Communities That Care
www.lynnctc.pbwiki.com

Established in 2004, the Lynn Communities That Care initiative is part of an effort to identify and reduce the factors that contribute to alcohol or other drug use, academic underachievement, delinquency, and violence, and enhance the valuable and untapped resources in this community that make Lynn unique and promote healthy development in youth and families. Members of this coalition represent all aspects of the community including service providers, law enforcement, city officials, schools, parents, and youth, all of whom share a common and positive vision for Lynn, its youth, families, and neighborhoods.  

The goal of the Lynn Communities That Care initiative is to mobilize the community to participate in efforts such as reducing underage drinking by changing the norms and attitudes that promote alcohol and other drug use, educating parents and youth about the dangers and risks associated with prescription drug abuse and gateway drugs such as alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana, increasing community awareness of the many resources that are available, and involving them in projects focusing on neighborhood and community development and cohesiveness. We are coordinating efforts to help youth and families in need access the support and services that will help them to reach their fullest potential.

These efforts have resulted in the implementation of several effective and unique activities including:

• Alcohol compliance checks.
• The creation of a city wide resource directory.
• The creation of youth driven PSAs.
• An educational program for parents related to the annual senior and junior proms.
• Social host liability initiatives.
• An effort to ban the sale of drug paraphernalia in convenience stores.
• Mentoring and peer support programs.
• Strategies for reducing fatal and non-fatal opiate overdoses.
• A safe prescription drug disposal program.

If you are interested in participating in this coalition or know of someone who would, please contact Wendy Kent at (781) 584-8490, ext. 102, for more information or to confirm your interest or e-mail wkent@projectcope.com