Family Fun Night Aims At

Starting Beneficial Habit — Eating Together!

“Eating dinner as a family has become a lost art,” said Amanda Walsh, Grant Coordinator for Newtown Prevention Council. “Studies have shown that eating as a family have numerous social, academic, and developmental benefits for children and teens.” To help local families launch or renew this beneficial practice, the Newtown Parent Connection and Newtown Youth & Family Services (NYFS) are hosting Family Dinner Night 2009 on Friday, September 25, at 6 pm.

The dinner will be held at Reed Intermediate School. A ziti and meatball dinner, ice cream, and dessert, will be served. DJ Kevin Koschel will be providing music for the evening. There will also be face painting and other fun activities.

The cost is $10 per family of 4 and $3 for each additional person. Tickets are being sold in advance at Dr Baum’s office and Newtown Youth & Family Services, 17 Church Hill Road. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Family Fun Night is made possible through funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Drug Free Communities Grant. The Newtown Prevention Council (NPC) is a group of individuals who represent diverse agencies, groups, sectors, and interests within the community that are concerned with the quality of life issues which include substance abuse.

The council is designed to bring together a diverse but cohesive membership with community representation from the schools, town agencies, and community.

Together the council works to provide opportunities to increase the resiliency of the community’s youth in avoiding substance use, present life choices which would negatively impact their future, educate parents on issues related to drug use, and provide resources to help families and community members facing challenging life circumstances related to drug issues and enable families in facilitating educational discussions at home.

NYFS combines clinical services and positive youth development programs to provide a continuum of care to residents of the greater Newtown area. The agency has expanded ability to serve area communities by creating and implementing a variety of unprecedented services.

By providing outpatient individual, couple, and family counseling and substance abuse treatment services. In addition NYFS offers prevention initiatives, after school, evening and weekend programs and support groups

Newtown Parent Connection, Inc is a grassroots organization established by concerned parents and other informed citizens of Newtown, to address the problem of substance use and abuse among young people in the community.

To find out more about Newtown Youth and Family Services or Youth Advisory Board, call Jessi Zeigler or Amanda Walsh 270-4335 or visit www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org.