PG Cares Program helping youth, adults through difficult times Through its first year of operation, PG Cares has taken its message of hope and help to youth and adults through classrooms and chalk drawings, and it has more work planned for the future. PG Cares, a Communities that Care coalition, was organized in the spring of 2020 in Pleasant Grove with a goal to educate residents about issues such as abuse, addiction and suicide as well as link them to available resources. Communities that Care is a program utilized nationwide to promote healthy youth development, improve youth outcomes and reduce problem behaviors. The local program is funded through a partnership between Pleasant Grove City and Utah County as well as grants. “I’m definitely passionate about prevention because if we just look at what’s wrong, it can feel really heavy and hopeless, but if we look at what we can do and how we can improve and all the resources that are out
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there, there’s actually so much hope that we can do better,” said Tamara Oborn, coordinator of the PG Cares program. “As a mother, that feels really good.” PG Cares partnered with United Way’s EveryDay Strong program to offer the Chalk the Lot activity during Strawberry Days last year. Residents were invited to have fun together creating chalk drawings in the Pleasant Grove Recreation Center’s parking lot while also learning more about EveryDay Strong, a program meant to help Utah County youth struggling with anxiety and depression. Those who signed up for the EveryDay Strong parenting class received a Sodalicious gift card. PG Cares plans to again offer the Chalk the Lot event during the 2021 Strawberry Days celebration. PG Cares received a grant from the county during the past year meant specifically to fund drug prevention work. Through those funds, PG Cares implemented an eight-week
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pilot program in Grovecrest and Valley View elementary schools called Positive Action. This program offers curriculum designed for different grade levels that teaches students how positive thoughts lead to positive actions and vice versa, leading to a positive outlook on life and a desire to learn. Implementing this program came from a desire to address problems in the local community with youth depression rates and family conflict. Oborn said in Pleasant Grove, 30 percent of youth feel they are in a home that has a high rate of family conflict, and 60 percent of youth are struggling with symptoms of depression. “The good news is more people are getting
