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BABES World Blog

BABES Latest Journey to Malta, in the Mediterannean

The BABES Club has finally completed their recent journey to Malta, to join with our long-time presenter Ms. Elizabeth Scerri at The Foundation for Social Welfare Services, a BABES Family Member for over 15 years. The request for their appearance began on March 15, 2017 and was finally completed three months later. The first challenge was to convert UDI Chips to US currency, which Myth Mary said that “the lady down the street said it couldn’t be done.” But, Honk! Honk! replied Early Bird “People who give up easily, may find themselves changing jobs frequently”. Continue reading BABES Latest Journey to Malta, in the Mediterannean

BABES at Worship at New Bride Church

Three of our newest presenters from the Building a BABES Community in Mack Alive training, Mother Mary Guy, Mercelle Maxwell and Nadine Rivers, brought the BABES at Worship program to New Bride Missionary Baptist Church on Father’s Day, June 18, 2017. Their Pastor, Rev. Gary A. Ayler was kind enough to sacrifice his sermon time so that BABESWORLD could present Lower Elementary Lesson 1, Looking Good and Feeling Fine! Continue reading BABES at Worship at New Bride Church

On the Road with BABESWORLD

Greetings BABES Family Members! The BABES-MOBILE has just made it back from traveling to conferences on Suicide Prevention in Roscommon, Michigan and The National Park Services’ Annual Underground Railroad Conference in Cambridge, Maryland. Both trips were to further enhance our knowledge on these subjects, as we have newer curriculum in these areas.

The BABES Aboard the Underground Railroad Curriculum, featuring Blindy Bloodhound, was released in 2005. The first story, Knowing Who You Are and Whose You Are, builds on the principles of self-image and feelings.

Our Suicide Prevention Story, There Really is Another Way!, was released in 2016 and features Rhonda Rabbit overcoming despair with help from the BABES Club and others. Both stories were written by our founder, Rev. Dr. Lottie Jones Hood and capture the warmth and joy of the BABES program.

Building A BABES Community with Mack Alive!

A wonderful training was hosted at BABESWORLD Home on March 20-22, 2017 with sixteen new presenters joining our BABES Family. The focus of the training was Building a BABES Community with Mack Alive! The mission of The Mack Alive community is “to enhance the growth and development of the east side of Detroit through comprehensive programs and services that educate, empower and elevate the entire community.  Through the advancement of our mission, we envision a safe community that is economically sound, healthy and vibrant.” As you can see above, some of the participants are gathered around Myth Mary’s Tree House, practicing their first presentation of a BABES lesson. Continue reading Building A BABES Community with Mack Alive!

BABESWORLD and Mack Alive!: Building a BABES Community Breakfast

The morning of Tuesday, February 28, 2017 was filled with joy and laughter as Mack Alive joined BABESWORLD for a delicious breakfast, at The Golightly Career and Technological Center in Detroit. The program opened with an introduction by former Michigan State Representative, Wayne County Commission, and City Council Member, Alberta Tinsley-Talabi, followed by a description of the program by our founder and leader, Rev. Dr. Lottie Jones Hood. In attendance were Yvonne Knox, BABES Angel and Board Member, representatives from Detroit Public Schools and Mentoring Programs, who learned of the strength and values brought to children through the BABES program. The event concluded with the BABES Body Puppets dancing to the BABESWORLD theme song, found at the beginning of this newsletter. This breakfast was held to recruit participants for our upcoming training on March 20-22, on Building a BABES Community with Mack Alive and also with Fort Beaufort in South Africa. More details will be found in next month’s issue of BABES Around the World, stay tuned!

BABES Comes Alive!

babes-credentials-meeting

When BABESWORLD gets hot, it catches fire! In what had been planned as a training session for the two presenters of our Pilot Program, part of our evidence-based credentialing project, turned out to be a BABES mini-conference. Within 48 hours of notice, Anthony Carvana (BABESWORLD Godparent in Maryland), Michigan State Rep. Alberta Tinsley-Talabi (founder of Mack Alive Community Coalition), Yvonne Knox (Board Member and BABES Activist) (see picture below) Dr. Benjamin Jones (BABES Board President/CEO of NCADD), our two evaluators from SPEC: Melanie Hwalek and Laura Renaud; two teachers from Detroit Public Schools: Develyn Newell and Ann Turner; and BABES Angels: Rev. Erie Smith and Jan Lossing joined Rev Lottie for this festive holiday event!

Continue reading BABES Comes Alive!

B.A.B.E.S. Continues to Reach and Teach the Children of Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Our 2016-2017 school year has started off with a blast, scheduling a total of 40 groups within 15 schools, in seven school districts. Schools love B.A.B.E.S., children loves B.A.B.E.S. and I love presenting B.A.B.E.S. With the help of seven very relatable, loveable puppets, B.A.B.E.S. teaches helpful, factual drug awareness in a very fun and age level appropriate manner.

Continue reading B.A.B.E.S. Continues to Reach and Teach the Children of Delaware County, Pennsylvania

Down through the Years: 1990’s

The decade of the “80’s produced the beginnings of a long-needed counter-attack on the growing menace of alcohol and other drug abuse in the Native American populations in both Indian Reservations and in urban areas where Indians have migrated.

This counter-attack was funded by the federal government through the Indian Health Services and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

As the 90’s begin, some of the Reservations have treatment facilities for those who choose to recover, and in urban areas there are agencies to serve this population.

Of great significance was the recognition in the mid-80’s by the Indian Health Services that a prevention program for children would be essential. As a result, BABES (for Beginning Alcohol and Addictions Basic Education Studies) has been presented by hundreds of Indian adults to thousands of Indian children. And the activity grows both on reservations and in urban centers with large Native American populations.

From Bemidji, in northern Minnesota near the headwaters of the Mississippi River, James Brown coordinates the alcohol and other drug abuse programs for Indians in four states – Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois.

He oversees annual expenditures of $5 million, serves an Indian population of 50,000, and for several years, he has arranged annually for the training of a group of 20 adults to become BABES presenters.

Like the 11 other people in similar posts in other sectors of the country, he seeks to balance ser­vices and be responsive to the dozens of requests that arise from agents and agencies in his area.

When Indian Health Services in Washington first called his atten­tion to BABES in 1984, Brown decided to invest some of the avail­able prevention education dollars into a training for 20 adults in Wis­consin.

That he was satisfied by the results is evident from subsequent actions: arranging for five more trainings.

Further, he began to spread the word about BABES to coordinators of other areas and now there are BABES Presenters for Native American children from coast to coast.

Two who are near to Bemidji are John Barrett and Lee Lussier, Chippewa serving in the Red Lake Reservation Substance Abuse Cen­ter about 50 miles northwest of Bemidji.

Besides going into three schools where they teach BABES lessons to early elementary children, when school is out in the summer time, they go to camps to present.

‘We enjoy doing it and the kids enjoy,” Barrett said. “We get lots of good feedback and sometimes, after we do the Rhonda Rabbit story, a child will talk about being abused. We know we’ve saved some children a lot of pain.”

They estimate the have reached 7,000 children in five years.

That’s a bunch – but a small one compared to all the children served thru James Brown’s initiative.

BABESWORLD Appoints Al Rice as BABES Family Relations Coordinator

The mission of the BABES program is designed to capture the attention, imagination and creativity of the total community. In this vein, it is important that All BABES family members know that we at BABESWORLD Home have someone assigned to look after their wellbeing and to know what is going on with our family members. Accordingly, Al Rice has been assigned the position of BABES Family Relations Coordinator.

In his role, Al will be reaching out to all BABES programs around the world to ensure that All BABES family members, with support of BABESWORLD Home, are living, loving and working together to create an environment where all, especially children, feel safe, healthy, loved and protected from substance abuse disorders.

We encourage All BABES family members to consider submitting articles for the monthly BABES Around the World newsletter, and other communications to share program accomplishments or challenges on the BABESWORLD Blog.

We congratulate Al on his assignment, and request All BABES family members to contribute to his success!

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BABES Census

We want to hear from all 10,000+ of our family members who have been a part of the BABES World family since its birth in 1977!

Easy as 1-2-3:

  1. Sign up for the BABES World Census
  2. Visit the BABES Family page for latest updates on the program to date
  3. Update your program materials

click here to register for the census!