The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Prince William County Chapter, Inc. (NCBW/PWCC) members received an award from the Prince William County Board of Supervisors at the Board of Supervisors meeting on July 14, for their work under the grant, "Responding and Protecting (RAP) Middle School Students, Adolescents, Parents and Adults," a mental health advocacy initiative. Their continued leadership, advocacy, and dedication to improve the quality of mental health for the community members in Prince William County was recently demonstrated in a pizza dinner distribution coordinated at Graham Park and Rippon Middle Schools.
One
of
the
community
efforts
recognized
by
the
award
was
a
partnership
created
between
the
NCBW/PWCC,
in
conjunction
with
PWCS,
the
Department
of
Parks,
Recreation
and
Tourism
(DPRT),
SPARK,
the
education
foundation
for
Prince
William
County
Public
Schools,
and
others,
to
facilitate
pizza
dinners
for
the
students
and
families
of
Graham
Park
and
Rippon
Middle.
Through
this
unified
community
effort,
families
were
provided
a
meal
during
this
unprecedented
difficult
time.
Pizza
distribution
occurred
each
Tuesday
and
Thursday
evening
during
the
month
of
May.
At
each
distribution
site,
different
volunteers
from
community
organizations
such
as,
the
NCBW/PWCC,
Creative
Concepts
and
Advancements
(CCAA)
Events,
DPRT,
PWCS,
and
SPARK,
executed
a
successful
collaboration
to
serve
students
and
families
via
curbside
pick-up.
The
NCBW/PWCC
is
the
recipient
of
a
grant
from
the
Potomac
Health
Foundation
with
the
purpose
of
implementing
a
program
for
middle
school
students
and
their
parents
that
provided
education
and
knowledge
on
mental
health
issues
and
challenges.
Under
the
grant,
the
NCBW/PWCC
partnered
with
Graham,
Rippon,
and
the
DPRT,
to
implement
six
modules
to
all
students.
Modules
were
developed
by
mental
health
professionals,
including
nurses,
psychologists,
guidance
counselors,
social
workers,
and
teachers.
Module
topics
include
brain
health,
substance
abuse,
school
violence,
healthy
relationships,
wellness,
and
stress
management.
The
RAP
program
had
a
significant
impact
on
its
intended
audience.
The
program
worked
to
reduce
harmful
behavior
and
other
mental
health
challenges
for
middle
school
students,
as
well
as
reduce
the
stigma
associated
with
mental
health
issues
for
both
students
and
their
families.