Serving Saginaw

Hey AmeriCorps! My name is Rachel Wenzlick. I'm currently a third year Michigan’s AmeriCorps member serving Saginaw County through the Saginaw Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership (SSAPP.)

SSAPP consists of 20 members that are spread  throughout the county in the United Way of Saginaw County and our four partnering agencies; Prevention and Youth Services (PAYS), the YMCA, Child Abuse and Neglect Council, and Boy Scouts.  I personally am a member that is involved in several of the agencies. I serve at PAYS and the United Way, where I lucky to have the opportunity to represent the AmeriCorps program at several local events.

At PAYS, I am assisting the social workers in teaching drug education classes to the youth of Saginaw County. Typically the classes are one hour per week, for about 12-13 weeks. Each class educates students about alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and  life skills. For instance, I am currently assistant teaching an All Star Senior program at Bridgeport High School. We are allowed by the principle and staff members to come in and take over a teacher's class every Thursday for 12 weeks. We start off the programs by giving students a pre-test to assess their current knowledge and usage of drugs and life skills. The following week, we jump into the educational aspect of the program and continue to do so throughout the course of the class. Each week we cover a different topic until we have discussed alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, resistance skills, and communication skills. At the end of the program, we give the students a post-test to see what they have learned. The program is extremely beneficial and our post-test scores typically show improvement.

PAYS also serves the State of Michigan. We travel to different tobacco vendors and educate them on how to stay in compliance with the Youth Tobacco Act. This is extremely beneficial as the rate of tobacco access to youth is very high. 

As much as I love talking about what I have been able to do personally through the AmeriCorps program and how much I love my service, I need to give credit to all the of the Saginaw Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership Members. I am proud to say I serve the Saginaw community alongside 19 other AmeriCorps members. These members are making a positive impact on our community through their various service sites and I am happy to serve with each of them!