In the past nine months, the town of Morgan Hill has grappled with the tragic shooting death of 14-year-old Tara Romero and the kidnapping of 15-year-old Sierra LaMar. The two crimes have put the town on edge, said Larry McElvain the director of the nonprofit Discovery Counseling center.
As a response to the anxiousness of the community, Discovery partnered with the City of Morgan Hill, Morgan Hill Unified and Community Solutions for a series of free workshops to help parents and children.
“Morgan Hill is known as a great family community. What’s happened in about the last year has created an anxiousness and (the town) is very proactive. We want to revive that,” McElvain said.
The next workshop – the second of three in the Family Safety Series – is from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, July 25 at the Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Street. The topic is Internet safety.
“It’s probably the most dangerous place for kids,” McElvain said about the Web. A recent statistic he cited proclaimed that 40 percent of youths have made contact with a stranger on the Internet, but just 7 percent have told their parents; “So parents can be out of the loop,” he said. The workshop will address children and parents separately so each group can find guidance tailored to their age and concerns, McElvain explained.
Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Ray Mendoza will also give a presentation in English and Spanish. A light dinner and childcare is being donated by Morgan Hill Bible Church.
McElvain said the workshops are a first on this large scale – he’s expecting 90 people Wednesday – but after Discovery Counseling kept interacting with teens and parents asking about how to stay safe and protect themselves in light of the murder of Tara Romero and kidnapping of Sierra LaMar – it was time to act as a community.
He met with Superintendent Wesley Smith, Police Chief David Swing and Community Solutions Director Erin O’Brien and asked “What can we do? The best thing is to deal with the anxiety now, so we came up with this plan,” McElvain said.
The last workshop in the Family Safety Series is scheduled for Aug. 8 and 9 on family self-defense. Attendees will learn practical ways to prevent an attack and what to do if attacked. Each workshop has sessions for both youths and adults. Please RSVP for the workshops at 408-778-5120.
