Drug awareness symposium set for Seaside
MONTEREY COUNTY — Sun Street Centers and community partners will host the third annual Overdose and Drug Awareness Symposium on Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Oldemeyer Center in Seaside.
The free event will bring together youth, parents, educators, health care professionals and community members for an evening focused on overdose awareness, prevention, education and support. A resource fair will begin at 5 p.m., followed by the symposium from 6 to 8 p.m.
The event will feature local leaders, public safety professionals, prevention advocates and community members sharing information about current drug trends affecting youth, substance use risks and available resources.
“Prevention starts with each of us. As program director, I see firsthand the importance of prevention, education and community partnership in supporting youth and families,” said Reyna Alcala, director of prevention services. “This symposium brings our community together to share resources, strengthen connections and build safer, healthier futures for youth throughout Monterey County. I encourage parents, youth, educators and community members to attend, learn, ask questions and join prevention efforts that can help save lives.”
The symposium will include a resource fair, dinner, raffle prizes, childcare and community service hours for high school students. Spanish translation services will be available.
Registration is required. For more information or to register, visit SunStreetCenters.org.
SVBGSA seeks advisory committee applicants
SALINAS VALLEY — Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency is accepting applications to fill the Langley Subbasin seat on its Advisory Committee.
The committee provides community and stakeholder input on local groundwater policy and develops consensus-based recommendations to support sustainable groundwater management in the Salinas Valley.
Committee members are expected to work collaboratively, represent diverse viewpoints, commit time to understanding groundwater issues and follow the agency’s code of conduct.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 21. More information and the application are available at tinyurl.com/4tdwjdn4.
Natividad offers free prenatal and breastfeeding classes
SALINAS — Natividad is offering free prenatal education and breastfeeding classes in English and Spanish to help expectant families prepare for childbirth and newborn care.
The monthly classes are open to all expectant parents in Monterey County, with partners encouraged to attend. No registration is required.
The three-hour prenatal education classes, led by labor and delivery nurses, cover topics including labor, pain management, birth plans, cesarean and vaginal deliveries, newborn care and postpartum recovery. The classes also include a tour of Natividad’s maternity facilities.
Prenatal classes are offered on the first Tuesday of each month in English and the third Tuesday in Spanish, from 5 to 8 p.m. Breastfeeding classes are held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, with English classes from 5 to 6 p.m. and Spanish classes from 6 to 7 p.m.
Classes are held in the Natividad Room near the Gift Shop at Natividad Medical Center, 1441 Constitution Blvd., in Salinas. Participants should enter through Entrance 2 for Outpatient Services. Childcare is not provided.
