COMMUNITY HELP NEEDED FOR YOUTHS

Dear Editor:

This correspondence is submitted on behalf of the Summerland Child and
Youth Committee, which is a community partnership comprised of
residents from the following agencies and organizations" School
District 67, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Child and Youth Mental
Health, Interior Health Authority, Ministry of Children and Family
Development, Okanagan Boys and Girls Club, Penticton and District
Community Resources Society, Pathways Addictions Resource Centre,
Summerland Asset Development Initiative, Summerland Municipal
Recreation Department, ARC Programs, Penny Lane Bargain Outlet and the
Summerland Clergy.

The Summerland CYC would like to lend support for the partnership with
the Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment in our community
regarding an initiative known as Community Education Partnership Continuum.

CPEC is a framework for asset development and is intended to support
healthy choices and drug prevention strategies for children and youth
from Kindergarten through Grade 12.

The sum of these components is unique to each community and is based
upon the needs and resources available.

The purpose is to encourage and assist children and youth to attain
the highest achievements possible.

Within this initiative, individuals, groups or organizations from the
community undertake a commitment to provide a component of asset
development, healthy choices or drug prevention to a single grade
within one local school during the year.

During the fall of 2010, representatives from the RCMP held a series
of preliminary meetings with interested groups in Summerland regarding
this initiative.

As a result of those meetings, a number of commitments have been made
and presentations have already been undertaken with children and youth
in Summerland schools or related settings.

At present, there is a need to extend this initiative to encompass a
wider scope for the 2011-2012 school year.

Accordingly, we would encourage any interested individuals, groups or
organizations to contact Sgt. Mona Kauffeld at the Summerland RCMP
detachment to obtain further information.

We would invite the community to consider this worthy initiative on
behalf of our children and youth.

Hal Roberts

Summerland Child and Youth Committee

Summerland