Catalyst

Informed Families Catalyst

Get On Board the Family Day Fun!

Posted by Informed Families on September 25, 2022 at 5:06 PM

Once each year, we take time to celebrate the people that make our lives meaningful: our families. Family life isn’t always what you’d find in a Hallmark movie, but at the bottom, the love and support we find there offer a sense of belonging and stability in our lives. Sociologists point out that families are critical for healthy development.

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Topics: Family Day, parenting, teenagers, family bonding, teens, family dinner, Family Table Time

We’re talking to YOU!

Posted by Peggy B. Sapp, President & CEO on September 9, 2022 at 1:05 PM

President's Message - August 2022

Over the years, it has been interesting to me that parents consistently think Informed Families is not talking to them but to some other family with problems. Denial is a trademark of addiction!
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Topics: Family Day, President's Message, teenagers, Informed Families, teens, Family Table Time

Family Dinners Make a Difference

Posted by Informed Families on September 24, 2021 at 1:30 AM

Many years of solid research have shown that when parents engage more deeply in their children’s lives, they are far less likely to turn to such unhealthy behaviors as smoking, drinking, or using drugs.

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Topics: Family Day

Family Day Photo Contest Winners 2020

Posted by Informed Families on October 2, 2020 at 9:00 AM

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.

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Topics: Family Day, orlando, family bonding, seminole county, family dinner, miami, collier county, orange county

Help Us Spread Awareness About Family Day

Posted by Informed Families on September 23, 2020 at 4:00 PM

 

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?

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Topics: Family Day, Facebook, family bonding, photo contest, family dinner

Family Day is Every Day this September

Posted by Informed Families on September 10, 2020 at 4:30 PM

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.

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Topics: Family Day, tips, parent involvement, positive parenting, communication, family bonding, children, Informed Families, drug prevention, Family Table Time

Family Day Photo Contest Winners 2019

Posted by Informed Families on October 4, 2019 at 1:24 PM

Congratulations to the winners of the Family Day Photo Contest: Heidi Hernandez from Naples, FL; Timmy Kutz from Naples, FL; and Tatiana Vuono from Miami, FL. The winners, who were randomly selected, each win a $100 gift card generously donated by Publix.

Freedom Middle School in Orlando, 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.

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Topics: Family Day, orlando, family bonding, family dinner, miami, collier county, orange county

Schools Embrace Family Day

Posted by Informed Families on September 28, 2019 at 4:00 PM

 

Informed Families Ambassadors at schools across the state encourage parents and families to eat dinner together on Family Day and up to four times a week.  Many of the schools in our network have also started Family Day traditions of their own.

In Orange County, Apopka Memorial Middle School celebrates Family Day with a Spaghetti Dinner served by their Informed Families Youth Ambassadors.  Citrus Grove Middle School in Miami-Dade hosts a Spaghetti Dinner that all parents are invited to as well. They encourage parents to sign the Informed Families Family Day pledge at the event.

 


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Topics: Family Day, orlando, family bonding, family dinner, miami

Family Day Photo Contest 2019

Posted by Informed Families on August 31, 2019 at 9:00 AM

We loved seeing so many of your beautiful #FLFamilyDay dinner photos on social media last year. So we’ve decided to hold another Family Day photo contest.

Take a photo of your family eating dinner together and then post it on the Informed Families’ Facebook page, send it to us in a Facebook message, or post it on Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #FLFamilyDay. It’s that simple.

Three winners will be randomly selected to receive a $100 Publix Gift Card. The Florida school with the most entries will receive a $250 Publix Gift Card. The contest ends September 30th.

We can’t wait to see the family dinner photos you share this year! Take a look at some of our favorites from last year.


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Topics: Family Day, Facebook, family bonding, photo contest, family dinner

President's Message - September 2019

Posted by Peggy B. Sapp, President & CEO on August 30, 2019 at 9:00 AM

An Easy Way to Improve Parent-Child Communication  

Do you want to stop school violence and a host of other dangerous behaviors? Eat dinner with your children.

Did you know if you eat dinner together as a family four times a week that your kids are 50% less likely to use drugs and engage in other risky behaviors?

Many people think they don’t have time to eat dinner with their children – well just imagine how much time you will spend sorting out your child’s problem behaviors?  And guess what, some behaviors become chronic and don’t get sorted out so you will be living with them for a life time.

Eating dinner together provides an opportunity for family members to come together, strengthen ties and build better relationships.  Communicating early and often makes it much easier to tackle conversations around tough topics, like substance use, when the time comes. If your kids aren’t used to talking to you about their day when they are 8 or 10 years old, it's much harder to start at age 12-14.

Our Family Day campaign promotes frequent family dinners as a way to prevent risky behavior in kids. On September 23rd, join millions of families across the U.S. to Stand Up for Sitting down to dinner. Enjoy a meal together with your family and talk to each other, electronics-free.

Peggy

 

 

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Topics: Family Day, President's Message, communication, prevention, family bonding, parents, family dinner

About Us

We teach people how to say no to drugs and how to make healthy choices. To reduce the demand for drugs, Informed Families has focused its efforts on educating and mobilizing the community, parents and young people in order to change attitudes. In this way we counteract the pressures in society that condone and promote drug and alcohol use and abuse. The organization educates thousands of families annually about how to stay drug and alcohol free through networking and a variety of programs and services .

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