By: Ashley Winterstein
This month, as they have done for the past decade, Character Counts! coaches will be returning to local classrooms to share lessons on good character with their students. Some are first time coaches, many have a year or two under their belts, and a handful are members of the “High Five Club” who have been coaching for more than five years.
A remarkably dedicated volunteer will be beginning her eleventh year as a Character Counts! coach. Mary Ruth Meredith began coaching during the inaugural year of the Queen Anne’s County Character Counts! Program, which also coincided with her first year as a retired teacher. The opportunity to return to the classroom and inspire students through songs, books, and activities has kept her coming back year after year.
Meredith has certainly demonstrated the October Pillar of the Month, Trustworthiness, to her students through her unwavering support and presence in the schools. With five classes at three different schools on her plate this year, she will have the opportunity to share many lessons about having and demonstrating good character in all aspects of daily life.
There are many ways for community members to show their support for Meredith and the dozens of other volunteers who coach in classrooms each week. The African Proverb holds true today that “It takes a village to raise a child.” As a community, we must work together to build the strongest future possible for these students.
In this spirit, the Drug-Free Queen Anne’s Coalition, Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office and the Maryland State Police Centreville Barracks will be sponsoring a Prescription Round-Up to collect unused and expired prescription drugs.
This is the perfect occasion for families to dispose of their old medications in a way that is environmentally safe and keeps the prescription drugs out of the hands of our youth, a growing problem across America.
A report was released by the Office of National Drug Control Policy in 2008 entitled, “Prescription for Danger,” that included shocking statistics about prescription drug abuse. It stated, “Teens are abusing prescription drugs because they are widely available, free or inexpensive, and they believe they are not as risky as street drugs. The majority of teens who abuse these products say they get them for free, usually from friends and relatives, and often without their knowledge. Because these drugs are so readily available, teens who otherwise wouldn’t touch street drugs might abuse prescription drugs.”
The report continues to explain that a staggering “seventy percent of people who abuse prescription pain relievers say they got them from friends or relatives.” This is one of the key reasons that prescription drug abuse ranks second only to marijuana use in today’s teens.
Prescription Round-Ups like this one are taking place across America to encourage families to clear their houses of unused medications, which pose safety and environmental hazards and could play a role in the growing prescription drug abuse.
The Character Counts! Advisory Council is encouraging all citizens to demonstrate their trustworthiness in eliminating the possibility that these unused prescription drugs could end up in the water table, landfill, or the hands of local teens.
The collections are free and anonymous and will take place at the following locations in Queen Anne’s County:
Sudlersville Fire Dept.
Saturday, November 13, 2010 from 3-5 p.m.
Centreville Goodwill Fire Dept.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 from 12-2 p.m.
Kent Island Fire Dept.
Thursday, November 18, 2010 from 4-7 p.m.
For more information about the Prescription Round Up, please contact Kathy Wright at 410-758-1306 ext 304.
If you would like more information on the Character Counts! Program, please contact Jacki Carter at 410-758-6677 or jcarter@qac.org. Character Counts! is a part of QAC Community Partnerships for Children and Families, our local management board.