>> Hi. This is my neighborhood.
I grew up in this building.
This is a great community now,
but it's had its
share of problems.
When I was a kid, our
community had high unemployment,
a lack of resources
for families,
and lots of kids hanging out
with no adult supervision.
You might have heard
about adverse childhood
experiences, or ACEs.
ACEs are traumatic events
in childhood, like abuse
and neglect, that can increase
risk for future problems,
but they don't have to.
The good news is that ACEs
and their consequences
can be prevented.
Take me, for example.
I was at risk for ACEs,
and despite all the things
that put me at risk, some pretty
incredible people helped make
sure that I wouldn't
become another statistic.
Come on, I'll show you around.
That's Jackson.
He's a cool kid.
His dad left when he was two,
and his mom works two jobs.
I hang out with him
every Thursday night,
and help him with his homework.
Sometimes, we grab ice cream.
It's fun, plus he has
another adult role model
to learn from and trust.
That's Mr. Martino.
When I was a kid, he let me
help him at the store sometimes
after school when my
parents were working late.
He did that for a bunch of us.
My dad actually found
his job as a mechanic
because of Mr. Martino.
This helped our family
in so many ways.
Not only did my dad
have a steady paycheck,
which eased his stress
about paying rent
and buying necessities,
like food and clothes,
but he was also a lot nicer
to me, my brother, and my mom,
once he started working a job
that made him feel
good about himself.
When communities come together,
they can do so much
to prevent ACEs.
Mr. Martino and other local
business owners put together a
series of career
workshops to help people
like my dad find work.
My mom also got a job with a
company that allowed her to work
from home, and spend more
time with me and my brother.
Mariana has just
gotten out of a class
about handling challenges
of single parenting.
The clinic offers
free childcare,
so Mariana's daughter, Ella, can
play while Mariana's in class.
The class helps parents
like Mariana develop
positive parenting skills,
not just for babies
and toddlers,
but for teenagers, too.
This is another way our
community has come together
to give families the
resources they need,
and just one more
way to prevent ACEs.
This was my school,
Riverside Middle,
right in the heart of town.
These kids are here for
a sponsored summer camp.
This community-supported program
helps families with affordable,
quality child care, and
helps kids get tutoring
and learn life skills.
When I was a kid, I
spent a lot of time
at this school all year long.
There was one counselor,
Miss Greer,
who I remember more than anyone.
She was a really good listener.
Miss Greer helped me and
my brother get involved
in after-school activities,
like baseball and soccer.
Our coaches were super nice,
and were mentors to us.
Staying after school for
practice kept us and a lot
of other kids out of trouble.
When schools help
take responsibility
for preventing ACEs,
everybody wins.
My life could have gone in a
completely different direction.
Studies show that ACEs can
have long-term negative effects
on kids' health and well-being
that may last into adulthood,
and even continue in future
generations, but by people
and groups taking action,
ACEs can be prevented.
In fact, there are
five known strategies
that help stop ACEs
before they even start.
You can implement them in your
own community, just like we did.
How? By strengthening
economic support for families,
by changing social
norms to support parents
and positive parenting,
by providing quality care
and education early in life,
by enhancing parenting skills
to promote healthy child
development, and by intervening
to lessen harms and
prevent future risk.
So, now you know my story,
and you've seen the prevention
strategies in my community
that helped me beat the odds.
I had healthy relationships
with my family and friends,
I learned how to take care of
myself and make good choices,
and today, I am a
mentor to other kids
who need some extra help,
so they don't become
an ACEs statistic.
Safe, stable, and
nurturing relationships
and environments are essential
to prevent child abuse
and neglect, and to assure
that all kids reach
their full potential.
Are you thinking
what I'm thinking?
Banana split?
You got it.
