PEP established regular virtual meeting times with the What’s Up Wednesday Group (WUW) and the PEP Youth Leadership Team (YLT), and sought to reach more youth by offering interactive games such as Jackbox, Kahoot!, scavenger hunts, and mystery games with prevention messages during virtual meetings. As attendance grew with these two youth groups and the pandemic raged, it was determined that a holiday party was impossible but a creative project to help both the young and the old was not. The YLT made a video showcasing their talents which was shown as their gift to senior citizens and those in assisted living facilities. Additionally, children from local community center partners joined in making holiday cards for over 400 local senior citizens, and a youth member helped make a custom PEP Christmas card. The entire community outreach project was completed safely by sending card-making kits home with children and then safely collecting and distributing the cards to seniors.
PEP provided schools with much-needed prevention tools that could be used in a virtual as well as a traditional classroom. PEP staff increased virtual training and technical assistance to youth leaders for substance use prevention and leadership, and also provided assistance for becoming prevention advocates. Youth leaders attended several virtual conferences such as the WV Solution Seekers and CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) conferences, and two youth leaders received the Power of Performance Student Leadership Award from WV Solution Seekers.
The YLT learned how to conduct complete group projects virtually to execute prevention projects successfully and professionally. They created multiple public service announcements and white board prevention messages, helped develop and present several prevention videos, designed and produced PEP’s quarterly newsletter, “The Voice of the Youth” and more. Learn more about PEP’s youth projects by visiting the PEP website, www.unitedwayrivercities.org/pep or find on Facebook at @PEPWV.
During spring 2021, PEP designed a unique event that safely combined small group outside activity with virtual fun and community support. The Spring Egg-straordinary Scavenger Hunt was a five-day event at ten sites throughout Cabell County. Eggs with QR codes and substance prevention bracelets were hidden throughout the county at two different sites daily. Clues to where the eggs of the day were hidden were posted on Facebook, and the QR codes were used to register for random drawings during a Facebook live event the following week. Prizes donated by the community worth more than $11,000 were distributed to 104 youth and family members. Children and their parents picked up the items and were given prevention materials, PEP information, and Live Drug-Free t-shirts.
PEP partnered with CADCA and Walmart in a state-wide webinar to provide community-based training on administering Naloxone, where it can be accessed, and prevention and intervention services available.