NEWELL—Whatever It Takes (WIT) Coalition luncheon meeting was held on Monday, November 17. Sabrina Harmon, director, led the meeting. A variety of professionals were on hand to discuss the progress of WIT and learn from the guest speaker Kristi Palmer.
A full lunch of runzas, salads, fruits and vegetables, chips and desserts along with drinks was served. Harmon started the meeting while everyone continued eating. She informed all in attendance of the presentations she did so far this year and the accomplishments made by WIT. In addition, she informed the group that her office has moved from the school to the Newell Christian Fellowship Community Hall. The audit is complete and the 990 was filed, a cost report and quality assurance report were submitted to the state. Upcoming community events were announced and include: Newell Economic Development Meeting, Dec. 3; Community Thanksgiving Supper, Nov. 23; Blood Drive, Dec. 1; Festival of Trees, Dec. 6; Parade of Lights, Dec. 12; Santa Claus Day, Dec. 13; Awana’s Christmas Program, Dec. 17; Newell Evangelical Church Christmas Cantata, Dec. 21.
Time was given for each professional to go around the room and introduce themselves and advise on what program they represented.
Kristi (Cricket) Palmer, LAC, took the floor and began her talk. She has been a supporter of the WIT Coalition since its inception in June 2009. Palmer has worked with area youth. She discussed her passion for teaching and substance abuse prevention, underage drinking and medical marijuana. “I was probably in elementary school and I knew I wanted to be a school teacher. I mean, I just knew. I’d have my little students, and I have a report card. (…) I just knew I wanted to be a school teacher,” she shared.
Palmer went on to explain how she joined the military to be able to get her college paid for, but she loved it so much she stayed in for 28 years. She has since retired.
The audience participated in several partner activities so Palmer could demonstrate the techniques she uses with kids. She went on to explain how she teaches kids to deal with and resist peer pressure that is involved with drinking and drug use. She gave examples of how adults encounter peer pressure and ways it may look different than kids’ peer pressure.
She is still involved in the Red Ribbon Campaign. “Red Ribbon is one of the largest drug prevention campaigns in the nation. It started back in the mid-80s when a DEA agent was down in Mexico, he got kidnapped, and they tortured him and killed him. And students started wearing red ribbons in honor of that,” explained Palmer.
In sharing her opportunities that came about as a military veteran, Palmer told the story of Karen Kingsbury, her favorite author. She’s a Christian fiction author who is making one of her books into a movie. She said, “Hey, instead of having actors act like military people in this movie, I would like to have actual military members or military veterans be in my movie.”
Palmer called and got a part as an extra in the movie. She told about her experiences on set. Her picture ended up in the trailer for the new movie.
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