17th annual Drug Store Project seeks volunteers and donations

Can one event make a difference? We believe it does, one life at a time.
Beautiful Lake Tahoe is like every other community across our nation. Drugs have become a scourge for our families and our neighborhoods. Drugs cost our nation financially, productively, and with the loss of lives. Drugs are easily accessible to our kids; often even in their own homes. How do we best help our youth as a nation? Teach them the facts, talk with them often, and provide for them as many learning opportunities in our schools and communities as possible. Our youth need our help so that they can independently make healthy decisions and choose not to experiment or use drugs when the situation presents itself. We as adults need to learn as much as we can and not be afraid to ask questions ourselves. Every family is at risk for losing a loved one. Drug abuse (including alcohol) is an equal opportunity detriment; there is no social or economical boundary.

Several of us in the community know the true cost of drug abuse firsthand; families in distress, youth dropping out of school, job loss, homelessness, mental illness, financial ruin, depression, funerals, all which leave a painful hole in your heart. There’s never a positive outcome for someone, or their family, if they choose to abuse drugs and alcohol.

The community of Lake Tahoe continues to work towards the elimination of youth experimentation. This year marks the 17th Annual Drug Store Project held for all sixth-grade youth here in the basin on Tuesday, March 31, 2020 on the Lake Tahoe Community College campus. We primarily serve the students of South Tahoe Middle School and Zephyr Cove Elementary.

Preventing our kids from experimenting with drugs, learning that their actions have consequences for them and all who love them, and providing families with resources in our community are just a few of the objectives for the multi-agency produced Drug Store Project. Annually, surveys taken before and after the event demonstrate that our youth learn more facts about the various drugs and the harm they can and do cause. They also learn who and what agency they can turn to if they have more questions.

We know that kids learn best when information is provided to them in a visual and experiential manner. The Drug Store Project follows a story line of vignettes of a youth who chooses to use drugs. The common theme of all vignettes is “Choices, What are Yours” because ultimately, it will be the individual who will choose to use or not.

The event’s fiscal supervising agency, Tahoe Youth & Family Services, in cooperation with 45 other agencies and organizations, and 220 volunteers and agency personnel will provide this year’s event for 325 sixth-grade youth. We welcome home-schooled sixth-grade youth as well with a parent or guardian chaperone for the day.

The day-long program places an emphasis on the health, legal, and social aspects of substance use and abuse. We invite you to learn more about this exceptional program and become involved by volunteering for the day by going to www.makeschoolssafe.com and clicking on the Drug Store Project tab.

This program remains a grass roots program. Money to conduct this event is through service club donations and successful grant writing. Cash donations and volunteers are still needed. If you or your organization are interested in helping to support this program, please contact Lisa Huard, the Program Coordinator, at lhuard@ymail.com or 530-318-5356. It’s a powerful day for the students and all of the adults involved. Come and be a part of something positive.