Prescott, Arizona – Focuses on youth education, impact on trauma, positive parenting, mental health, mentoring, and review of overdose deaths in a 17-year legacy of substance abuse prevention. Emerged as a “champion of prevention”.
Our mission and vision from day one remains true to this day. Children, parents, grandparents and even former addicts in our community save lives by reinforcing life-affirming messages that keep them away from the lure of e-cigarettes, binge eating and addiction to prescription drugs. Pain relievers and any pills that may be laced with trace but lethal amounts of illicit fentanyl, according to leaders.
At a celebratory breakfast for 125 guests at the Hassayampa Inn on Valentine’s Day, MatForce’s founders and leaders embraced years of bold efforts to combat addiction and its impact on the lives of families in this community. I applaud all the people of Yavapai County who came. Starting with the methamphetamine attack in 2006, MatForce has become a true force in substance abuse prevention by targeting not just substances, but the root causes of why people succumb to drugs. As a community-oriented coalition, MatForce brings together law enforcement officers, educators, mental health professionals, public health officials, teen peer mentors, ex-convicts, clergy, elected officials, and grieving parents. Combine forces to attack the latest drug abuse trends.
“There is very little we can do alone,” said Sheila Polk, Founder and Chairman of the Board of MatForce.
Initially, the almost all-volunteer agency had an annual budget of about $125,000. Today, MatForce manages millions of dollars in grants and has expanded to lead the Substance Abuse Coalition Leaders of Arizona, a statewide coalition.
But part of the “secret sauce” behind MatForce’s formula for success is human power, and Merilee Fowler, the agency’s highly respected 16-year executive director, said her home community He is soft-spoken and enthusiastically advocates for all precautions. her homeland and the whole country.
Polk and fellow coalition leaders praised Fowler for her relentless efforts to combat apathy when it comes to confronting people for whom prevention is a dirty word. I blamed myself for not doing more to stop me from shopping. She is challenging the marijuana industry even after losing her battle against adult recreational use. She worked with multiple agencies to investigate overdose fatalities and built programs aimed at saving future victims. She promotes a contest that encourages young people to create their own preventive ads, such as posters and pizza boxes. Fowler was at the forefront of the fentanyl battle. Even before families and others in this county were forced to bury a teenager who had ingested a tablet laced with a deadly substance, alarm bells sounded.
Through a 90-minute program, Coalition leaders will share how MatForce has grown to not only combat the effects of modern drugs, but also to help vulnerable individuals and families overcome addiction and mental health issues. We shared how we were able to provide the necessary education and resources.
One program of note is the Yavapai Reentry Project. This is a program that pairs volunteer community coaches with individuals who have been jailed or released from prison. Through these mentors, these men and women can get help with addiction, physical and mental health needs, employment, housing, and build friendships they can believe in for a new future.
The breakfast crowd was also treated to an anniversary video showcasing many of MatForce’s ongoing programs and initiatives. Fowler, too, shared some of the billboard, radio and TV ads that focused on various prevention efforts, including spots on families who lost their teens to illegal fentanyl overdoses. All were given a brochure highlighting the program highlighting MatForce’s 17-year history and were able to take home a MatForce coffee mug.
MatForce Youth Group Chairman Luis Oliver shared how he and his fellow teens are working to “make our generation and generations to come better” .
Through civic engagement, teen-focused events and promotion of preventive education, Oliver said the council is all about encouraging teens to embrace a drug-free future. Advisors Ivy Chamberlain and Fowler suggested that these youth leaders are hopes for the future.
To the adults in the audience, Oliver offered his group’s mantra:
“Love yourself, don’t drug yourself.”
