Bham Family March 2020 25
could unplug from all of that. Today’s kids live in an era of 24/7
connection, and, therefore, a constant barrage of peer pressure
and messaging. If you think looking at your neighbor’s Instagram
account sometimes makes you feel like an underachiever, imagine
the pressure your child feels on several social media outlets when
they haven’t yet gained the maturity to put this in proper perspective.
What’s unique about Compact 2020 is how it works—and the
parents, all working together to identify at-risk kids, there’s a
greater chance that no child will slip through the cracks. Tips
about kids at risk can be made anonymously if desired, and these
are always investigated to ensure evidence supports the claims.
Before any child is brought into the program, law enforcement
intelligence to support the need for identifying a child. “They
make sure this isn’t just a rumor,” Kendrick says.
And investigators always tell the parents. “The investigator sits
down with the parents and shares the evidence while a trained
therapist takes the child into another room to do an assessment,”
Kendrick says. Then the true work begins as they connect them
most often includes a referral to Central Alabama Wellness—a
key partner with trained professionals experienced in counseling
substance abuse. Other resources include connection with mentor
families who have walked the same path, faith-based resources,
and generalized family counseling services.
Each community served (Montevallo, Columbiana/Wilsonville/
Shelby, Alabaster, Pelham, Oak Mountain, Helena, Chelsea,
Hoover, Harpersville-Vincent) has a team and one point contact to
facilitate their work with Compact 2020 who meet regularly during
community meetings. Together, this “Marvel Universe” of trained
professionals and community members hope to rescue adults from
future drug addiction—by reaching one child at a time, one family
at a time. As Kendrick shared, he has already received a note from
a young man who thanked Compact 2020 for saving his life. And
he left us with one important reminder: “This is not a socioeconomic
issue. Just because you live in a certain area or you are in
church doesn’t mean you are immune to this.”
CAMP JOURNEY
PREPS KIDS FOR
MIDDLE SCHOOL
PRESSURES
Camp Journey supports the
work of Compact 2020 by
involving young kids in drug
prevention conversations and
providing chances to build
relationships with school
summer. “No matter how
young your kid is, it’s never
too early to start having
conversations about drugs
and pressure. The stress still
affects them,” Kendrick says.
Designed to be one more
vehicle for reaching children
serves rising 6th graders, when
they are most receptive to this
type of experience and before
they are bombarded with
middle school challenges. Plus,
they have a lot of fun in the
process, playing games and
getting to know one another.
This camp, which is a
partnership between the
Calera Police Department,
Montevallo Police Department,
Shelby County Schools, and
Compact 2020, brings together
education and leadership
and values training in an
environment where games and
adventure activities facilitate
the learning. It’s hosted
at various Shelby County
schools and is free of charge.
For more information, visit
compact2020.com.
/compact2020.com