Lao Youth Celebrate 1 Year together and Southeast Asians Living Chemically Free!

On Sunday, July 18th, 32 Lao youth and their friends and family from Northwest Hennepin County gathered together to celebrate one year of participation in their youth leadership program, part of the Southeast Asians Living Chemically Free initiative with the Lao Assistance Center and the Northwest Hennepin Human Services Council.
The day began with a small pizza party at the Lao Assistance Center offices at 503 Irving Avenue North in Minneapolis, followed by youth carpooling together with their chaperones to Valley Fair in Shakopee Minnesota, where they spent the day celebrating together.
Everyone enjoyed the day and thought it was a good way to demonstrate how much fun life can be without the presence of cigarettes, alcohol or drugs in their lives.
The Lao Assistance Center staff also had certificates for all of the program participants thanking them for their participation. Each year, the youth are organized to convene two community forums for their peers to discuss the importance of living chemically free. Their activities are designed to combine leadership exercises, opportunities for peer support, and education and awareness of how they are often targeted at a young age to be lifelong consumers of hazardous products.
If you're interested in having your youth participate and you live in Northwest Hennepin County, e-mail Kinnaryp@laocenter.org or call 612.374.4967