By Alexis Klima, GHFA Director of Philanthropy
They say, “it takes a village.” But what does it mean to be a village? It means that many people must cooperate to achieve a goal. Usually, the phrase is used to indicate that one is acknowledging other peoples’ roles in the success of a project.
In the case of Tar Wars, this is so true. The success of the program to educate Georgia’s youth on the health dangers of tobacco, nicotine, and vape products depends on the cooperation of many, and the partnerships between the Georgia Healthy Family Alliance (GHFA), the organizations funding the implementation, and the school systems.
Another vital member of the village is the Connector. The connector is potentially the most important part of a village – potentially – because one could argue that without the connectors, the partnerships would struggle to form and or not form at all.
The Connector Characteristics:
- Knows a lot of people
- Has a gift of bringing the world together
- Social “animals”
- Has an extraordinary knack for making friends and acquaintances
- “Collects” people
- Unusually gregarious
To all the connectors, funders, and school systems that made and are making the Tar Wars program a success, GHFA thanks you. Last year, with the support of its village, the Alliance was able to educate more than 50,000 youth in Georgia on the health risks of tobacco, nicotine and vape products.
Tar Wars has three key objectives:
- Educate Georgia 4th-5th graders about the dangers of tobacco and vape products using repetition and reinforcement to ensure long-term behavioral and attitude changes.
- Impact entire families through take-home materials aimed at fostering further discussions on the dangers of tobacco, nicotine and vape products.
- Prevent additional cases of e-Cigarette/Vaping Associated Lung Injury and related deaths by providing children with the tools needed to make healthy choices.
If you would like to join our “village” by donating your time, talent, treasure and or connections, please contact Alexis Klima at aklima@gafp.org or 478-714-3760.
Together we are making a difference in Georgia – one student, one family and one community at a time.