Ten years ago Edison Municipal Alliance (EMA) member Joan NcNichol informed the other members about the BABES program and how she was trained in BABES and was implementing the program in her town. The EMA members soon agreed that it would be a good idea to train a few of their folks and bring the BABES program to all the public schools of Edison Township.
The training was in May, 2007 and the BABES philosophy was soon implemented in all 10 Edison Township Public Schools to 52 second grade classes in September of 2007, reaching approximately 1,200 children. Since then the EMA community and the program has grown substantially.
Today, current EMA coordinator Harprett Uppal, EMA secretary Candy Varroney and other presenters teach 59 second grade classes in the public school system. Since the summer of 2014, the EMA has been presenting the program in their public libraries for registered second and third grade students, as well as giving the opportunity to learn about BABES to many private school students. “There are many fond stories of children telling us of how they have learned to avoid peer pressure and how the program has helped them to be able to ask for the help they needed when they would not have done so before the program,” states program coordinator Uppal.
One story in particular was that of a principal of one of the schools who called to thank EMA for bringing “this great program to the school” and to let them know that one of the children had come forward to tell of abuse and that they were able to begin the process of getting help for the child and making the adults aware of the situation so the child could begin the healing process. “This is a perfect situation of why BABES can be so helpful for children who find themselves in this very same situation,” commented Rev. Dr. Lottie Jones Hood, BABES Founder and CEO.
EMA is now reaching approximately 1,500 children per year. At the end of their Summer BABES Program, they have a graduation at their town hall where the children perform some of the BABES songs for the families and are presented with certificates, Donovan Dignity pins, and those with perfect attendance receive a certificate from Township of Edison New Jersey Mayor Thomas Lankey.
“It is a pleasure bringing the BABES program and all the very important life skills and information on drugs and alcohol to so many children over the last ten years in order to help build strong self images in the youth of our Edison community” concluded Uppal.
The Edison Municipal Alliance (EMA) was established in May of 1989 and implemented under the Edison Township Department of Health and Human Services. The EMA committee is a grass-roots volunteer organization comprised of community leaders, private citizens and human service agency representatives. Their goal is to work together to promote and support alcohol, tobacco, other drug, and violence prevention, education programs and related activities.
