Win an iPad & $1,000 For Your School

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.

Informed Families welcomed more than 300 Youth Ambassadors to the fold this fall.

Until recently, most parents were not as concerned about their teenager vaping as they would be if their child experimented with other drugs.

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 30^th.

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.

National Survey on Drug Use and Health Findings Announced

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recently released the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The annual survey is the nation’s primary resource for data on mental health and substance use among Americans.

Among the findings:

• The number of Americans misusing pain relievers dropped substantially, and fewer young adults are abusing heroin and other substances.
• Marijuana continues to be the most widely used illicit drug. Frequent marijuana use, in youth (aged 12-17 years) and young adults, appears to be associated with risk for opioid use, heavy alcohol use, and major depressive episodes. 
• A majority of people who misuse prescription pain relievers get them from friends & family, or healthcare providers & prescribers.

“I learned how to handle peer pressure and say no to drugs.”

“I didn’t know people could die from alcohol poisoning.”

“I didn’t know how much of a problem prescription drug abuse was.”

“Many of our peers are dealing with drug issues themselves or have a family member with a problem.”

Student ambassadors in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools Creating Community Change: Youth Engagement Program (CCC:YEP) program shared these messages and much more during their end of the year presentations at the Betty T. Ferguson Center in Miami Gardens on May 22, 23 and 24. 

34th Annual Dinner at Joe’s Stone Crab Raises Funds to Help Kids Grow Up Safe, Healthy & Drug Free

Informed Families/The Florida Family Partnership hosted its’ 34th Annual Dinner at Joe’s on Monday, May 13. The event, chaired by Donna Abood and Michael Fay of Avison Young, raised $250,000 to support Informed Families’ statewide prevention campaigns designed to help kids grow up safe, healthy and drug free.

Close to 400 guests attended the event, including: Alfred & Pam Giganti Bunge, Nancy & Jon Batchelor, Peter & Kerrin Bermont, Al Cardenas, Armando & Maggie Codina, Susan & Jim Carr, Butch & Tammy Davis, Mary & Joel Eaton, The Honorable Norma & Eugene Lindsey, Ginger Mead, Dorothy & Aaron Podhurst,and Scott & Karla C. Richey.

Commissioner Sally Heyman volunteered as the lead maître d' at the dinner, and Kathy Fernandez Rundle drew the raffle ticket for a fabulous dinner for 20 at Joe’s won by Donna & Gordon Fales. Long time attendees Charlie and Marabel Morgan always have the most interesting guests at their table. This year, their guests included Coach Mike Rumph, Jonathan Vilma, Sean Clancy, Dina Cellini, Ross Sawitz, and most importantly, Steve Sawitz, of Joe’s Stone Crab, who has attended as a guest of the Morgan’s every year.

“We are so thankful to the individuals that support Informed Families by attending our Dinner at Joe’s, especially those that have been joining us at Joe’s since the start,” said Peggy Sapp, President & CEO. “Their generosity has allowed us to offer powerful prevention programs and initiatives designed to help kids grow up drug free.”

Visit the Dinner at Joe’s photo gallery for pictures from the event.

Informed Families thanks the following generous event sponsors:

Informed Families President & CEO Peggy Sapp was invited to participate in a round table discussion about the opioid epidemic on Saturday, April 20. Organized by Congresswoman Donna Shalala, the panel was moderated by Rodrigo Lozano, LCSW, from the National Association of Social Workers and included John W. Newcomer, M.D., president and CEO of South Florida Behavioral Health Network in Miami, FL, Judge Victoria Sigler and Howard Rosen, Esq., head of narcotics in the State Attorney’s Office.

On Tuesday April 16, Informed Families, in partnership with the Orange County Drug Free Coalition, MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), and Florida Department of Health Orange County SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco) held an End of the School Year Youth Ambassador Drug/Alcohol Prevention Program Wrap Up.