It was a beautiful post-Memorial day for a Rotary Meeting on May 26, 2020
President Homer opened the meeting and Kathy led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Cindy Ruzuk offered up thoughtful words for our Gratitude and Reflection
Two new members were introduced to our club.
Max Anderson introduced Seth Johnson. Seth is with the United Way and has settled in Traverse City after a few moves around the country. He is the son of a pastor and has a capella singing talents! He and his wife Ashley moved here last November. They have one daughter, Thea and two canines round out their family unit!
Lisa Pointe introduced Amber Dutton. Amber relocated from Nashville, TN a few years ago. She comes from a very service oriented family and has been actively involved with children with special needs and Make a Wish Foundation among others. Amber is an account executive with Michigan Broadband Services.
Welcome Seth and Amber!! We graciously welcome you to our club and know that you will be great assets to our club. We look forward to connecting with you soon!
President Homer shared the news that Jim Beckett, our #1 Rotarian has been moved to hospice a few days ago.
President Homer then introduced our speaker today Marjorie Rich from Generations Ahead. Generations Ahead helps connect teen and young adult parents to services and other resources in our area.
In our area, the trend for teen pregnancy is lower than the state average. Of the five-county area included, Leelanau has the lowest rates of teen pregnancy with Kalkaska having the highest. In this area, we see about 75 teen births each year to a mother age 19 and younger.
Causes of Teen Pregnancy include:
Decreased access to birth control
Alcohol and drug use: 25% of high school students report using drugs or alcohol at time of sex
Multiple partners: 12% of high school juniors have had 4 or more partners
Lack of goals and aspirations: not encouraged to think about the future
Generation cycle: their mom was a teen mom
Consequences include:
Low high school graduation rate: National average is 40%
Housing instability: either they are kicked out of their home, “couch surf” or sometimes exchange sex for a bed for the night
Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Domestic violence occurs more often than sexual assault with pregnant teens.
Poverty: drop out of school, low wage jobs
Poorer health outcomes: late with prenatal care, increased rates of smoking and low birth weight
Children of teens: poorer educational and social-emotional outcomes
The Generations Ahead program has a 40-year history. It was initially called the Doula Teen Parent Program but recently changed its name. They are now incorporated and are seeking 501(c)3 status. They are supported by grants.
This is the only program in the Grand Traverse area that serves both young adult mothers and fathers. To qualify for their program, they must have had their first child by 19.
Services provided range from:
Social workers and counseling services
Online support groups
Mentors for clients who are volunteers
Baby Pantry
Goal setting
Two videos were shared and featured teen parents and how they initially managed to have a baby while still in high school and also the benefits of the services that are available.
To learn more about Generations Ahead https://generationsahead.org/ , you can also reach out to Marjorie Rich at 231.360.0053 or at info@generationsahead.org
And with that, President Homer called it a day! Have a great week and we’ll see you soon on Zoom!
