ROTARY RECRUITS METH TASK FORCE CO-ORDINATOR

The Golden Rotary Club has recruited a task force co-ordinator to
manage the first phase of a community initiative that will explore
strategies for preventing crystal methamphetamine from taking hold in Golden.

Kathy Collins, who previously spent years working at a youth centre
in downtown Kelowna (where use of the drug had reached epidemic
proportions), sees the chance to help Golden develop a program to
deal with the issue early on as extremely valuable.

"This is a community where meth is starting to show its head, but
it's not yet full-blown," says Collins, who has a degree in social
work and has completed a practicum with the B.C. Ministry of Children
and Families.

"So I think it's a great opportunity to be involved in something like
this -- to determine what we need in our community to enable us to
respond to this."

Collins' hiring was made possible through a $20,000 Union of B.C.
Municipalities grant provided to the Rotary Club through the office
of the B.C. Solicitor General. The money for this first phase must be
used by September. An additional funding process must be undertaken
to secure money for the second phase of the Golden initiative.

Among her various tasks in the first phase, Collins will research and
organize information on meth use, risk and production, and look at
examples of other community's approaches to the issue.

She will also organize a community meeting to bring all stakeholders
together to discuss a community action plan and create an educational
campaign to increase knowledge and awareness around the issue of meth use.

"It's scary to see the impact meth can have on youth," says Collins
of her previous work experiences. "How quickly you can see a kid
who's got it all together turn around to the point where you don't
even recognize him anymore. It's really sad."