Coinciding with the start of the new school year, parents and students enjoyed the 16th annual Gardere Initiative “Back-to-School Extravaganza,” held Aug. 6, at BREC’s Hartley/Vey Park.
More than 300 children and adults attended the fun and informative event that included an engaging Zumba class, music, food, games, and educational booths staffed by various agencies and organizations that specialize in helping families.
Special thanks to CAHS Executive Director Jan Laughinghouse, PhD, LCSW-BACS,LAC; Prevention Division Director Latraiel Courtney, MHA; Program Monitor Bridget Lewis, MS-LPP; and Program Monitor Yolanda Yancy, RPP; for their support of CAHS’ participation.
The CAHS Team raised awareness about the important topics of bullying, vaping and opioids. The team distributed materials from the “Anti Bullying – Be More than a Bystander” and “What You Need to Know” campaigns, along with information about the effects of vaping and nicotine on the brain. Literature about the risks of opioids was also available in Spanish.
We were thankful to hear this comment from an attendee, “I’ve been coming to Capital Area Human Services for a long, long time and they’ve helped me very much.”
Other vendors included the Capital Area Transit System (CATS), Scott Law Firm, Bridge Center for Hope, and Louisiana National Guard Youth Challenge Program.
