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 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 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

help. There are way more services available than there ever have been before,” Oborn said, “and people are more likely to reach out than they ever have before.”

This first offering of Positive Action has been conducted as a once-a-week, after-school program with about 25 children participating at each school. The lessons are about 15 minutes long.

“The kids have loved it. They seem to enjoy it and seem to be learning,” Oborn said. “I know as a parent going through the training (to implement the program), I learned so much and was excited to teach things to my kids in a more understandable way about their self-worth and being honest with themselves and then how to treat others with respect after they have learned to respect themselves.”

Oborn said teachers have loved the program as well, and the hope is to eventually move these programs into local classrooms. PG Cares will provide the curriculum for schools as they show interest. PG Cares staff has also recently been trained to facilitate classes in the Guiding Good Choices parenting program, a fiveweek course that helps parents improve family relationships and strengthen bonds with their children so they are more likely to make good choices.

These classes will be offered in the evening free of charge at the Pleasant Grove Recreation Center. Those interested can learn of upcoming dates by following the PG Cares Facebook page.

“Guiding Good Choices is just a great way to really build better family relationships and improve bonding, which we know helps our kids make better choices,” Oborn said. “It’s about teaching parents why their relationship with their kids is so important and plays such a big role in the choices their kids make and how to do that better.”

A community-wide underage vaping prevention program is currently in the works and will eventually be introduced by PG Cares.

Volunteers are being sought to help with PG Cares efforts. Those interested may contact Oborn at toborn@pgcity.org.