Since joining the Alliance, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with more community partners.  We have formed relationships within our community to better serve residents.  We are growing in knowledge and ability to work with substance abuse and Inhalant issues. 

The Alliance is providing a training about Inhalants, prevention, and treatment.  All of the clinician staff who work with children and families in our community will be able to attend this training. 

Hello.  I'm Ginger Holcomb, Guidance Counselor at Monroe Co. Middle School and one of Monroe Co.'s Lifeskills Board Members.  Being a member of the Inhalant Prevention Advisory Group has been very enlightening for me.  Until I attended our recent Inhalant Task Force Training, I knew very little about inhalants and how our children are abusing them.  It was a very eye-opening experience that sent cold chills down my spine.  We must do all we can to communicate the dangers of these poisons to our young people.

Hello, my name is Amy Hutchinson and I am the Project Coordinator for the Monroe County Alliance for Inhalant Prevention.  It’s hard to believe that we’ve been up and running now for almost a year.  I am truly honored to work with such a great group of hard working people who truly care about the well-being of children here in Monroe County.  We’ve accomplished many great things as a team and I am proud to say that I am part of this project.  I look forward to what our future holds!

Professionally, I have been amazed by the level of cooperation that the Monroe County Alliance Members have demonstrated. I never imagined that we would be able to organize and accomplish what we have during the past year. After completing the introductory video, we truly connected as a team of individuals who strongly desire to reduce inhalant use in Monroe County.

Chandra Carter, CPP
SPF SIG Master Trainer

My name is Tom Stokes. I am pastor of the First Baptist Church of Tompkinsville. I feel privileged to serve on the Advisory Board. In the beginning, I had little knowledge on the scope of the inhalant abuse problem. Nor did I realize how dangerous the abuse really is. I have learned so much. I am also very pleased with the progress we are making. The recent Inhalant Task Force training was great and reached a lot of key people in our county. The upcoming training sessions are shaping up to also reach many people and spread the word about the problem. We have just begun! The best is yet to come!

Inhalants!!!  A problem here????  I am Dyshel Thompson and serve as a health educator at the Monroe County Health Department, the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Specialist and our local KY-ASAP board chair. I have had the honor of working with many leaders in our county to address issues which pose a threat to our community.  When Monroe County was first approached with the possibility of funding from SPF-SIG, myself and others worked diligently to form a group of key leaders to go forward with this project. Many now serve on our Alliance for Inhalant Prevention Advisory Board.  Amy was hired as our project leader and has challenged, entertained, and educated our board with regular meetings. The SPF-SIG process has truly increased my knowledge on the strategic prevention framework process and so much more.  The Extreme Makeover video production has brought the most laughs so far and was great fun.  At the beginning, many of us truly didn’t grasp the fact that inhalants are a problem in Monroe County.  Through the wonderful training by Isabel Burke, we are now aware that inhalants are POISONS that are a threat to all communities.  I am so excited to be a part of the advisory board and to what we have to come.

Hello, my name is Kathy Grace and I’m the Community Education Director at Monroe County.  I’m glad to be a member of the Monroe County Alliance for Inhalant Prevention because I work with youth and adults throughout the whole county.  I have been able to share the knowledge we’ve gained through trainings and meetings with parents and community members.  I look forward to learning more ways to prevent our youth from using these deadly substances.

Hi, my name is Mike Turner and I am the Pastor of Milltown Baptist Chapel and the Executive Director of the Housing Authority of Tompkinsville, KY. Being a member of the SPF-SIG Advisory Board has been a very educational opportunity for me. It has provided me with much needed information concerning the inhalant use in Monroe County. The training I’ve received is very much needed and has provided me with the knowledge needed to address this problem. I am very excited about working with the members of our committee. It is providing an opportunity to bring concerned people together that might not otherwise have the opportunity to work together to rid our community of this problem.