Latest news with #CommunityConnections
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Substance Abuse & Awareness Workshop hosted in Fayette County
OAK HILL, WV (WVNS) – More than 100 guests made their way out to Oak Hill's New River Convention Center on Tuesday for an educational workshop on substance abuse awareness and prevention hosted by the Fayette Prevention Coalition and Community Connections. In addition to presenting pertinent information on detection and prevention of substance abuse in younger members of the community, the event featured guest speaker Jermaine Galloway, an internationally recognized authority on drug and alcohol prevention and education. A former law enforcement officer, Galloway has taken his message of prevention across the nation and beyond through his nonprofit organization, Tall Cop Says Stop. During Tuesday's workshop presentation, Galloway noted that while Fentanyl remains a vital threat, community members should also be aware of more accessible substances finding their way into the hands of community youth.'He made the point that there is a lot of focus on the Fentanyl crisis because there is death and destruction right in front of us,' said Community Connections Partnership for Success Coordinator, Heather Green of the presentation. 'However, there is a whole fire behind us and that would be referring to those other substances.' Drug-Free Communities Program Director, Suzanne Wood stressed the importance of prevention early on as a means of circumventing issues later in life.'It's important because 90% of addiction begins in the teen years,' said Wood. 'The more we can prevent drug use from starting, the less we have to spend in the treatment of that drug – whether it is monetary or time.' Drug-Free Communities Project Coordinator, Amanda Withrow tells 59News that the workshop drew attendance from individuals from a variety of backgrounds, all of whom were united in a collective hope to gain further insight on the substance abuse epidemic impacting the region.'We also had people from different sectors: the schools – the Board of Education, for instance – law enforcement, health departments, parents, teachers, and government officials. So it was a great turnout. We're really pleased,' said Withrow. Those concerned with substance abuse among the youth at the local level are encouraged to get involved and to utilize resources made available by local organizations like the Fayette Prevention Coalition. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
08-02-2025
- General
- CBC
Union objects to plan to replace community hub at downtown Winnipeg library
Social Sharing The union that represents the majority of City of Winnipeg workers has threatened legal action over a city decision to discontinue funding to a downtown information and service hub in the Millennium Library and replace it with another service provider. A letter sent to Mayor Scott Gillingham and city councillors by Gord Delbridge, president of Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 500, objects to the plan to bring in workers from the Downtown Community Safety Partnership to take over the space formerly occupied by Community Connections. The space was previously staffed by city librarians and community safety hosts. The city's 2025 budget did not include funding for the space, which closed at the end of last year. "This is work that was normally performed by CUPE 500 members, and we were put into a position where, you know, we had to take further action," said Delbridge. Supporters of the space have said the hub was an accessible source of information for library users, many of them newcomers and downtown residents. It also provided a separate space away from the main library where crisis workers could help people experiencing issues who otherwise might have posed a safety risk. The mayor and some council members have said the city should not take on work that they say falls under provincial responsibility, such as providing information about housing and health services. They've also expressed concern about the fact that the space sits in the library's lobby, outside the metal detectors and security guards stationed at the front entrance. The Downtown Community Safety Partnership, which started as a pilot project in 2019, is a collaboration between the province, the city, the Downtown BIZ, the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, police, and True North Sports and Entertainment. It provides safety services, including community patrols in the downtown area. At a meeting of the executive policy committee in January, DCSP executive director Greg Burnett presented a proposal to replace Community Connections with a "satellite space" for a core team of outreach workers to do casework and provide support on an as-needed basis. It would not be intended as a drop-in site, although it would be open to the public if needed. Community Connections began operating in 2022 as a way to address safety concerns at the library, though one city councillor questioned whether a library was an appropriate location for such services. The cost to operate the space was about $614,000 a year. 'Very little discussion' on plan: councillor The letter from the union says the new plan violates its collective agreement and the Labour Relations Act. "CUPE 500 has a policy of always following our work, and we will defend the scope of our bargaining unit through any means, including an application for successor rights," the letter says. Successor rights refers to labour code provisions that allow a bargaining agent, like a union, to represent employees and continuation of collective agreements when a business or function is sold or transferred. Colin Fast, a spokesperson for the mayor, said in a statement that raising concerns about work arrangements is standard for unions, and a process exists to address those concerns. "The Downtown Community Safety Partnership will continue providing the same services they already offer, just in an additional location, and they already have a significant presence in the library," Fast wrote. City spokesperson Felicia Wiltshire told CBC News in an email statement the city will respond to the union's grievance through the process outlined in the collective agreement. Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry Coun. Sherri Rollins, whose ward includes the library, says she had concerns about the way the plan was brought forward at a budget meeting of the executive policy committee. It was one of the reasons she resigned from her position as property and development committee chair last month, she said. The proposal came as a surprise to her even as the area councillor, Rollins said in an interview. "There had been very little discussion. I really felt that this role, having been the councillor and the chair on EPC when Community Connections was launched, that it was really needed in the downtown that people relied upon it." Delbridge said he couldn't go into detail about what other action CUPE might take, but he hopes the union can come to an agreement with the city.
