Drug Abuse Program (PDAP) partners with local community groups including Houston ARTreach and area churches to keep kids safe and off drugs

Children at risk of negative gang influences and substance abuse are everywhere and in all neighborhoods. The risk is increased in families lacking responsible adult supervision. Our community is experiencing growth in the number of children who are left unsupervised for a large portion of the day.

These are our children at risk of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, academic failure, dropping out, depression and suicide. How can a community with an eye on this problem help? How can we help our children at risk stay off the streets, off drugs, and out of trouble? How do we introduce positive role models, positive activities, hope and the passionate pursuit of dreams into their lives?

The TASK (Totally Awesome and Sober Kids) Program by PDAP

A solution is being offered by the Palmer Drug Abuse Program (PDAP) and a new program called TASK (Totally Awesome and Sober Kids). TASK is a supervised recreational program providing a safe haven for children 8 -11 years old. PDAP created TASK to provide free educational and enriching activities at PDAP’s Spring Branch/Memorial satellite location in response to a number of children in the area who were observed participating in negative gang – related activity, including vandalism and destruction of local property.

The Palmer Drug Abuse Program, the West Houston Community Center, St. Thomas Presbyterian Church, Christ Memorial Lutheran Church and ARTreach are uniting to address a critical problem involving our neighborhood children who are being left unsupervised for a large part of each day. Through the TASK Program, PDAP will utilize its thirty-six years of experience in working with teens and young people who battle substance abuse, combined with the expertise and resources of these local community groups, to implement a program designed to provide a supportive, positive environment and improve the quality of life of these at-risk children.

The TASK program will offer a variety of activities and services, including tutoring, sports, field trips and prevention classes led by PDAP staff. These activities are paired with an art component provided by professional instructors through ARTreach, a 501(c) (3) organization that partners with schools and various social service organizations to bring mentors and art-related programs and services to children at risk.

ARTreach will be providing artists and positive role models to teach a wide range of dance, music and art to the participating children. They will be offering a number of art – related activities. Some of these activities will utilize the positive elements of Hip Hop, including Spokenword, RAP and street dance, to engage the children and encourage their active participation in the arts and the TASK program.

How do the Arts Help?

Visual arts, music, dance and drama provide experiences that can open a world of opportunities for children. The arts are a way to build a child’s self esteem and self awareness. A positive self image provides a critical defense to many negative influences a child encounters at school and in life. The arts overall stimulate the creative thinking process, and creative thinking children grow up to be creative thinking adults who contribute to our society in very positive ways.

Houston ARTreach offers art related programs targeted to serve children at risk and troubled youth. ARTreach programs are accessible through social service agencies and independent school districts in many areas including Memorial, Katy, Fort Bend County, The Woodlands and Houston. These art programs are designed to support a wide range of special needs including depression, anger and drug rehabilitation. ARTreach has an innovative approach to introducing the arts as a coping mechanism, teaching young people how to communicate and express their anger, pain or frustration in positive ways, instead of using negative and self-destructive modes of behavior.

The Palmer Drug Abuse Program (PDAP) has been providing free drug and alcohol recovery services to Houston area young people ages 12-25 and their parents since 1971. PDAP currently operates out of six satellite offices that are based in space donated by area churches. TASK is their newest program aimed at our community’s younger children at risk.

For more information on the Palmer Drug Abuse Program and TASK please contact Jean McMillan at 281-589-4832, or visit www.pdaphouston.org. For information how innovative art programs can help children at risk, to make a donation, or to discover a way you can become involved as an artist or mentor, call 281-392-5341