OLD ORCHARD BEACH

The Old Orchard Beach Communities for Children, a Community of Promise, is a part of the Coastal Communities Health Coalition, a Healthy Maine Partnership. This group works with a wide variety of community organizations and an active youth contingent to bring the America’s Promise Fundamental Five Promises to community children and youth.

This C4C has developed a successful strategy for developing an ordinance on No Tobacco Signage allowed on stores (outdoor or window advertising) 2500 feet from schools, parks, or areas where youth meet. The ordinance was passed by the Town Council. They have also been running Smokeless Saturday programs, which are a collaborative effort between school, police, and the Juvenile Corrections Department.

The Old Orchard Beach C4C has established an Underage Drinking Task Force and is in the process of establishing a chemical free dance club on Old Orchard Street, the town’s main street. The work is a joint project with youth, police and town officials. They are now raising money to renovate a storefront and pay for operating costs. Even the bar owner who had been targeted by police to stop holding chem.-free dances for teens in his bar (an inappropriate atmosphere for teens) has lent support to the effort, donating $1,000 to get the new dance club up and running.

This C4C has now acquired land on which to build a Community Center and they were successful in becoming a grant site for a Safe Homes Initiative with Day One. They are developing a mentoring program through a School Volunteer Program and have also trained 10 high school Natural Helpers. This community sent 9 middle school youth (6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders) to the Youth on Board Conference in May. Many of the activities of the Old Orchard Beach C4C have been enhanced by the efforts a Communities for Children VISTA volunteer.