Workshop series on alcohol, substance abuse kicks off

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - South Bend Community Schools and the 525 Foundation kick off a month-long workshop series Tuesday night to educate parents about alcohol and substance abuse.

Becky Savage, who is the founder of the 525 Foundation, delivered a powerful keynote address.

“We cannot make good choices while drinking and underage drinking is no different. Your voice of reason is silenced, and risk-taking behaviors take over,” said Savage.

Savage lost her sons, Nick and Jack, back in June of 2015.

They went to a graduation party one night, and ingested a deadly mixture of alcohol and oxycodone.

“We used to think that something like this could never happen to our family. We were involved with our kids. We talked to our kids and they were very very very loved,” said Savage.

Savage said Nick and Jack were good kids.

They had high GPA’s, were leaders at school, and were captains of their sports teams.

“Smart kids with bright futures who made a bad choice,” said Savage.

“We want to increase knowledge around education. But collectively we want to impact our community,” said Dr. Tessa Sutton, with the South Bend Community School Corporation.

“I think that if we’re talking prevention then people automatically assume there’s a problem. That’s not what prevention is. Talk and prevention is education,” said Savage.

“It’s really about talk, they hear you...Parents really are the first teachers. They have the critical information, and they know how to support one another,” said Sutton.

Parents are encouraged to attend these workshops.

If you would like to attend an upcoming event, please click here.

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