–by Mary Helen Darah

The Sylvania Community Action Team (SCAT) has a new name and an enhanced mission, but the core priority of the youth prevention organization remains intact. Among the organization’s many offerings are youth groups, fun activities for kids and families, support and education for parents, partnerships with local organizations and developing youth leadership skills through hands-on experiences.
SCAT is now the Sylvania Prevention Alliance (S.P.A.) “Sylvania Community Action Team was named because we are in Sylvania, we work with the community and action is a movement word and we move students toward activities to keep them alcohol and drug free,” stated Executive Director of S.P.A. Maria Gagnon. “We changed the name because the SCAT acronym got a lot of laughter. Many people would see SCAT and make fun of it. When I came to the organization, we became more prevalent on social media and publicity. We started to hear comments from the youth asking, ‘why do I want to be part of the poop group?’ If we are turning off youth because of the name, we obviously need to change it.”

S.P.A. not only changed their name but their mission and vision as well. “When we started in 1985 the focus was on kids in Sylvania who were doing drugs and consuming alcohol. We had to expand our focus,” stated Gagnon. “Our mission is to empower youth, families and the community to make safe and healthy choices through education, awareness, and support. We have included a concentration on suicide, bullying and a multitude of issues we want to protect our children from. Our vision is to be the leading safe and healthy community. It is now more about making healthy choices as opposed to being told not to use drugs and alcohol. We strive to prevent at-risk behaviors and have aligned with community partners, Sylvania city and Township Police, the Sylvania Fire Department, and schools in Sylvania to help us achieve our mission.”
S.P.A. is a 501(c)3 and does receive financial community support, yet they depend on the generosity of donors and their fundraising efforts. Its next event will occur Aug. 27 at The Legacy in Ottawa Lake, Mich. Funds from the 11th annual golf scramble will be used for programs and events that will promote healthy positive choices and provide support for youth and parents.
Gagnon looks forward to the year ahead, especially after the challenges S.P.A faced in 2020. “It was difficult to reach our kids, especially with lockdowns and other obstacles. We are excited to go forward with our new name, mission and vision and be a vital resource for the youth and parents of our community,” she stated.