Dear editor, In recent days, several articles have highlighted the problems of gangs and violence among our youth. As the Student Assistance Program coordinator with St. Helena Unified School District and a licensed clinical social worker, I encourage your support of violence prevention programs in all the schools of the Napa Valley.

Like many Upvalley communities, St. Helena recognizes that the same youth risks exist in small towns that exist in larger cities. SHUSD, with the St. Helena Family Resource Center, has implemented CLARO (Challenging Latinos to Access Resources and Opportunities) at the high school and middle school, plus two other vital programs. We offer Your Alternative to Risk and the Crime Diversion Program, which is also supported by the St. Helena Police Department and the Boys & Girls Club. Programs such as these offer the responsive prevention and intervention that can make all the difference to an at-risk student and produce future leaders in our community.

SHUSD also has universal prevention programs, such as Rachel’s Challenge (a national violence prevention assembly). Further, our schools promote safety and social stewardship with the leadership programs, Where Everybody Belongs and Safe School Ambassadors. They’re vital and they work.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I am proud of the commitment of the St. Helena community and the many communities of the Napa Valley that support these proactive programs.

Sarah Carpenter / St. Helena