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Our Valley Cooks turns focus to making healthy choices
The Vindicator (Youngstown)
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Senior Boardman Middle School PANDA club members preform a skit on the effects of drugs and alcohol use and poor decision making skills during a lock-In educational event Friday evening at Boardman Center Middle School.
The Vindicator (Youngstown)
Photo
Meridian Community Care social worker, and PANDA club coordinator Beth Bonish talks to Boardman center Middle School students during a PANDA club lock-in. The lock-in was set up to discuss issues surrounding drug and alcohol use prevention as well as decision making techniques.
TEEN PROBLEMS
Proceeds from this year’s Our Valley Cooks event, set for March 19 at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center in Boardman, are to benefit Meridian Community Care’s prevention programs for students, many of whom suffer from bullying, depression and other difficulties. Some statistics regarding young people:
About one in eight adolescents suffers from depression.
Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among those age 15 to 24. It’s also the sixth-leading cause for children 5 to 14.
On a typical day, nearly 16,000 youngsters drink alcohol, smoke marijuana or try an illicit drug for the first time.
Each day, an estimated 160,000 children in the U.S. stay home from school for fear of bullying.
Students who initiate drug use before age 15 are twice as likely to have drug problems than those who start after age 19.
Source: Prevent and Neutralize Drug Abuse
By Sean Barron
BOARDMAN
A local cooking com- petition next month will give people ideas for food choices, but proceeds will go for programs to give youngsters ideas for making responsible choices.
“We help kids identify problems and help empower them to make positive life choices,” Larry Moliterno, chief executive officer of Meridian Community Care, said recently, referring to prevention programs the agency offers for children and teenagers.
The programs, one of which is the PANDA Leaders Club, are aimed at combating drug and alcohol abuse and helping young people who suffer from depression and low self-esteem, as well as victims of bullying and cyber-bullying. It’s also set up for those who feel suicidal.
They also will be the recipients of money raised by the annual Our Valley Cooks food expo March 19 at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center, 7440 South Ave. The event will be presented by PNC Bank.
Highlights of the gathering will be celebrity chef Aarti Sequeira of the Food Network, as well as the Steel Valley Classics, consisting of eight area chefs who will be take part in a Steel Valley Chefs competition.
The eight are Vernon Cesta of Vernon’s Caf ; Leo Delgarbino, Leo’s Ristorante; Sal Coppola, Salvatore’s; Nick Frankos, Buena Vista Cafe; Kenny Iberis, Sunrise Inn; Ron Quaranta, Caffe Capri; Rusty Johnson, Rusty’s; and Chookie Alberini, Alberini’s.
Moliterno spoke during a recent PANDA club “Lock-In” event at Boardman Center Middle School on Market Street, in which students performed two skits designed to stress making responsible decisions.
The first skit, “Blast Away Drugs,” featured students portraying celebrities such as actress Lindsay Lohan, who has received a lot of attention for substance-abuse problems.
In the second, six students pantomimed the dangers of succumbing to peer pressure and drugs to the Bonnie Tyler song “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” Its theme centered on the importance of having courage to make healthy choices and what can happen to young people who don’t.
One way to decrease the likelihood youngsters will turn to drugs and drinking is to have a greater number of meals at home and more one-on-one time with them, noted Danny Catullo, owner of Catullo Prime Meats in Boardman and host of Our Valley Cooks.
“Too many meals are outside of the home,” explained Catullo, who plans to give a family-oriented cooking demonstration at Our Valley Cooks. “We live in a work-dominated culture, and Mom and Dad are not home a lot.”
Sitting down at the dinner table more often usually translates into less drug and alcohol use largely because it provides young people an opportunity to share and talk more openly about their concerns, Catullo noted.
Center Middle has a strong and vibrant PANDA program that also spotlights bullying, which is a “hot topic now,” noted Superintendent Frank Lazzeri.
Federal funds have dried up, so it’s hoped that more community partners will help supplement programs in place, Lazzeri said, adding that he’s thankful the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley provided a grant for several Boardman students to attend a three-day PANDA camp last fall.
The camp had PANDA members throughout the Valley, he added.
PANDA clubs include middle- and high-school students, and individual groups are geared to fit particular needs, explained Leanne D. Miller, Meridian’s marketing and development coordinator.