Written by Ainsley Erdner
Each month on the Drug Free Cecil blog, we will feature an interview with a member of the Drug Free Cecil Youth Coalition. This interview will give you a look into why they decided to join the DFCYC and what it means to them.
This month, our Youth Aid, Ainsley Erdner, interviewed youth coalition member Laura Longeway.
How long have you been involved with DFCYC and how did you first hear about it?
Laura: I’ve been in Drug Free Cecil for about a year, and I was invited to a meeting by one of my peers.
What does the question “what’s your WHY?” even mean?
Laura: To me this question allows you to really think about why you choose to spend time working on something, in this case prevention.
Why is finding your WHY important?
Laura: To me it gives me purpose to continue doing work in the coalition and helping people.
Do you have a memory of a favorite time you got to help someone or the community?
Laura: The take back was my favorite event because people got the opportunity to get rid of old prescriptions which decreases the chance of addiction in households all over the community.
What role does prevention play in your life?
Laura: Prevention plays a huge role in my life. It has shown me that there is hope for future generations of kids my age.
What is your WHY?
Laura: My WHY is to help prevent people from having to suffer the loss of a loved one.
Has your WHY changed from when you started and now?
Laura: I haven’t been involved in the coalition for a super long time so as of right now my WHY has remained the same since I have started, however it may change as my passion for this work continues to grow.
How does your WHY keep you going in prevention?
Laura: My WHY keeps me going in prevention because the work we do makes people happy and that is encouraging for me to continue to be a part of the coalition and spread prevention awareness.
What was your ONE WORD that represents your WHY?
Laura: Faith
How do you see DFCYC playing a role in your future?
Laura: Prevention has become a passion of mine, therefore I will continue to spread prevention awareness throughout my future, wherever I may end up.
Do you think you will continue prevention work after high school?
Laura: Yes, my goal is to use the knowledge and skills I have gained from DFCYC to continue promoting prevention in my community.
What is something you learned since starting with the DFCYC?
Laura: I have learned that everything I do makes a difference in my community, no matter how big or small it is.
What are some goals that the DFCYC has that you are really excited about or feel really passionate about?
Laura: We have been brainstorming PSA ideas for social hosting as our topic, and I get to be in that PSA so I am super excited to start filming for that and learn more about the topic of social hosting.
How has DFCYC changed you or your way of thinking?
Laura: It has changed my way of thinking by realizing how many people need help in our community, and how issues are a lot worse than I ever noticed. It has definitely made me more aware.
Why is prevention so important?
Laura: Prevention is important because it’s used to stop a minor issue before it becomes a problem that can potentially affect an entire generation.
What role does the community have in prevention and if you had to write a general WHY for the community what would it be?
Laura: There is a lot of focus on recovery in our community, because we have a high need for recovery. However, with prevention work we see hope for the future and can make a change so that the need for recovery can decrease.
Thanks for chatting with me today! I’m super excited for what’s to come in DFCYC!
Laura: Yeah absolutely!