1990 Grand Session

From GWA Melody's Aurora message on her service project

Today 100% of all kids in Alaskan schools have to make a decision on whether or not to use marijuana, alcohol, and other drugs. Drug availability, even to elementary age children ,is a fact of life. 17.5% of all persons charged with a felony offenses in 1987 were for drug-related charges. In a national study of teens being treated for substance abuse, 60% reported someone else at home also abuses drugs or alcohol. There were 641 youth age 17 and under treated for substance abuse in Alaska in 1987. In comparison to a National survey of youth age 12-17, Alaskan youth, of the same ages, have had more experience in using the nine drugs in question.

These starting facts helped me decide that although there are many worthy and deserving causes which need support, the future of the Alaskan youth is a resource we cannot turn away from. This is especially true of our organization as our existence depends directly on the survival and strength of the youth of Alaska. Therefore, this year we will be raising money for "Alaskans for Drug Free Youth," which is am affiliate member of the "National Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth."

Alaskans for Drug Free Youth is a state-wide, non-profit, volunteer, drug education and awareness organization which began in Ketchikan eight years ago as a grass-roots movement known as Families in Action. The organization expanded its activities and changed its name to Alaskans for Drug Free Youth in 1987. They have been successful in developing a state-wide network of drug education awareness groups... The executive director is an unpaid volunteer, as are all the other persons who together have donated 29,817 hours of volunteer service in the past year.

In the past two years, they have established six chapters and three informal groups in Alaska and have been a resource to 108 communities. The six chapters are located in Ketchikan, Juneau, Anchorage, Wrangell, Petersburg, and Nome, with informal groups located in Sitka, Haines, and Fairbanks.

We constantly hear of the increasing drug problems in the world today, as more people are affected by this disease every minute of every day. I believe this service project is our change to help stop this plague from spreading, so that the youth of tomorrow will still have the desire and opportunity to be a part of organizations, like the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. Let us all do our part to stop this problem from spreading."