Take Back Day 2022-Recap

Student from Franconia Elementary receiving a “Homework Pass”
for bringing family to Take Back Day!

Take Back Day was a big success! Officers from Franconia Police Department, members of the Indian Valley Character Counts! Coalition and Principal Laura Heineck from Franconia Elementary helped with the event. Officers collected over 220 pounds of unwanted and unused prescription medications and other over-the-counter-medicines.

Students from Franconia were encouraged to bring their families to the event and each student would then receive a “Homework Pass” for their participation. Approximately 40-50 cars passed through our “drive-through” location.

Our next event will be held in October, 2022.

CALL TO ACTION-MARCH 31, 2022

March 3, 2022

An invitation from our President and Vice-President-Dr. Christopher Hey and Debra Ryan

After a two-year hiatus necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, IVCCC is back! 

Who could have predicted that our professional and personal lives would be disrupted in so many ways?  Our school district partners, for one, have had to divert so many resources (including time) to pandemic response that they were unable to host regular Indian Valley Character Counts meetings. 

Our prevention work has continued, though, through the exploration of grant funding to secure the coalition’s future, compiling PAYS data to ensure we are meeting the needs of our youth and active involvement in community events – Drug Take Back Day.

We look forward to expanding our prevention efforts to maintain the health and well-being of the Indian Valley.

We invite you to join us on Thursday, March 31, 2022 as we “jump back into action.”  The meeting will be held in person at the Souderton Area School District Office at 12:00pm.  Please feel free to pass this information along to others who might be interested in our prevention efforts, or how they can become involved. (Contact DonnaLea Pyrz, Community Mobilizer at 215-723-3569, ext. 116.)  A google calendar invitation for this meeting will be sent for your response.  

We hope you will join us! 

Sincerely,

Dr. Christopher Hey, President

Debra Ryan, Vice-President

Indian Valley Character Counts! Coalition

National Prescription Take Back Day

SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2021 (10AM-2PM)

On Saturday, April 24, 2021 the Franconia Police Department will partner with the Indian Valley Character Counts! Coalition and the Souderton Area School District to bring you a local Take Back Day. The event will be held at the Franconia Elementary School. Unwanted Rx Medications will be collected at our drive through event. Masks required when driving through. Please do not exit your cars. A Police Officer will be on hand to collect your unwanted medications. Please review the flyer for more information on location and what is accepted. Questions: Contact DonnaLea Pyrz at 215-723-3569, ext. 116. Additional Site Information Can be found Here.

National Character Counts! Week October 19-23, 2020

Help celebrate National Character Counts! Week.


Beginning Monday, October 19, 2020, we invite all members of our community to help celebrate National Character Counts! Week. Character Counts! Week is the biggest celebration of character in the world.

First declared “National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week” in 1993, the U.S. President, U.S. Senate, state governors, and officials around the world proclaim the third week in October CHARACTER COUNTS! Week as a time to highlight character education and the importance of modeling good character. And every year millions of kids in dozens of countries participate. This year we ask you to join the Indian Valley Character Counts! Coalition as we wear the colors representing each pillar beginning Monday, October 19th. Check out a flyer from our friends at the Y to determine what colors to wear for each day! Join in the celebration and share your photos on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ivccounts/ or twitter us at @ivccounts.

Prescription Medicine Take Back Day Saturday, October 24, 2020 10am-2pm

On Saturday, October 24, 2020 the Franconia Police Department will partner with the Indian Valley Character Counts! Coalition and the Souderton Area School District to bring you another Take Back Day. The event will be held at the Franconia Elementary School. Unwanted Rx Medications will be collected at our drive through event. Masks required when driving through. Please do not exit your cars. A Police Officer will be on hand to collect your unwanted medications. Please review the flyer for more information on location and what is accepted. Questions: Contact DonnaLea Pyrz at 215-723-3569, ext. 116.

Talk. They Hear You.

The Indian Valley Character Counts! Coalition, has partnered with The Montgomery County Department of Human Services’ Office of Drug and Alcohol, Family Services, prevention-focused coalitions, providers, and school districts throughout Montgomery to educate parents and caregivers about the “Talk. They Hear You.”® Campaign (TTHY).  We hope once you have learned more about this program you will help you will consider help us promote this program in our community.  
The goal of TTHY is to provide parents and caregivers with the resources they need to address the issue of alcohol and other drugs with their children under the age of 21.  This program, including a comprehensive toolkit, was developed and provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).  The link to this program is https://www.samhsa.gov/underage-drinking.  


The Campaign seeks to increase parents’ awareness of the prevalence and risks of underage drinking and substance use. It will help equip parents with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to prevent underage drinking an substance use. And will also increase actions by parents to prevent underage drinking and substance use.

This Media Campaign addresses current priorities presented in our most recent Community Action Plan.  The Montgomery County Department of Human Services’ Office of Drug and Alcohol has provided funding to implement this program in the Indian Valley and the entire Montgomery County.  Currently we have two digital billboards running at the Lansdale exit of the Northeast extension of the PA Turnpike and two digital billboards on Route 309 near the cycle center as you exit and enter the Indian Valley.  Funding has also been provided for lawn signs and car magnets to help promote the program.  One of the tools provided for parents is a free downloadable mobile app that assists parents with conversations about drugs and alcohol.  More detailed information can be downloaded below.

CANCELLED Prescription Medicine Take Back Day-April 25, 2020

The DEA National Prescription Medicine Take Back Day scheduled for April 25, 2020 has been cancelled. Thank you to our planning committee and our sponsors who committed to this event. We will keep you updated on plans for future events!

Until then, please note that the Indian Valley has permanent drop boxes at Franconia Police Department, Souderton Police Department, Lower Salford Police Department and Telford Police Department.

We encourage you to continue helping to keep our community a safe place to live, by disposing of unwanted and unused medications at any of these local “safe drop box” locations.

For more information, please click the DROP BOX INFO Tab on our web page or click here.