>> 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.