Kathie Friedland, a Los Gatos resident since 1979, is the new chairwoman of Community Against Substance Abuse.
CASA's plans for the year are primarily directed at peer programming, thanks to the recently completed summer school program, "Skills for Life," in which some 20 students participated.
Friedland, who has two children enrolled in local schools, says she became interested and concerned about substance abuse as her children approached their teenage years.
"Our society is in a crisis with serious and, at times, overwhelming social problems. Merely hoping it won't affect your family isn't enough," she says.
Friedland points out that CASA encourages networking among parents and provides two opportunities for parents to get together. One is a morning meeting for parents concerned about drug use in general. The other, A Safe Place for Parents, meets in the evening and provides parents whose children are using drugs a confidential place to share their feelings and receive support.
CASA's regular meetings resume on Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. in Room L-7 at Los Gatos High School. For more information call 395-9179.
This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, September 11, 1996.
©1996 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved