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Health Promotion & Wellnes Coalition

Alachua County

Formed in 2013, the Alachua County Health Promotion and Wellness Coalition is a 501©(3) non-profit organization that works to prevent substance abuse among youth and adults, enhance wellness, and provide health education to improve the quality of life for everyone in our community.

Our Mission is to prevent substance abuse, enhance wellness and educate the community by raising awareness through partnerships and health promotional activities.

Our Vision is to build a safe, healthy and drug-free community for residents of Alachua County.

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&  Wellness Coalition

HPW Coalition

“An ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure”

– Benjamin Franklin

Formed in 2013, the Alachua County Health Promotion and Wellness Coalition (HPW) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that works to prevent substance use among youth and adults, enhance wellness, and improve the overall quality of life for everyone in the community. HPW’s vision is to build a safe, healthy and drug-free community for residents of Alachua County.

Our Mission is to prevent substance abuse, enhance wellness and educate the community by raising awareness through partnerships and health promotional activities.

Our Vision is to build a safe, healthy and drug-free community for residents of Alachua County.

Run for Your Life 5K

The Run for Your Life 5K is a family-friendly color run event designed to honor those affected by the opioid use crisis and raise awareness by educating residents in Alachua County. It also serves as a fundraiser for HPW’s mission in the community. This event takes place each September at Depot Park in Gainesville, FL.

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HEALTH PROMOTION & WEllNESSCOALITION

Board Of  Directors

Rev. Gregory Pelham

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Rev. Gregory Pelham

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Lashay Johnson

My name is LaShay Johnson, the new Project Director for The Alachua County Health Promotion and Wellness Coalition.

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Amy Patrick

My Name is Amy and I first became involved with the Coalition as an intern in January of 2017

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HPW Events

A lot of HPW’s work in substance use prevention involves directly reaching out to and engaging with the community. HPW frequently host events such as the annual 5K Color Run, DEA Drug Take Back Days in April and October, and more. Please check the event calendar to see any upcoming events near you!

  • September 18th – Run for Your Life 5K
  • October 29th – Fall DEA Drug Take Back Day
  • October 22nd – Gainesville Pride Parade & Festival
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To build a safe, healthy and drug-free community for residents of Alachua County.

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Surveys
Surveys include four versions: two youth surveys, one adult and parent survey, and an alcohol survey for those under the age of 21. These surveys are vital to help HPW understand the current trends and largest concerns facing youth and families. By completing these surveys, you can also qualify for community service hours. Please reach out to HPW at info@hpwcoalition.org to receive credit for community service hours.
Youth Qualitative:
Youth Quantitative:
Adult/Parent:
STOP/Alcohol:
Escape Room
As an educational tool, HPW developed multiple virtual Escape Room activities for youth, adults, and parents to learn more about the risks of substance use. These activities are centered around alcohol, marijuana, mental health, and prescription drug use with themes such as Marvel, Clue, and Harry Potter..
Marvel: (Alcohol)
Clue: (Prescription Drugs)
Harry Potter 1: (Marijuana)
Harry Potter 2: (Marijuana Pt.2)
Star Wars: (Mental Health)
TIPs Training
TIPs is an alcohol vendor training program that is completely free to residents of Alachua County. The purpose is to teach convenience store clerks, bartenders and other employees who sell alcohol, how to properly check IDs and other important skills. Please contact HPW at info@hpwcoalition.org to get access to this course for free. 
https://www.gettips.com/
Know the Law
An educational program for middle and high school students where students learn about the potential consequences of breaking the law as well as the health effects of using alcohol, marijuana, and other substances including vaping. Some topics covered include sexting, battery, grand theft and possession. Know the Law can be administered at schools as well as afterschool programs, please reach out to HPW to schedule your next event!
DEA Drug Take Back Day

DEA Drug Take Back Days provide a safe, convenient, and anonymous method of disposing of unwanted, expired or unused prescription drugs. These events are coordinated with law enforcement agencies such as the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office with a deputy present at each drop site. Take Back Days occur each April and October with multiple sites across Alachua County.

https://www.dea.gov/takebackday

Deterra
The HPW Coalition distributes Deterra drug disposal bags within Alachua County in partnership with local agencies to reduce access to prescription medication and raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug misuse. Each biodegradable pouch can dispose of pills along with liquids and patches. Reach out to HPW to learn more about how you can get access to Deterra bags for free.
Compliance Checks
HPW partners with Florida Alcohol Beverage and Tobacco as well as local law enforcement to conduct periodic compliance checks with youth. During this process, youth try to purchase alcohol underage and determine if their IDs will be properly checked by bartenders or liquor store clerks. Businesses that fail compliance checks are given notices and encouraged to complete Responsible Vendor Trainings. HPW is always looking for youth volunteers to participate in this activity!
Sticker Shock

 Designed as an educational campaign, HPW places stickers with information that might not be well known or could be “shocking” to the community on beer cases and liquor. Posters and handouts with the same information are placed on locations such as liquor store windows to spread awareness. Topics can cover social hosting laws and statistics on underage drinking. Please contact HPW if you know of a liquor store that would want to get involved in this campaign!

Run for Your Life 5K
The Run for Your Life 5K is a family-friendly color run event designed to honor those affected by the opioid use crisis and raise awareness by educating community members in Alachua County. It also serves as a fundraiser for HPW’s mission in the community. This event takes place each September at Depot Park in Gainesville, FL.
Friday Night Done Right (FNDR)
FNDR is a program designed to teach youth that there are safe activities they can participate in, such as concerts and football games, instead of drinking alcohol or using drugs during the weekends to have fun. In the past, the Coalition has partnered with organizations such as Girls Place to host Friday Night Done Right, and is happy to partner with other community organizations to host more events!
Town Hall and Youth Summits
This is an opportunity for community members to raise their concerns and discuss the problems they see in their local areas, as well as learn from speakers and panelists about current drug trends. Previous town halls have occurred at Gainesville High School to raise awareness about drug use among youth. HPW has also partnered with local agencies to host Youth Summit trainings and provide educational in-person activities such as the mobile escape room challenge.
Prevention Trailer
The trailer is a mobile unit with educational resources and activities that can be used at local community events. It has plenty of resources for both parents and youth including Fatal Vision Goggles that allow you to see different levels of alcohol impairment. The trailer can be an asset at both indoor and outdoor events, please contact HPW to have it available at your next event.
Presentations
HPW can offer tailored presentations to your community organization or agency covering a wide range of topics: Substance use trends and rates, mental health, COVID’s impact on substance use, the health effects of substances and more. HPW can present at community meetings and other local events, please contact the Coalition to learn more.
Parent Toolkit
HPW offers a parent toolkit with resources and information such as the Operation Parent Handbook, alcohol tape, Treatment Resource Guide, meditation apps and more! Please reach out to HPW to find out how you can get your toolkit and other parent resources.
Media Campaigns
HPW is always seeking new ways to host media campaigns. In the past, the Coalition has placed media campaigns about alcohol use on the side of RTS buses to educate High School and College Students as it drives through campus. HPW has also installed a number of billboards across Alachua County and is currently planning to create PSAs with youth to educate their peers.