Optimist Clubs are involved in keeping kids away from drugs. Some sponsor drug awareness programs such as DARE and others have developed programs of their own. I recently discovered that the Auburn Optimist Club in Auburn, Nebraska has a solid collaboration with the major drug resistance program in their community. The project is the Nemaha Against Drug & Alcohol Abuse (NADAA) Coalition. Several area groups collaborate to make this coalition work. The school district is the partner in education and youth leadership is given over to the students themselves with the Youth Against Drug and Alcohol (YADA) Task Force. Service clubs and individual volunteers work with these groups to provide different aspects of the program including education, funding, hospitality and mentoring for projects.
The Auburn Optimist Club is a mentor for YADA. They help put on dances and carry out the Red Ribbon Awareness program. They also help with fundraising by offering the students the opportunity to work in the club's firework stand. The mentoring projects allow the participants to learn valuable social and business skills that they also share with their peers.
