News and Events

The Tobacco Free Partnership Attends the UpLift Community Event
April 5, 2024

During the Tobacco Free Partnership of Dixie County quarter three meeting, the partners discussed the need to recruit potential members from the faith-based community in Dixie County and how to conduct a partnership recruitment activity to address this demographic. Partnership member, Lesley Hersey of LSF Health Systems, recommended participating in UpLift, on April 5, 2024, at the Otter Springs Park.

UpLift is a tri-county community event, that is designed to support churches and faith communities in helping people struggling with mental health and substance abuse. The event’s intention was to reach Pastors, Lay Leaders, Youth Leaders, Sunday School Teachers, and Women's/Men's Ministries.

The Tobacco Free Florida Provider and a Tobacco Free Partnership Member set up an information table to inform the attendees about the Tobacco Free Partnership of Dixie County and invited visitors to sign up to receive email invitatations and a copy of the quarterly Tobacco Free Partnership of Dixie County Newsletter.  The partnership member shared some of the previous tobacco free policy accomplishments achieved with the assistance of the partnership and informed them how the partnership will continue to work on tobacco free policy work with Dixie County, the town of Cross City and the Dixie County School District.  The attendees were able to ask questions of the partnership member and the Tobacco Free Florida Provider. 

The event was attended by 75 people and over 50 community organizations were represented.  Five separate organizations representatives signed up to join the partnership, including Episcopal Children’s Services, Tri-County Community Resource Center, American Red Cross, Meridian Mobile Response Team and the First Baptist Church of Cross City. Each group also shared what they would like to provide to the partnership.

This event was a great success and during the fourth quarter Tobacco Free Partnership meeting, the members committed to reach out to many of the organizations and faith-based organizations that attended the recruitment activity.