City Of Temecula Seeks Citizens To Help Keep Kids Out Of Trouble

The City of Temecula is asking residents to help keep local youth out of crime and drugs by serving on the City Council Action Committee for Health and Family Safety.

“Members of the local task force will be the feet on the ground to help create a safer and healthier community for our youth and generations to come,” Temecula Mayor Mike Naggar said in a released statement.

During the Aug. 27 Temecula Council Meeting, the City Council Action Committee for Health and Family Safety was approved. The committee was born out of the recently formed Regional Youth, Family and Health Task Force, which is comprised of elected city and school district officials. The task force’s goal is to identify important social issues facing families in the region.

According to the City of Temecula Youth Master Plan - Environmental Scan Summary, the challenges and major concerns specifically affecting Temecula’s youth are drugs and alcohol, peer pressure, public safety, difficult relationships, lack of things to do and shortage in transportation options to stay active in extracurricular activities.

“The stresses and challenges our teens are facing have made them more vulnerable and susceptible to destructive and dangerous behaviors,” according to a Sept. 10 news release from the City of Temecula.

Naggar said the Regional Youth, Family and Health Task Force is helping educate leaders, but information needs to be spread to the community and neighborhoods.

“While we are being educated and informed on critical topics that are destroying our youth, we as elected officials are at a dilemma in getting this information out into the hands of the community,” Naggar said.

The goal of the City Council Action Committee for Health and Family Safety is to bring information to the citizens.

“This will be a non-political, community services way for people who want to serve their community and take these important topics to their neighborhoods, groups and schools,” Naggar said.

According to today’s news release, the Temecula City Council will appoint 10-12 community members to participate as active members who are not already part of the Regional Task Force.

High school students (recommended by school officials), concerned citizens and parents, senior citizens who have retired from a youth organization, members of civic and/or volunteer groups, members of an organized neighborhood watch, members of the local PTA, members of local private/public organizations that are youth serving, members of local faith-based organizations, Temecula Valley Unified School District school resource officers, and TVUSD counselors or teachers are invited to apply to the committee, according to today’s news release.

“Applicants will be selected based upon their community interest, enthusiasm to participate, experience, knowledge, commitment, cooperation, and willingness to see solutions,” the news release stated.

Applications for the committee are available online at www.cityoftemecula.org or in person at Temecula Community Services Department.

Applications should be submitted to Yvette Martinez, 41000 Main Street, Temecula, CA 92590 or Yvette.Martinez@cityoftemecula.org. Deadline to submit applications is Oct. 1, 2013.

For more information, call (951) 693-3902.