Monroe County Prevention & Wellness Coalition

Monroe County Prevention & Wellness Coalition A primary prevention coalition mobilizing our community to reduce substance misuse in Monroe County. Providing education & resources for future generations.

Funded by TDMHSAS. The Monroe County Prevention & Wellness Coalition (PWC) is an alliance of organizations and people from all sectors of our community. For over a decade, the PWC has been effective in policy change, prevention programming, increased opportunities for positive health impact, and the overall reduction of risky behaviors. Although the priority of the PWC remains primary prevention,

our work has had a positive impact throughout the community in many other ways. The PWC has several substances that we address: alcohol (underage use), nicotine, prescription drugs, opioids (illicit) and stimulants, and marijuana/THC/derivatives. Under those areas of focus are several initiatives and programs such as community events like 'Smash the Stigma' Community Water Balloon Fight and the DEA Drug Take Back Day, youth clubs in the schools, overdose prevention training where you learn how to use and receive naloxone, training for businesses, community education, free medication drop boxes, parental education (particularly with our Revealed: A Hidden World trailer), training for teachers/school admin/law enforcement, alcohol awareness training for servers/restaurants that sell alcohol, and youth substance misuse classes within our schools, Boys & Girls Club, and juvenile program. We also work closely with local law enforcement on compliance checks and saturation patrols.

Sometimes, the hardest step is reaching out. 💙If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988. The 988 Su***d...
08/27/2026

Sometimes, the hardest step is reaching out. 💙
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988. The 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline connects you with caring, confidential support—24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You don’t have to have the right words. Just start the conversation.

08/24/2026

The Water Balloon Fight Wouldn't Be the Same Without Them! 🚓🚒💦

Last, but certainly not least, we have to give a HUGE shoutout to the incredible men and women who truly tie Smash the Stigma together—our first responders! 💙

Every year, they show up for us. They show up for our community. And they show up for our kids and families in a way that is pretty hard to beat.

A very special THANK YOU to:

🚓 Madisonville Police Department - TN
🚒 Madisonville Fire-Rescue
🚓 Vonore Police Department -TN
🚒 Vonore Fire Department
🚒 Notchey Creek Fire-Rescue
🚒 Mt. Vernon FD
🚑 Monroe County Rescue Squad
You are what makes the “water balloon fight” part of Smash the Stigma so much fun!

If you've never experienced it, picture this: our first responders line up their vehicles and make their way through the event parade-style, while everyone along the streets is armed with water balloons and ready to launch. 😂💦🚓🚒

It is loud. It is chaotic. It is VERY wet. And it is one of the most fun ways we can bring our community together.

But what makes it even more special is what happens beyond the water balloons.

Our first responders are building relationships with the people in our community. They are showing our kids that police officers, firefighters, and EMS aren't just the people you call when something goes wrong—they are people who care about them, show up for them, and are part of their community.

That connection matters.

So to every officer, firefighter, rescue squad member and volunteer who has climbed into a vehicle, driven through our streets, gotten absolutely soaked, laughed with us and supported Smash the Stigma year after year—THANK YOU.

We truly could not do this event at the level we do without you.

You don't just participate in the water balloon fight.

You ARE the water balloon fight. 💦💙

And we wouldn't have it any other way! Thank you for helping us Smash the Stigma- one water balloon at a time.

🎧 MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOLERS: THIS ONE IS FOR YOU! 🪩Ready to take over the floor? We’re throwing a Silent Disco in Madisonv...
08/20/2026

🎧 MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOLERS: THIS ONE IS FOR YOU! 🪩

Ready to take over the floor? We’re throwing a Silent Disco in Madisonville on Saturday, September 26th! Grab a pair of wireless headsets, pick your music channel, and vibe out with your friends.

We’re running two completely separate sessions so you can hang out with your age group:

🎟️ Middle School Session
👉 Claim your free ticket: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1996639339011?aff=oddtdtcreator

🎟️ High School Session
👉 Claim your free ticket: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1996642321933?aff=oddtdtcreator

⚠️ HEADS UP: Tickets are 100% FREE, but we only have 45 headsets per session. Once those 45 spots are gone, registration closes!

Our disco may be silent, but our voices aren’t! Don't wait—lock in your spot now! 🔥

The People Behind Smash the Stigma 💙💦Okay… this one is going to be a little chaotic because there are a LOT of people to...
08/20/2026

The People Behind Smash the Stigma 💙💦

Okay… this one is going to be a little chaotic because there are a LOT of people to thank. And honestly, there is no way we could pull off Smash the Stigma without every single one of them.

There are the people you see at the event, and then there are the people who are there before everyone arrives and after everyone leaves. The ones hauling tables, setting up tents, moving equipment, filling coolers, putting up signs, picking up trash, loading everything back up and cleaning up the aftermath. And they do it all in the ridiculously hot Tennessee summer heat. 🥵

(Thank goodness the day ends with a water balloon fight! 😂💦)

To our PWC staff and Health Council staff, thank you for jumping in wherever you are needed and doing whatever needs to be done.

To our families and friends who give up their time and their weekends to help us pull this crazy event together. We could not do it without you.

A HUGE thank you to:

💙 Mike Dotson
💙 Mike McConkey
💙 Robby & Radley Rhymes
💙 Valor House / 5:17 Ministries
💙 Mullet Man Mowing — Drew Williams
💙 Anna
💙 Keep Monroe County Beautiful
💙 Monroe County Sheriff Office
💙 Blaina Jo Tallent Best
💙 Speakers: Eric-Becki Miller and Austin Givens
💙Addison R***r

To everyone else who showed up, grabbed a job, asked “What needs to be done?” and just did it, please know how much we appreciate you.

Some of you were setting up before the first person walked through the gate. Some stayed until the very last busted balloon was picked up. Some did both. And some probably wondered why you agreed to help us in the first place. 😂

But seriously, you all are the reason this event happens.

Smash the Stigma may have the water balloons, the resource booths, the speakers and the fun, but it takes a whole community working together behind the scenes to make it possible.

From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU. We appreciate you more than you know. 💙

08/20/2026

🚨HEY, MONROE COUNTY! WE'VE GOT NEWS! 🚨

We know life can be busy, and finding a class time that fits your schedule can sometimes be the hardest part.

That's why we're adding NEW class times in MONROE!

🌟NEW CLASS TIMES🌟
​
Cleveland State - Vonore Campus
121 Grand Vista
Vonore, TN 37885
Tuesday & Wednesday
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Tellico Plains Library
209 Cherohala Skyway
Tellico Plains, TN 37385
Monday & Friday
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Madisonville Courthouse
105 College Street
Madisonville, TN 37354
Tuesday & Wednesday
1:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

📲Call 423-473-2479 today to reserve your spot for orientation!

💙 You’re not alone.Whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to face it by yourself. If you’re struggling, overwhelm...
08/19/2026

💙 You’re not alone.
Whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to face it by yourself. If you’re struggling, overwhelmed, or just need someone to talk to, 988 is here 24/7.
📞 Call or text 988 anytime.
💬 You deserve to be heard. You deserve support.

5th Annual Smash the Stigma — THANK YOU! 💙💦Five years. Five Smash the Stigma events. And somehow, every year, our commun...
08/18/2026

5th Annual Smash the Stigma — THANK YOU! 💙💦

Five years. Five Smash the Stigma events. And somehow, every year, our community continues to show up in ways that remind us why we do this work.

Our 5th Annual Smash the Stigma Community Water Balloon Fight was an incredible afternoon of fun, connection, remembrance, and hope—and we simply cannot say THANK YOU enough to everyone who helped make it happen.

A very special thank you to our amazing sponsors who believe in this event and in the importance of bringing our community together to talk about substance misuse, prevention, recovery, and the people behind all of it:

💙 City of Madisonville
💙 Karen Carey with Madisonville Main Street - TN
💙 SafePath Monroe County
💙 Yamaha Jet Boat Manufacturing USA
💙 JTEKT - Vonore, TN
💙 5:17 Ministries
💙 Volunteer Federal Savings Bank
💙Tulli Cole

Your support helps make this event possible, and we are so grateful for each of you!

And to the families, volunteers, community partners, vendors, speakers, staff, and everyone who showed up, participated, laughed, threw water balloons, shared resources, remembered loved ones, or simply spent the afternoon with us—thank you. You are what makes Smash the Stigma so special.

We know an event like this doesn't happen because of one organization or a handful of people. It happens because an entire community says, “Yes, this matters. And we're in.”

We are incredibly grateful for our Monroe County community and for everyone who continues to stand with us in the fight to prevent substance misuse, support recovery, and remind people that they are never alone.

Here's to five years of Smashing the Stigma—and to many more. 💙💦

08/18/2026

Ask a lot of adults about the person who kept them on track in high school, and you'll hear about a coach.

Coaches occupy a spot almost no one else does. They see young people multiple days a week, over years. They notice when someone's off. They have credibility that a one-time assembly speaker never will. That's why coaches initiatives have become a real part of the field — training coaches to talk about , , and pressure in ways that land, because of who's saying it.

It doesn't require a curriculum overhaul. It looks like a coach who addresses and **ng directly instead of hoping it doesn't come up, who knows what to do when a kid is struggling, and who models the thing they're asking for. Young athletes face real pressures — from performance expectations to injury and prescription pain medication — and coaches are positioned to meet those head-on.

If your coalition hasn't brought local coaches to the table, fall practice season is a good time to start.

08/15/2026

5th annual smash a stigma downtown Madisonville at Memorial Park. Join us from 4 to 6 PM for our resource fair water balloon fight starts promptly at six. BYOB bring your own balloons.!!

Address

320 Hickory Street
Madisonville, TN
37354

Website

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