Lee's Summit CARES

10/11/2026

Red Ribbon Week offers a great opportunity for parents, teachers, educators, and community organizations to raise awareness about substance abuse.

PLEDGES
Here are sample pledges for use at Red Ribbon Week events. Parents and students can take these pledges, or sign and post them in their homes and schools as a reminder of their commitment to be drug free.

Parents’ Pledge
✓ We will talk to our children about the dangers of drug abuse.
✓ We will set clear rules for our children about not using drugs.
✓ We will set a good example for our children by not using illegal drugs or
misusing prescription drugs.
✓ We will monitor our children’s behavior and enforce appropriate
consequences, so that our rules are respected.
✓ We will encourage family and friends to follow the same guidelines to keep
their children safe from drug abuse.
✓ I pledge to set guidelines to help children grow up safe, healthy, and drug-
free.

Students’ Pledge
✓ I pledge to stay in school and learn the things that I need to know.
✓ I pledge to make the world a better place for kids like me to grow.
✓ I pledge to keep my dreams alive and be all that I can be.
✓ I pledge to help others and to keep myself drug free.

For more information go to www.LSCARES.org
Lees Summit CARES - Teen Advocacy Group Lee's Summit CARES DEA St. Louis

10/06/2026

Attention Jackson County residents!!! This is our time to hear from those who want to lead us going forward! All are welcome to atten the Jackson County Executive Candidate Forum. This is a nonpartisan forum with the candidates to hear their plan to serve our community if they are elected!

Location: Trinty Temple COGIC 11922 Food Lane Grandview MO 64030 at 6:30PM CST.

10/02/2026

Attention! Great things are happening here at Lee's Summit CARES!
Meet Teen Intern Isabel O'Kane!
Isabel shares how her internship with Lees Summit Cares has given her opportunities to grow personally and professionally, while also giving us a closer look at the Prevention Through Possibilities internship program. 💙
Hear more about her experience and the impact of this program!
https://youtu.be/9Fx5dyjyo_k?si=AT7frjZYadMH8fZA

10/01/2026

October Character Trait: Responsibility
A Message from C.D. Madden, Sr., M.Ed., Executive Director, Lee’s Summit CARES

My grandfather, the original C.D. Madden, had a saying that has stayed with me throughout my life: “If you make your bed hard, then roll over often.” It was his way of teaching me that our choices have consequences—and that responsibility means owning those choices, learning from them, and developing the strength to endure hard things. Life will not always be easy, but character is revealed by what we do with what we have been given. I often tell my mentees, “The only difference between a blessing and a burden is your capacity to keep IT.” Responsibility requires us to build that capacity. It is choosing ownership over escapism, growth over excuses, and having the courage to ask for help when the weight becomes too heavy to carry alone.

We are living in a world that often seems to be racing toward the “easy button.” It can be easier to choose hate than the hard work of love; easier to post, text, or react for attention than to slow down and truly listen; easier to escape into unhealthy behaviors than to confront what is hurting us; and easier to blame than to examine the role we can play in creating change. Responsibility challenges us to choose differently. As adults, parents, educators, leaders, and neighbors, we also have a responsibility to model for the next generation how we use the powerful tools placed in our hands—from social media and artificial intelligence to our words, influence, and relationships. Our young people are watching how we handle disagreement, how we respond when we are wrong, and whether we use our gifts simply for ourselves or to make life better for others.

President John F. Kennedy challenged Americans, “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” That challenge reaches far beyond politics. At Lee’s Summit CARES, we believe responsibility is essential to building strong youth, strong families, and a strong community. So this October—and every chance we get—let us resist the easy button. Own your choices. Own your words. Own your gifts. Own your mistakes. Ask for help when you need it. And accept responsibility for what happens next. We may not control everything life gives us, but we can always take responsibility for what we choose to do with it.

www.lscares.org
“Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts." -Edward R. Murrow
An award-winning nonprofit supporting local youth and families since 1986!

09/28/2026

We are SUPER EXCITED to be in the running for this Grant opportunity with Eastland Giving Circle !!!!

Since 1985 we have been an award-winning nonprofit focused on preventing Risky Behaviors in the Eastern Jackson County areas! We look forward to growing our capacity in serving the youth and families within these communities!!!!

Send a message to learn more

09/16/2026

Xylazine (also called "tranq") is a strong animal tranquilizer not safe for people. It is mixed into illegal drugs like fentanyl. It causes heavy sleep, very slow breathing, low blood pressure, severe skin wounds, and death. Naloxone (Narcan) does not reverse xylazine, but you must still use it if an opioid mix is suspected.

09/14/2026