by Tonya Michalec
Staff writer

The Braidwood Area Healthy Community Coalition is keeping up with the times by creating and establishing a website that gives residents access to the organization's event scheduling, community healthy goal objectives and more. The coalition is a group made up of Braidwood community members, local health agencies, the police department and the fire department that are dedicated and focused on working together to support local youth in making healthy, drug and alcohol free choices.

Pete Dell'Aquilla, coalition coordinator, announced at the coalition's most recent board meeting, held on Monday, July 8, that, "Our website is up and running as of today. It [website] is very user friendly and it really looks great.

"The board members also announced at the meeting that they are just about finished with the printing process of the organization's Braidwood Area Community Resource Directory. The resource directory helps local residents easily locate anything from no-kill animal shelters to parent organizations and even food or housing projects. "The directory is really something that everyone and every household can use in many different cases," commented Pam Dell'Aquilla, coalition board member.The cover of the directory was designed by a Reed-Custer High School student, Amber Kubinski.

"Eleven students at the high school entered their own personal design layout for the cover and Amber's design won first place," said Sandy Fletcher, president of the coalition. Not only did first place win the design for the cover of the directory, but also a $50 visa gift card. Second place took home a $25 visa gift card and third place walked away with a $10 Subway gift card. 

"The kids were really into it and put forth an amazing effort to become involved," added Fletcher.

The directories will be first available at the Braidwood Lions Summerfest this weekend. There at the festival, the coalition will be manning a booth to distribute the resource directory booklets and small prizes for its games and to also educate the public on what the coalition's mission and vision is for the community and its residents. 

"We will be handing out a simple and quick community perception survey to the passersby to be able to see what the residents of the local community, as a whole, feel about drinking in general," Pete Dell'Aquilla said.

For more information regarding the Braidwood Area Healthy Community Coalition and its participation in the Braidwood Lions Summerfest, visit www.braidwoodcoalition.org, call 815-725-3491 or write to the Braidwood Area Healthy Community Coalition at P.O. Box 123, Braidwood, Illinois 60408.