Five Town CTC names Youth Advocate Award winners

l-to-r: Lisa Ettinger, Five Town CTC Mentor Program Coordinator.

Five Town Communities That Care has named Lisa Ettinger and the Penobscot Bay YMCA as their most recent Youth Advocate Award winners. The awards were announced January 23rd at Five Town CTC’s quarterly Coalition meeting.

Ettinger, winner of the individual award, has been a longtime volunteer for youth organizations in the five towns and beyond. For many years, she worked with the Rockport Elementary School and Camden-Rockport Elementary School Jump Rope for Heart program, the last six years helping coach the Camden-Rockport Skippers jump rope team. She also served for many years on the Program Committee for Youth Arts, which provides arts enrichment in the schools of Camden and Rockport, including Camden Hills Regional High School (serving also Appleton, Hope and Lincolnville). A member of the board of trustees for Five Town Communities That Care since 2004—she is currently board vice-chair and secretary, and chairs the Program Evaluation and Data Work Groups—Lisa is devoted to promoting healthy youth in our community.

Jasen Wood and Meghan Gustafson, Senior Program Director and Childcare Co-Director, respectively, received the Youth Advocate Award for organization on behalf of the Penobscot Bay YMCA. The Y’s mission is to provide high quality services that meet the youth development, healthy living and social needs of individuals and families in the communities they serve. Their vision is to be a recognized community leader, connecting individuals and families with high-quality health, recreational and social service opportunities. Since they opened their new facility in Rockport in 2002, the Y’s membership has grown to over 5,000.

Those wishing to nominate an individual or an organization for a Youth Advocate Award may email the candidate’s name and contact info, along with a statement of why they feel their nominee should receive the award, to info@fivetownctc.org.

Five Town CTC has been working since 2003 to promote healthy youth development and to reduce the incidence of problem adolescent problem behaviors such as substance abuse, suicide, violence, delinquency, school drop-out, and teen pregnancy. For more information, visit www.fivetownctc.org, email info@fivetownctc.org, or call 207-236-9800.

l-to-r: Jasen Wood, Five Town CTC Board member, Ken Gardiner, Meghan Gustafson.