Mercer Council News

Exercise is a great way to manage feelings and stress in life-affirming ways. Join Mercer Council in supporting the Boys & Girls Club of Mercer County to improve access to bicycles for Mercer County's youth through the annual Bike Drive hosted by Mercer County and the Parks Commissions. This bike drive accepts bikes in any condition and do...

At the beginning of February, Regional Coalition Coordinator, Malissa Arnold and I were given the opportunity to attend the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of America (CADCA) Annual Leadership Forum. There, we were introduced to a rolling attendance of youth and community leaders from all across the United States and its territories. With people who ...

 As you all are well aware, December 31st is the day Barbara Sprechman will be retiring from Mercer Council. Of the 29 years Barbara has worked in Prevention, she has been with the Mercer Council for the past 11 years. During this time, she has greatly enjoyed working alongside her colleagues and community members excelling as Mercer County Pr...

On Friday November 5th, 2021 Mercer Council was honored to participate in the inaugural "Open Access To Recovery" (OATR) outreach event. This event was organized by Recovery Advocates of America and the Mercer County Operation Helping Hand Program (OHH) under the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office. OHH offers those arrested for n...

On February 22, 2021, Governor Phil Murphy signed three bills into law that addressed the legalization of cannabis (the legal word for marijuana). With this, the legalization of cannabis pushed forward a discourse for all New Jersey citizens to take part in. With questions and concerns so large about the impact on youth, the justice system, and the...

A blog post was written in October 2020 to recognize October as National Eat Better, Eat Together Month. The purpose of National Eat Better, Eat Together Month is to promote healthy eating habits among individuals of all ages. Research shows there are many benefits of families frequently eating dinner together including improved social skills in ch...

September is Suicide Prevention Month. While ASYSST is assisting students throughout the year, suicide is one of the many areas we focus on. This year's theme is HELP, take one post one. There is a help sign posted outside of one of our offices, students can take a Post-It Note with a positive affirmation that speaks to or means something to him/he...

July 26, 1990, was a date many people in the United States celebrated due to the passing of The Americans with Disabilities Act. This law, signed by President George H.W. Bush, prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. It is not nationally recognized, but due to the historic nature of such an event, it is celebrated in the United S...

As June is Pride Month, as well as Canadian National Indigenous History month there is a recognized need to provide services in areas that may seem more unreachable. To provide resources to a population that may not have otherwise been given access to information is an important part of prevention education. This gives the opportunity to educators ...

COVID-19 Helpful Tips

Mercer Council is committed to envisioning a Healthy, Safe and Responsible Community.  We are striving to provide more information on Government and community efforts as they relate to COVID-19.  The information and links are below. Mercer County Covid-19 Dashboard For more information on positive-test cases in Mercer county please use the Dashboard link below. Dashboard  Vaccinatio...

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we all know that the day of romance is symbolized by hearts. Chocolate boxes, balloons, cards, candles, and much more are formed in the shape of a heart and given as gifts to loved ones on this day. The heart being the symbol of love and passion has existed for a long time in history. Ancient Greek and Roman thinkers, including Aristotle, considered th...

In the Protecting You, Protecting Me program, children learn about the constant communication that happens between the human brain and the rest of the body. They learn that their brain and body send each other messages all day, every day, to keep their body working so they can do everything they are meant to do as human beings. In honor of National Lego day on January 28, 2021, I came up with an i...

Hello all!  Happy New Year and I hope the holidays have treated you well.  Last year, we touched upon many topics in this parenting series. While I am just someone who is a dashboard for parenting concerns and information, I have found such inspriation in my coworkers and their expertise on different topics. This year they will be featured in between our regularly scheduled programs. Whi...

On Thursday's at 12pm for the past two months, I have had the pleasure of hosting and answering questions for our "Let's Have A Conversation" series. Last week's presenation, LGBTQIA+ Youth and Drug Use Trends touched upon many important topics and concerns- thank you to those who attended. Here is the link to that YouTube video:  The last presentation of the year on December 17th, Signs To K...

Last week on December 3rd, I had the pleasure of talking to the group about having conversations with children before it matters. We discussed not only word choice, brain development, and trauma, but navigating through unknowns with children. Here is the link to the last parenting program:  This week, 12/10, LGBTQIA Youth and How To Help Them Get Through Adolesence  and What Can You Do T...

On Thursday, November 19th, I talked about stress and peer pressure for teens during Covid-19 and the Holidays. Meetings are still taking place every Thursday at 12:00PM - 1:00PM for any parenting questions you may have. Our Schedule will remain as follows:   This week, 12/3, we will be discussing how to talk to your kids BEFORE it matters. Here is the video from last meeting:  Next...

  As the world is changing and while it looks different from even ten years ago, I will try to effectively convey the difficulty in growing up in this tech world. Peer pressure looks different than it did a generation ago. Starting Thursday, November 12th at 12 pm to 1 pm, I will be hosting a weekly parenting meeting where I will discuss peer pressure in today’s youth. I will touch on many to...