The organization celebrated its 50th anniversary recently with a banquet and birthday bash at the Harbor Hotel.

“We have 50 years of providing much needed prevention education to school systems, businesses and organizations,” said Melanie Witkowski, Prevention Works executive director. “We have a wonderful and passionate team of professionals who are doing the hard work each day.”

Prevention Works draws its inaugural roots back to 1974 when the Police and Community Together (PACT) organization formed a committee to study the problems of the alcoholic population in Jamestown. The group took the name of Chadakoin Alcoholic Rehabilitation Planning Inc. Its purpose was to develop a residential center for public inebriates, but the project was expensive, and no funding was found. From there, plans for a drop-in center on Prather Avenue opened in the fall of 1974 under the name of the Jamestown Area Council on Alcoholism (JACA) according to preventionworks.us, followed by another name change to the Chautauqua Alcohol And Substance Abuse Council. The organization rebranded as Prevention Works more recently.

Since Prevention Works’ formative years, it has undergone, expanded programing offerings which includes titles such as: Triple P Positive Parenting; Team Awareness; Teen Intervene; Pax Good Behavior Game (PAX, Latin for peace); PAX Community Tools; Positive Action; Too Good and the WISE Program, shared Witkowski.

P-J photos by Christopher Blakeslee From left, County Executive PJ Wendel presents an award/proclamation to Melanie Witkowski, the executive director of Prevention Works, during the organization’s 50th birthday celebration.

Additionally, Witkoswki also shared about the various, ad hoc or one-off Prevention Works initiatives such as Take it to the Box Campaign; If they Can’t Buy it, Don’t Supply It program; One Pill can Kill; The Parents that Host Lose the Most and Safe Use. Safe Storage. Safe Disposal campaign.

“By implementing our PAX Good Behavior Game programming it saves, on average, $11,571 per student and Triple P Positive Parenting saves $3,629 per child,” shared Witkoswki. “Positive Actions can net a savings of $4,187 and our Positive Action program saves around $36,896.”

Mission Movers Awards were presented to various agencies, organizations and individuals who’ve helped Prevention Works in fulfilling its mission, including the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County; the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Department; Dunkirk Police Department; Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene; Southern Tier Pediatrics; Rebecca Haines and Berkley Adams, Prevention Works board members.

“Prevention Works specialists along with our partnering agencies, directors, and board members are saving lives by providing exceptional alcohol and other drug prevention services for all ages throughout Chautauqua County,” said Michele D. Starwalt-Woods, Prevention Works board president. “Melanie’s empowering leadership style combined with board members who regularly interact with our specialists and fully understand and promote each program has led to multiple school districts, law enforcement agencies, County government, and medical facilities seeking out our quality educational and support services. It is an honor and a blessing to be the President of the Board for this advocacy agency who treasures our history and accomplishments while building and growing into the future.”

To cap off the banquet, keynote speaker Dr. G. James Lemoine, associate professor of Organization and Human Resources for the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, discussed servant leadership for event attendees.

According to greenleaf.org one aspect of servant leadership is “a servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid,” servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.”