our mission to educate, enable and empower students, parents and communities to work together to keep children healthy in 2021. We are off to a great start!
-Peggy Sapp, President and CEO
