Lower Township Healthy Youth Coalition

06/22/2026

According to Anxiety and Depression Association of America 20% of adult men experience a mental health condition. While men are less likely than women to be diagnosed, they face dipropionate higher rates of su***de and severe substance use disorder. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call, text or chat 988, or visit https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/dmhas/

06/19/2026

How awesome is this?

Mark your calendars: Celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Villas with a Villas Oral History Day on Saturday June 27 at Fishing Creek School.

06/19/2026

06/18/2026

💙 THRIVE Summer Camp 💙

Grief can feel overwhelming, especially for children and teens navigating the loss of someone they love. THRIVE Summer Camp is a special opportunity for young people to connect with others who understand their journey, find encouragement, and discover hope in a safe and caring environment.

Through fun activities, meaningful conversations, and the support of compassionate leaders, campers are reminded that they do not have to walk through grief alone. There is hope. There is healing.

💕 Help us spread the word by sharing this post with families, schools, counselors, and friends who may know someone in need of this support.

06/17/2026

06/17/2026

Keep reading this summer!

06/16/2026

06/16/2026

The Lower Township Healthy Youth Coalition (LTHYC), an initiative of Cape Assist, is a cross-section of community partners dedicated to preventing and reducing youth substance misuse while building youth resilience in Lower Township. The coalition has several community collaborations to support youth & family resilience:

- School Engagement: Partners with local districts to keep policies updated, recognize student achievements, train educators on educational neuroscience, and support kinship families through providing resources and lunch bunch meetings.

- Law Enforcement Engagement: Partners with Lower Township Police Department to implement a collaborative, week-long summer camp designed to build strong relationships, self-esteem, and communication skills between local officers and youth; Bike Safety Initiative to encourage youth to wear helmets and follow traffic laws on Bayshore Rd and public roads; Faith & Blue and National Night Out to support law enforcement community policing efforts.

- Alternative Activities: Partners with Township of Lower to organize and support free social events, such as Family Fun Nights, and community traditions, such as St Patrick’s Skate, to give families healthy, positive experiences and memories together.

- Alcohol & Underage Drinking: Works with local businesses to provide responsible beverage training and Sticker Shock campaigns to raise awareness of consequences of serving to patrons under the age of 21.

- Medication Safe Disposal: Advocates for using local prescription drop boxes to limit youth access to unused medications.

- Youth Resiliency Teams: Operates as middle school and high school after-school chapters (such as the Richard M. Teitelman Middle School Wellness Club and local SADD chapters) to build peer-led leadership in school and community, for example, mental health awareness month campaigns and beach cleanups.

- Faith-based Round Tables and Community Resource Day: Organizes Lower Township Faith-based organizations to enhance networking and collaboration among faith-based organizations that offer community resources supporting individuals and families through food and personal item pantries, free programming, and household and financial emergency needs.



The LTHYC welcomes new members. Please contact Jodi Corbett at [email protected].

06/15/2026

06/13/2026

Cape May Court House, New Jersey - Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey H. Sutherland issues a serious warning to the public regarding a recent upsurge of drug overdoses in the County. Within a 24-hour period between June 11, 2026, and June 12, 2026, there were five (5) drug related overdoses, one (1) of which was fatal.

Based on the preliminary investigation, it is not confirmed if there is a connection between the five overdoses. Prosecutor Sutherland warns the public that in our County, law enforcement is seeing adulteration of the street drug supply, specifically suspected He**in and Fentanyl, where the overall toxicity is unknown and potentially lethal.

The Cape May County Forensic Laboratory is being utilized to analyze the controlled dangerous substances that are seized from these investigations. According to Prosecutor Sutherland, having a local laboratory within the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office can speed up the time it takes to identify the illegal substances.

In an effort to educate the members of our community, curtail the op**te epidemic, and reduce drug related crimes in Cape May County, the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office deploys the Hope One Mobile Unit weekly into the communities of Cape May County. The Hope One Mobile Unit brings addiction and recovery services and other resources to the community. If you or someone you know needs recovery support, Hope One’s 24/7 hotline is 609-522-4375.

Prosecutor Sutherland ensures the community that the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office Gangs, Guns and Narcotics Task Force is working diligently with all of the local, State and Federal law enforcement agencies to target distributors of these illegal substances in an effort to prevent further tragedies from drug related overdoses. Prosecutor Sutherland urges families to educate their children and loved ones as to the dangers of such illegal drugs and to continue to report any information regarding illegal drug activity and or any criminal activity within the community. This information can be reported to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-465-1135 or anonymously through the Prosecutor’s Office website at cmcpo.tips.