Teen Pregancy Prevention... Youth Empowerment... Y.E.S... S.O.S... PPMHV Programs... HAP... Chamber of Commerce... You Tube Video... More...

"Awarded the 2007 Planned Parenthood Action Committee of Utah's Just Say Know Award. This group of kids age 12 to 15 got tired of seeing their peers getting pregnant, and wanted to change things..."

["Think about IT! Teen pregnancy prevention PSA"; as submitted to You Tube by morganangela on 10/10/08; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYEDZKgxhFU]

In response to my "letter to the editor" - printed in the Kingston "Daily Freeman" on 2/5/2009 [a copy is accessible through prior blog postings, as well] - I received the following information:

According to C. Coleman [President / CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Mid-Hudson Valley (PPMHV)]; T. Robie (VP of PPMHV Educational Services); and M. Meyer [Archivist / Health Care STAT / UC) - Planned Parenthood of the Mid-Hudson Valley (PPMHV) is very involved in the realm of community-based education services and Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention programs - inclusive of the following:

(1) Direct work (including before and/or after school programs) with:

a. Big Brothers, Big Sisters
b. Bridgeback Outpatient Rehab
c. Family of Woodstock
d. Kingston High School
e. The Mental Health Association
f. The YMCA of Ulster County
g. The YWCA of Ulster County
h. Ulster County Mental Health

(2) The "Safe or Sorry" (S.O.S.) program: A peer-facilitated (empowering) 20-hour training program

(3) The "Youth Empowerment Series" (Y.E.S.) Coalition: Inclusive of a coordinated teen pregnancy prevention program that takes (and/or plans to take) over 90 workshops (projected into 2009) into Kingston High School (during Health Education Classes); Miller Middle School [Abstinence First (AF) / Comprehensive Reproductive Education (CRE)]; Phonecia Elementary School(AF / CRE); Roundout Valley Middle School(AF / CRE); Roundout Valley High School (AF / CRE), Wallkill High School(AF / CRE) and the Woodstock Day School(AF / CRE).

Some associates / activists associated with PPMHV were also instrumental in making the Kingston-Benedictine Alliance [tentatively referred to as "HAP" ("HealthAlliance Planning") a "groundbreaking" (based on compromises) reality...

PPMHV has health centers in the City of Kingston, Ellenville and New Paltz - through which PPMHV hopes to reach over 2,000 U.C. youth (age 10-19)in 2009.

The 4-county-wide organization (this includes Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Counties) reputedly serves (with community and youth education being a priority) approximately 15,000 people each year.

The new CEO of HAP [David Lundquist] is scheduled to be the featured speaker [sponsored by Willcare] at the Chamber of Commerce Breakfast (Holiday Inn, 503 Washington Avenue, Kingston, NY) - on Wed., February 18, 2009 - from 7:30AM-9AM.

Associated fees for this event (celebrating the successful merger of a Catholic hospital and a secular hospital - through which a full range of reproductive health care services will be made available in the City of Kingston) are $15 [Chamber Members/Advance Purchases]; $18 [Chamber Members/Advance Registration/At the Door]; and $30 [Non-Members/Advance Registration and Advance Payment Required].

You can register for this event by calling the Chamber of Commerce at 338-5100 - or via the Chamber's website at http://www.ulsterchamber.org [click on "future events" and (where appropriate) "register"].

Plus, I would like to, once again, encourage folks to contact their local representatives [Links are provided in the sidebar] about the urgency of supporting funding for family planning services [which include teenage pregnancy prevention programs (abstinence and education based) and youth empowerment programs (knowledge is the source of sound decisions) - such as those listed (as offered by PPMHV and their affiliates)] above.

[If any factual errors have been made, please let me know and I will make corrections as soon as possible]

Respectfully Posted

by N.S.

[Former Teen Parent Caseworker, YWCA of U.C.; Former Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Services (APPS) Coordinator, YWCA of U.C.; Former Coordinator / Educator in Association with the Y.E.S. Program, YWCA of U.C.; Former (Three Teen Pregancies by the Age of 18) Teen Parent]