Hillsdale, MI, 13 February 2023: The Hillsdale County YOUTH Advisory Council recently partnered with Domestic Harmony for one of this year’s awareness projects. February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM) and the YOUTH worked with Domestic Harmony to raise awareness of violence and abuse in relationships and promote the qualities in healthy relationships that protect against power and control: safety, fairness, and equality.
Domestic Harmony offers prevention education programs to all Hillsdale County Schools. School personnel are encouraged to contact Domestic Harmony to set up a presentation and enroll in KEEP Rewards. The Kristen E. Lucas Educate & Equip Project has four tiers that schools can achieve. “We are so excited to partner with The YOUTH to promote safe and equal relationships this February. Safety and equality is deserved in all relationships and so important for teens to understand as an essential part of healthy relationships,” said Domestic Harmony. For more information about how your school can get involved please contact the Prevention Educator at Domestic Harmony by calling 517-439-1454 or emailing preventioneducation@domesticharmony.org. All of these programs are free and available for grades K-12.
The Foundation’s YOUTH council provided support to Domestic Harmony by creating stickers that the prevention educator will distribute to students who participate in presentations. They also designed t-shirts to wear to school on Wednesday, February 15th. The logo on the front of the shirt says “healthy relationships” surrounded by the words: communication, equal, honesty, respect, and support. The back of the t-shirt says “1 in 3 teens are victims of dating violence” with the website reference to www.thatsnotcool.com. Furthermore, the YOUTH created a social media campaign with several posts during the month of February.
The Hillsdale County Community Foundation YOUTH was established in October of 1991. The YOUTH Advisory Council has an ongoing program for studying the assets, needs, and concerns of the young people of Hillsdale County. YOUTH has a special endowment fund, initially made possible by a challenge grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to make available grant dollars to benefit and involve young people in Hillsdale County. The current YOUTH Council has 25 members including: Camden-Frontier, Sam Brown and Tydann Cooney; Hillsdale Academy, Riley Coupland, Keturah Neukom, and Caroline Roberts; Hillsdale, Kate Nolan and Keegan Oxley; Homeschool, Eve Goodlife; Jonesville, Hallie James, Maria Mandrelle, Abigail Nevins, Damion Scharer and Emily Toner; Litchfield, Eliza Alvarez; North Adams-Jerome, Carly Beach and Cheyanne Welch; Pittsford, Ava Mallar and Riley McCumber; Reading, Ava Potter and Luke Potter; Waldron, Jena Fellabaum and Emma Wines; and Will Carleton Academy, Clemmie Gadwood, Jack Thielen and James VanCamp. Anyone wishing further information regarding the YOUTH may call the Foundation office at (517) 439-5101 or visit www.abouthccf.org.
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FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mindy Eggleston, Program Director
517.439.5101, M.Eggleston@abouthccf.org