Four minutes to show time and there was not an empty seat to be seen.  It wasn’t Gaga or Beiber who enticed the crowd to fill the auditorium, but a group of talented teens, poets, singers, song writers and actors– the Lady Gagas of the future.  After folding chairs were hastily dragged into the hall to create another row, a hush fell over the crowd.  The show began. 

The 2012 justCommunity Performing Arts Festival held December 11^th at the James Lorah House in Doylestown was an outstanding success and a night to remember for the twenty-one student performers from Bucks and Montgomery Counties.  Each performer wrote either an original song, poem or play based on the theme ‘What’s on Your Mind’.

justCommunity board members Teresa Gallagher and Jan Jalenak organized the event and did an extraordinary job with overseeing the entire production.  The songs were brilliantly written and performed by: Aliza Berger, Timothy Bilodeau, Aaron Braverman, Alden Braverman, Lauren Elliott, Andrew Galena, Emma Gibson, Gel Gibson, Ganesh Greenwald, Grace Guggenheim, Zoe Long, Hannah McCausland, Alyssa Neiman, Sarah Rubinstein and Lindsey Todd.

The poems were thought provoking and delivered with emotion by: Victoria Deck, Paige Ierubino and Stina Stannik.  The plays written by Erin Farrell and Emily Reese, were incredibly moving and “read aloud” in what is called a “staged reading”.  Throughout the show, background and interlude music was shared by flute player Nick Hall.  Special thanks to Jules Thin Crust Pizza, Quakertown National Bank, First Savings Bank of Perkasie and the Cardinal Video and Camera Center for providing in-kind and/or major financial support for the event.  A special thank you goes to David Phillips who mentored the student performers and also provided the sound system.  The event was such a success that there is talk of getting the group together for an open mike night and discussions as to how to make next year’s event bigger and better!

The resounding applause and smiling faces at the end of the night both on and off the stage marked the end of an exciting event.  The night was such a success that there is talk of getting the group together for an open mike night and discussions as to how to make next year’s event bigger and better!  Our extreme gratitude goes out to the parents, board members and contributors for making this an extremely special night.

The event raised close to $2,000 which will benefit the Upper Bucks Healthy Communities Healthy Youth Coalition and the Project CARE Training Program, two major initiatives supported by justCommunity, Inc.

The Upper Bucks Healthy Communities Healthy Youth Coalition (UBHCHY) participated in the third national Rx Drug Take Back event held on Saturday, October 29,2011. This event is coordinated nationally through the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and locally through the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission. The purpose of the day is to provide a place for citizens to dispose of unused and outdated medications. Each county-wide event has received a larger amount of prescription drugs disposed than each even previously, as more police departments have chosen to be involved.

Members of the Pennridge and Quakertown football teams volunteered at each site to help conduct surveys as well as distribute UBHCHY information.

Since the first event in 2010, over two tons of prescription drugs have been collected throughout Bucks County. There were nine drop off sites in Upper Bucks County at various police departments, (Dublin, Hilltown, Pennridge Regional, Quakertown, Richland, Springfield and Tinicum) and other community sites. Despite the unexpected snowstorm on October 29, 2011, over 3,800 pounds of prescription drugs were collected county wide. Members of the Pennridge and Quakertown football teams volunteered at each site to help conduct surveys as well as distribute UBHCHY information. The Prescription Drug Take Back is a great way to keep drugs from falling into the wrong hands as well as a safe way to dispose of them without contaminating the underground water supply. Since October 25, 2011, there have been four knife-point robberies at pharmacies in Lower Bucks County thus confirming the high street value and demand for these over-the-counter prescription pills. Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick commended the efforts of our community on the house floor; check out his encouraging words and praise here.  The project is funded in part through a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

For more information and locations go to www.dea.gov or www.buckspromise.blogspot.com.

To view the Montgomery News’ article “Drug drop-off box in Pennridge a safe, easy way to discard unused medications” click here.

Thanks to a two-year grant through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), the area coalition in the Palisades community called Partners in Action for Community Togetherness (PACT) is sponsoring the research-based program called The Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP).   The SFP has completed its inaugural seven-week course. This program was selected by the PACT coalition after they spent a year going through the Communities That Care (CTC) planning process.

The SFP is geared towards helping families prepare for the “teen years” with their children and provides a no-cost opportunity for families to strengthen communication and promote bonding. Each session is two hours long with an additional thirty minutes at the start of the evening for dinner. The first hour is spent with parents and youth and the second hour is spent together. Each week activities include games, activities, family meals, engaging youth activities and interaction with other parents. Childcare is also offered on-site for younger family members not participating in the program at no cost to families.

During this first series of classes, eleven families participated and all participants shared positive comments about the course.  One participating teen commented, “I hope these classes never end!”  The next series of classes is slated to begin February 2, 2012. If you are interested in learning more about enrollment call the PACT Community Mobilizer, Karen Richter at (610) 346-9629 or send her an email.

I first heard Peter Benson speak in 1995. Tim Duffey, an old friend from days spent in the Student Assistance Program (SAP) field brought Peter to one of our National SAP conferences to speak as a keynoter. I never forgot Peter and his message. He shared a refreshing thought- “Why is so much energy spent on trying to figure out what’s the matter the kids—why don’t we spend more time on what matters to them?”

Or at least that is how I recall his message. He got me thinking about perspective and I haven’t stopped since. While he may have laid down his tired and worn body, his spirit is way too healthy to die. Just go online for an hour or two and read the tributes pouring into sites here at Search Institute, Facebook or the Caring Bridge. So here is my humble tribute to a friend and mentor—Dr. Peter L. Benson

Shortly after the founding of justCommunity, Inc. in 1999, many local community leaders throughout Upper Bucks County came together to discuss a new beginning for a coalition working on the issue of positive youth development. It had been less than a year since the tragedy at Columbine and many people were genuinely concerned about the well being of kids in our own community and millions more children throughout the country. I remember leaving one of our planning meetings where we were discussing the public roll-out of our coalition. We had been discussing the issue of who we could ask to be our primary speaker to bring us together with a call to action—Someone on our committee suggested calling Dr. Peter Benson. I figured it was a long shot since his work at Search Institute and the following that the 40 Developmental Assets had been garnering was taking him to large audiences. I figured that speaking to a hundred or so people in a small fire company hall in Quakertown, PA probably would not be part of his strategic plan. Little did I know then what I know now—Peter’s “strategic plan” was simple- If called to talk to a group of “kindred spirits” (as he so often called us all), especially one in a small town in America in a fire hall no less—well –let me put this way—his first question to me about the talk was not “Who will I be speaking to?”, it was “How far are you from the Philadelphia airport?”.

You see he did have a talk that morning in Philadelphia and if I recall it was a big one. To a group of VIP’s. I was soon to learn that Peter considered everyone he met a VIP. He truly did, for he knew that one person can touch thousands of others and sometimes thousands of people can touch no one…unless they begin to think differently…in new ways about children and what they need and can give. So after a few more conversations about logistics, Peter figured out if he could rent a car he would drive north to Quakertown, PA (about 30 miles north of Philadelphia).

And so on May 5, 2000, he did indeed give a welcoming talk to our fledgling group and he did manage to get back down to the airport for his flight home to Minneapolis by 7 PM. My life (and many others here in Upper Bucks County, PA) has been forever changed. We launched our coalition that day- for the first time in the history of our community our local school Superintendent committed to conducting a youth survey (which we did and now have been conducting the 40 Assets Survey for over a decade). I remember the high I felt driving home that night—we had planned for months for this big event and it went off without a hitch—Peter’s talk inspired all of us that afternoon- we had made a breakthrough—and it was because of something very simple- to believe that anything is possible—that to reach out and ask a well known leader to show up for a 20 minute talk in a fire hall is not small at all.

“To dream what is possible and to put oneself in service of that dream is the formula for a life well lived.”

Peter did indeed dream big. He has been justly rewarded. I will never forget that day Peter. Thank you friend. And God speed.

justCommunity, Inc., is hosting the 2nd Annual Performing Arts Festival on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011 at 3:30 and 7 pm at the James Lorah House, 132 N. Main Street, Doylestown. In the spirit of promoting positive youth development, justCommunity has chosen the theme of this year’s festival as “What’s on Your Mind?” The performing arts festival will showcase 15 original works by teens. Teens from Bucks and Montgomery counties will answer the question of “What’s on Your Mind?” through the performance of original songs, poems and plays. There is a suggested donation of $10 per person at the door.

Doors open at 3:00 pm. As an addition to the festival this year, handmade gifts by local artists will be available for purchase before and between shows.

This month’s is “Caring Neighborhood” which is defined as when a child experiences caring neighbors living nearby. When I think of this asset, I realize that we may all have a different view of what our “neighborhood” is. It makes me think of when I was a child growing up on Juniper Street in Quakertown.

My neighborhood was one block long and everyone knew each other. I remember that, if I did something wrong, my parents would find out sometimes before I had a chance to tell them. Our neighborhoods today are often different. They may be our street, our development or our entire small community. If we live in a very rural area, our neighbors may be some distance away.

The point of this asset is that young people need neighbors, no matter how far away they may be, to care about them. Sometimes parents are not enough. I would suggest making sure that we include our close relatives in our concept of our neighborhood. We can help our youth by getting to know the parents of their friends. Communication with these people who touch the lives of our children is important. Develop a list of the names and phone numbers of the other adults in your child’s life and stay in contact with them. Check to make sure that they are really home when your child is at their house. If they care about the well being of your child and theirs they will appreciate this.