Who Are We?

Providing information and education to children, families, and the San Marino community at large - that's what Partnership for Awareness is all about. PfA is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to improving the lives and health of our San Marino youth. While our primary focus is on drug, alcohol, and tobacco awareness and prevention, our vision is broad enough to include outreach on any important issue that concerns the health and safety of our children.

PfA is administered by a Governing Board. For a list of the current Governing Board members, please click here.

What Do We Do?

PfA promotes awareness in many ways, some examples of which include:

• PfA Website, www.partnershipforawareness.org - a place to learn more about drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other health and safety related issues. Also a place to interact with other members of the community as well as with experts to heighten awareness of issues of concern for our children.

• Red Ribbon Week - held each fall to heighten awareness of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

• Community Lecture Series - we hold programs throughout the year to bring experts together with our San Marino community to learn more about drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other health and safety related concerns.

• Community Events - PfA sponsors events such as the Spellmans Magic Show, a fun-filled evening of magic with an anti-drug/anti-alcohol theme.

• Support of the SDATE counseling program - the SDATE counselor and student volunteers help spread an anti-drug, anti-alcohol, anti-tobacco message to children throughout the San Marino Unified School District.

• Library Support - PfA regularly provides grants to the San Marino Library, the San Marino High School Library, the Huntington Middle School Library, the Carver Elementary School Library, and the Valentine Elementary School Library to purchase materials that are related to our mission statement.

• Liaison with other community programs - we maintain good relationships with the San Marino City Counsel, the San Marino Unified School District, the San Marino Library, the San Marino Police Department, the San Marino Fire Department, and the San Marino PTA to help spread our message of awareness.

What Is Our History?

In the late 1970s early 80s, a group of enthusiastic pioneers saw the need to educate the students and parents of San Marino about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. They formed the “Committee on Substance Abuse” and fostered cooperation among the police, schools and parents concerning teenage abuse of alcohol and drugs. In 1982, the committee became a tax-exempt organization and changed its name to “Parent Alert”. It began educating the teachers and parents of the community on topics such as substance abuse, value awareness, and problem solving techniques. It also began taking surveys of alcohol and drug use among students in San Marino to get a better idea of the usage in the community.

As time and attitudes changed, so did Parent Alert. In 1994 Parent Alert changed its name to “Partnership for Awareness“. It continued to provide substance abuse education, but to reflect the growing Asian-American population in San Marino and in recognition of the changes in our society and in the rest of the world, it broadened its scope by providing acculturation seminars, parenting classes, nutrition and general health education, and by addressing issues such as peer pressure and the need for healthy role models.

How Can You Help?

PfA is a nonprofit organization and as such is entirely dependent on your generous support for our operating budget. If you would like to become a member, please click here. If you would like to make a donation, or volunteer time or resources, please write to partnershipforawareness@gmail.com. Thank you for your time and financial support - it is because of you that PfA continues to be an effective resource for the San Marino community!