C ommunity

A ction

N etwork for

D rug - Free

L ifestyle

E mpowerment

CANDLE, Inc. was founded as a 501c3 non-profit in 2004, after the success of the grassroots Reality Tour that started in Butler, PA.

CANDLE is served by a board of directors and is listed on PA's Bureau of Charitable Organizations. Norma Norris, originator of the Reality Tour, is the Executive Director.

CANDLE directly oversees 4 Reality Tour Programs as well as over a dozen licensed Reality Tour Program Models.

In 2003, I wanted to do something about kids becoming addicted to drugs and dying from heroin overdoses in my community. Since kids have drug prevention education from K-12, either they didn't believe what they were being told in class, or they didn't think the consequences could happen to them. I realized that parents, like me, were clueless as to what temptations our children experience daily (1 in 4 families have a member struggling with addiction).

I felt that parent and child need to be on the same page, with the same information. That information had to be delivered in an engaging manner; it had to be true, emotionally charged and consequence-driven.

After considerable research, I left my 21 year career inadvertising to follow my passion for protecting families, and put together a program that incorporated the community in the presentation. I called it, The Reality Tour™. The healthcare community, law enforcement, recovery community, civic organizations, youth groups and the average citizen volunteered their time and talents (Time involved - as little as 1 - 2 hours a month). The program developed into a 3 hour comprehensive experience for parents and children age 10+. It was anchored by a dramatic, narrative portrayal of a teen on heroin.

The Reality Tour® was only to be a monthly presentation for 3 months in the summer of 2003, but so many parents wanted to attend with their child, that at the end of 3 months there was a 2 month waiting list. We extended it through the end of 2003 and still there was a 2 month wait list! The program has continued monthly (in Butler, PA) serving over 4,000 residents and has expanded to three sites. Our Program Model was introduced in 2004 so other communities could start a Reality Tour® and over 10,000 PA residents have attended.

Now 29% of PA counties have the program and The Reality Tour® received the national 'Acts of Caring Award' and 'Community-Based Crime Prevention Program of 2008, and was accepted to the federal government's National Registry of Evidence Based Programs and Practices - NREPP. In January 2009, we were pleased to have confirmation of our first program model outside of PA in the state of Oregon.

Research on the program has been conducted by the University of Pittsburgh's School of Pharmacy, showing that 92% of youth attending the Reality Tour® use the information within 30 days of attending. It also has proven to form the foundation for more frequent parent/child discussion, and increase the ease of discussion.These are the most powerful prevention tools according to current research.

Even youth who are actively experimenting with drugs have been impacted. In October a 16 year old girl who was using marijuana, attended the Reality Tour® in Greensburg, PA and wrote that she didn't expect to learn anything, but what she saw totally changed her mind and she was giving up marijuana and pledged to be drug-free. She also recommended the program to her friends, who came to the next Reality Tour®.

Reality Tour® AWARDS / Accomplishments

In 2009, CANDLE, Inc. was invited to present workshops at the National Sheriff's Association Conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL and at the Pennsylvania Sheriff's Conference in Butler, PA.

In 2008 the Reality Tour was named 'Community Based Crime Prevention Program of 2008 by the International Society of Crime Practitioners. The award was presented in Denver, Colorado.

In 2008, CANDLE, Inc. received a SAMHSA Service to Science Award via the NECAPT. This award provided the services of two researchers to aid in developing a control study research project. The pilot for the study was conducted in the Fall of 2008.

In 2007, CANDLE, Inc. conducted a research project with the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Pharmacy under the direction of Dr. Janice Pringle. The goal of the project was to submit the Reality Tour® Drug Prevention Program for review by NREPP. In March 2008 the Reality Tour® was accepted by NREPP for Review. It is currently on the NREPP website under the ‘Resources’ tab and it is listed with other programs ‘Pending Review’. NREPP Review, final scoring and research summary is the next phase in the process, prior to posting the Reality Tour® among NREPP’s list of Intervention programs. This is expected to be finalized by end of 2009.

CANDLE, Inc continued research effort under the guidance of the Northeast Centers for the Application of Prevention Technology’s (CAPT) 2008 Service to Science award.

CANDLE, Inc. was selected as presenter at National Neighborhoods USA Conference in Kansas City, May 2006 and now 16 states are considering implementing the Reality Tour program.

The Reality Tour® was featured on WQED-PBS TV in January 2005. It is endorsed by a host of local government officials. In March 2005, the program was a Health Care Hero Award finalist for the Pittsburgh region.

In April 2005, CANDLE, Inc. received the National Association of Counties ‘Acts of Caring’ award on Capitol Hill.

Policy & Practice, national magazine of The American Public Human Services Association, published articles about CANDLE, Inc.’s Reality Tour® Drug Prevention Program in the Fall 2005, and Spring 2008.

Pennsylvania Institute’s Families & Schools magazine article titled, ‘Parental Involvement Required!’ was published in the Winter 2005 edition.

Our greatest accomplishment may best expressed in comments on exit surveys like this one from a 16 year old, “I didn’t know you couldn’t try heroin once!”


REALITY TOUR®
Drug Prevention Program
724.679.1788
100 Brugh Ave.
Butler, PA 16001