Who We Are...

CHILL is a youth task force comprised of high school students from Martinsville and Henry County, Virginia. CHILL stands for "Communities Helping Improve Local Lives". CHILL members represent all four of the public and private high schools in the area: Bassett, Carlisle, Magna Vista and Martinsville.

As CHILL members, we desire to make positive choices in our own lives, realizing that the underage use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs can impair us from reaching our goals in life. In addition, we care about the health and safety of our peers and want to communicate to our community the issues concerning youth.

Background...

CHILL was formed in the spring of 2002. Four 3-day trainings were held at Patrick Henry Community College in the summer of 2002 for 47 area youth. The trainings, conducted by the Prevention team of Piedmont Community Services, included such topics as trust and team building, decision making, media influence and the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. 

Also in 2001, the Youth Interagency Network (YIN), a coalition consisting of representatives from youth-serving organizations from Martinsville and Henry County, adopted the Right Choices for Youth Initiative (RCFY). This is a positive, community-wide approach that provides family and community support necessary for youth to realize their life potential by establishing a clear avoidance message regarding alcohol, drugs, sex, tobacco, and violence. Through this initiative, YIN gave CHILL the seed money to start their substance abuse activities.The Governor's Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (GOSAP) received a $9 million State Incentive Grant (SIG) in October 2000. One of the main goals of the SIG project is to reduce substance abuse among 12-17 year olds by infusing science-based prevention practice throughout the state. Piedmont Community Services was a recipient for one of twenty state grants. In 2001, two science-based programs were selected for the Martinsville-Henry County area to target underage drinking and smoking: Communities Mobilizing on a Change on Alcohol (CMCA) and Life Skills. An adult task force and a youth task force were formed under the CMCA program to help mobilize our community on the issue underage drinking and smoking, as well as other youth issues.

HEY! Helping Empower Youth Community Task Force, also started in 2002, takes a supporting role for CHILL in "empowering" youth to make healthy choices and to become advocates for healthy behaviors and strong family connections. This group of adults represents all areas of our community: parents, educators, medical, faith, law enforcement, etc.

What does CHILL do?

Red Ribbon Week, YMCA and Boys and Girls Club Presentations. CHILL members perform skits and activities for several local elementary school students and after school programs.Project Sticker Shock. Each year, coordinating with the VA Dept of ABC for the last 4 years, CHILL members place stickers on cases of beer warning people not to buy beer for underage youth.

Information Disimenation. CHILL members distribute important parenting information at various events and at the mall and substance abuse information & activities at youth events. CHILL continues to work in their schools to educate peers on the advantages of positive choices in many ways, including contests and placing the Stall Seat Journals in the bathrooms of all the high schools.

Sponsoring three community wide alternatives:

Youth Rally. Our biggest accomplishment! The Youth Rally 2009 - our 6th year having a community youth rally with a Teen Life Maze. Each year, over 500 youth through the maze and over 600 people attended the rally and dance.

During the summer 0f 2008, the Take It Back Summer CHILLin' Concert and Java CHILLin' Coffeehouses gave area teens safe and drug free events to enjoy all summer long.

5th Quarter. Each year, this fun night is celebrated after a school football or basketball game. Over 260 teens attended at our 5th Quarter at the Martinsville YMCA. Large games included "Bungee Bowling" and the Mechanical Bull". A DJ and free pizza and drinks rounded out the night.

Other community services like participating in raising money for Tactfully Teamed Riding Academy. CHILL designed a Haunted Hay Ride for the community.

For 2008 -09 CHILL has 120 members

CHILL is taking the following messages into our community to make others aware of the positive choices our youth are making and inform them on the dangers of underage drinking and smoking:

•  Most teens are making positive choices.
• Most do not use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD).
• Remaining ATOD free has many positive consequences.
• Use of ATOD can have many negative consequences.
• Young people can obtain information and skills 
• to empower them to stay drug-free.
• There are positive ways teens can use their free time and still have fun.
• Parents are a very strong influence on whether their child will use ATOD.
• Members continue to reach out to our community with their messages through speaking engagements, specific events and special projects, as well as being role models for their peers and younger students in their schools.

Check out our calendar for the latest news from CHILL and the calendar for dates and times of scheduled activities and meetings.