Mercer Council News

Since 1978 Mercer Council has been creating pathways to reduce mental health challenges in Mercer County. Through unifying our constituents, providing education, and intervention services Mercer Council has begun building the world we collectively envisioned. As we highlight in October the various preventable measures and intervention services avai...

On April 9, 2022, several Mercer Council staff members participated in the second annual Bike Drive hosted by Mercer County and the Park Commission. Bicycles were accepted (no matter the condition) and were transported to the Trenton Bike Exchange (located in Ewing, NJ). There, they will be refurbished by volunteers and then sold to the public for ...

 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...

From the choices below, can you guess the type of driver (based on vehicle type) responsible for the highest percentage of alcohol-related fatal crashes in 2019? Is it A.) bus driver, B.) car driver, C.) motorcycle driver, or D.) truck driver?  The correct answer is C.) motorcycle driver. Among the alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal cr...

This February, the ASYSST Team at Ewing High School, is hosting some fun, virtual activities. Every day, a new post is shared with the students featuring a summary about a prominent/influential African American individual and their contribution to history. We are also hosting a virtual "movie party" every Friday which features a film, selected by students, that shares the story of an African Ameri...

A special thank you to all who participated in the Healthy Family Food Recipe Submission Contest. Three winners have been selected to receive a $25 ShopRite gift card, a goodie bag filled with Mercer Council giveaway items, and have their recipes featured in an upcoming recipe book. Congratulations Gionna, Vanya, and Isabelle! Your recipes look and sound delicious and are truly a healthy choice fo...

Have a healthy family recipe you think is above the rest? It's time to put it to the test and show others why yours is best! Reminder to all students in grades K-5 that recipe submissions are still being accepted now until November 2, 2020. Students who submit their recipes will receive a goodie bag filled with Mercer Council items and will be automatically entered to win 1 of 3 $25 ShopRite gift ...

For the last day of Pride month at 2 PM, we are hosting a Netflix watch party featuring the documentary The Life and Death of Marsha P. Johnson. Marsha P. Johnson was a Black trans woman that was an icon of the LGBTQ+ movement and was considered a heroine of the Stonewall Riots.  Many are unaware that the LGBTQ+ community has an alarmingly high rate of substance use challenges.  Man...

What do trampolines, toy trucks, popsicles, water talkies, earmuffs, and pringles hooks have in common? They were all invented by kids! May is National Inventor's Month! It's time to celebrate creativity and the inventions made by children and adults both in the past and present. Put on your thinking caps and check out the list of resources below dedicated to this topic. You might just discover th...

On Wednesday January 22nd, Ewing High School’s ASYSST Program observed Celebrate Life Day with an artistic flair! Using a rainbow of paint chips and Sharpies, students wrote out what things give them the most joy in life. Students arranged these, along with inspirational quotes and encouraging messages, into a colorful poster surrounded by the quote “Your life is a canvas, make sure you paint your...

On January 20, 2020, the ASYSST staff and two lovely students volunteered for a day of service at the Mercer County Community College(MCCC), James Kerney Campus in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther king Jr.. The day of service began with prayer, followed by a powerful message from Rev. Dr. Alyn Waller and then all the volunteers disbursed into mini groups for the different tasks they volunteered fo...

(Our very own Malissa, stood for two alliances- Ewing and Lawrence)   On Wednesday, January 16th, The Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse sponsored the annual Municipal Alliance Volunteer Recognition Dinner. It was a night full of networking, recognizing common goals, and bringing to light all the hard work townships do every year. It was a night of celebrating and featuring a par...

January 9, 2020 was Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Thanks to our School Security Coordinator, Don Ellison, for connecting us with retired local, law enforcement officer, George Cahill.  Mr. Cahill also works for the Ewing High School district, and agreed to speak with our students in observance of the day. Our goal was to host a discussion about bridging the relationship gap between law en...

On March 14, 2019 Ewing High School participated in a Day of Dialogue. Over 10 high schools in the Mercer County area participated in this event held at Rider University. Twelve students were asked to attend from each school. Day of Dialogue is a student centered forum, focused on bringing high school students from diverse backgrounds together, to promote conversation, awareness and action around ...

#GivingTuesday

Since 2012, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving has been recognized as #GivingTuesday as a response to consumerism after Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  This is a day where we can give back to those in need and donate to organizations that make a difference.  Make a donation today

One of my first assignments at Mercer Council was the 2nd Annual International Overdose event, held last year in Hamilton. I received all of the registration calls, and with those calls, came stories of questioning, heartbreak, and hope.  I heard stories of sons and daughters taken too soon; of a young father leaving behind 2 and 4-year-old sons; a young girl experimenting for the first and l...

September is National Recovery Month. What does this mean? Well, it means that this is a time each year that gets attention to all those people in and/or supporting someone else in recovery. Addiction affects millions of people; in fact in 2014 alone, 21.5 million American adults (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder (National Survey on Drug Use and Health). It is very easy to only ...