Background and Purpose
iASK (Irvington About Safe Kids) is a coalition recently formed by members of the long-standing CAB (Community Advisory Board), after applying for and being awarded federal monies through a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) grant. The funds are designated for use in communicating and strategies aimed at alcohol/drug awareness and prevention messages. Following on the success of the CAB, founded over 30 years ago by members of the Irvington community, iASK-CAB represents all sectors of our community – parents, teens, educators, law enforcement, government, medical professionals, businesses, faith leaders, civic groups – working together to provide youth and their families with the information and skills needed to make healthy decisions.
The purpose of iASK-CAB is to coordinate various community resources and activities with an emphasis on helping youth grow up healthy, happy and responsible. iASK-CAB provides a means for regular communication, with the express purpose of promoting an on-going safe and open dialogue with our teens about subjects meaningful to them and their community, including preventing and reducing youth alcohol and other drug use.
Strategy
iASK-CAB works to bring together all sectors of our community to implement research- supported strategies that have proven effective in reducing youth substance use by:
- Raising awareness of issues impacting youth by partnering with community organizations to disseminate information
- Providing skills and training to the community through speakers and workshops
- Changing social norms through both positive messaging and emphasis on the perception of harm
- Reducing access to alcohol by encouraging parents and older siblings to refrain from providing alcohol and working with local law enforcement to deter use
Get Involved
iASK-CAB needs dedicated committee members that are interested in providing support to the youth of our community. Members are asked to attend monthly meetings and/or participate in the implementation of events and programs as agreed upon by the coalition. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact info@iASK-CAB.org or (914) 301-3344 for more information.
Empowering Irvington’s families and engaging with teens for a safer and healthier community.
