Recent News

During the month of May, the Tobacco-Free Partnership Maywood/Montebello hosted a Youth Art Contest designed to allow them to demonstrate the dangers of smoking/vaping tobacco and their effect on family, friends, and the community. Virtual engagement opportunities are important to keep our young community members involved and informed. The entries exceeded our expectations and included an extraordinarily talented pool of youth participants. Special thanks to Maywood's Councilmember Heber Marquez. His donation allowed us to extend awards to two winners. We learned a lot from the youth and hope to spread their messages far and wide.

Our winners were Natalie Hernandez and Jocelyn Piceno:

All contest submissions:

The Tobacco-Free Partnership Covina/West Covina invites local youth ages 13-18 to participate in FREE Summer Art Workshops.

Our goal is to educate the community about the dangers of drifting secondhand smoke in multi-unit housing. The current pandemic has shown that smoking can worsen respiratory illness for those who are affected by COVID-19. We surveyed approximately 2,000 West Covina and Covina residents about secondhand smoke and found that 95%+ support for smoke-free housing. We would like to include the voices of local youth and get their perspective as they too may be impacted, especially now during the Safer-at-Home Order. These workshops are creative outlets for young people to socialize remotely with like-minded peers and to gain new skills. Their perspective may help us to better understand and reduce the harmful exposure to smoke from tobacco, cannabis and e-cigarettes.

As you may already know, a picture is worth a thousand words. This summer, we want to paint the picture by using an art medium known as Photovoice, which is a participatory-based action research method. The goal is to create photos that represent an individual’s viewpoint on an issue in their community. In our Photovoice workshops, youth will demonstrate their artistic and creative talents to convey the message of smoke-free living environments. The FREE workshops will be guided by a professional arts educator who will teach on-line. Participants may earn service hours, certificate of recognition and/or a letter of recommendation after successfully completing the workshops.
Below are the eligibility requirements and application instructions:

• Must be living and/or attending school in either Covina or West Covina.
• Must be between 13 - 18 years old.
• Applicants under 18 must obtain written permission from a parent or legal guardian.
• Access to smart phone with camera and internet.

How to Apply:
Step 1:
Use the online form to enroll by clicking or copying the link below: https://forms.gle/rgDHZ9zQN39CDmzN7
Step 2:
Obtain a hardcopy of the application and consent form by printing or requesting a printed form from us.
Step 3:
Sign and obtain parent/legal guardian signature and return to:
Tobacco-Free Partnership Covina/West Covina
223 E. Rowland St.,
Covina, CA 91723

Photovoice application deadline is July 3rd, 2020

Please direct any questions to Elsa Greno at elsag@socialmodel.com. Please share or post this announcement on social media. To learn more about the Photovoice workshops, you can review the description and flyer, attached.

Social Model Recovery Systems shares the pain and anguish experienced by staff, participants, and the communities we serve over the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. We support actions to address long-standing racial injustice in our public policies.

Our Core Beliefs celebrate humanity, diversity, and a commitment to personal and community change. As a result, we have a moral and ethical obligation to act and speak out against racism and injustice. Our Cultural Awareness Committee has been and continues to be responsive and committed to raising awareness and advancing racial equity. For example, SMRS has looked for opportunities to instill change in our small microcosms, but so much more can and should be done.

People ask, “when are things going to get back to normal?” For some, normal means being judged by the color of their skin or the language they speak. It means being pulled over by the police, forcefully removed from their vehicle, told to lay on the ground, handcuffed, and put in the back of a patrol car, for no apparent reason. For others, normal is losing one’s life or the life of a loved one to the hands of injustice.

We support the oversight of all institutions that condone and perpetuate the “normal” that historically has disproportionately harmed and created disparities in communities of color.

“Normal” should not be our new normal. We want and need change. We want the perpetrators to be held accountable for their actions, the same way others are held accountable.

As an agency, SMRS stands with actions taking place across our nation to demand accountability and systemic reform to end racism.

In solidarity,

Bruce Boardman, Chief Executive Officer

Charles Porter, Office Chair, Cultural Awareness Committee

Zelenne L. Cardenas, Senior Director, Prevention & Community Initiatives