WESTMINSTER : Mother Helps Spur Anti-Drug Program

Eight months ago, Dorothy Hendrickson never would have considered herself a community activist. But when a neighbor told her that she saw two fifth-grade boys in her son’s class buying drugs in their neighborhood, an outraged Hendrickson changed.

Since then, the mother of three has become the leader of a grass-roots effort to get a strong anti-drug and anti-gang program in the Westminster School District.

The effort paid off when the City Council recently voted to join the district in funding the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, better known as DARE, in 17 city schools.

“I personally am not willing to lose one of our children to drugs or gangs,” said Hendrickson, 34, who’s children attend Sequoia Elementary School. “This program doesn’t tell them to say no, it teaches them how to say no.”

Hendrickson researched various drug programs and selected DARE, which is run by the police. Since she brought her proposal to the Sequoia PTA, community support has snowballed. More than 100 residents were behind the effort by the time Hendrickson brought the idea to the school board and City Council.

“Everyone got together and decided to do something about drugs and gangs in Westminster,” Hendrickson said. “These were people from all different walks of life who decided to fight this problem together to see if we can bring an end to it.”

The council agreed to match the $30,000 already pledged by the school district in federal grant funds to launch the program and to hire two full-time officers to run it.

Police Chief James Cook said every fifth- and sixth-grader in the city will be exposed to the program, which sends two police officers to the schools once a week for 17 weeks. The officers teach pupils about the effects of drugs and alcohol and how to resist peer pressure.

“This program can directly impact the children in our community, and we believe very strongly in it,” Cook said.

Although Hendrickson is reluctant to take credit for launching the program in the district, resident Vera Palomino said, “She started all of this and she made it happen.”

Palomino, who has children attending L.P. Webber Elementary School, said: “This is a problem that has long been overlooked, and it’s time for kids to learn the truth about what it’s like to be on drugs and what drugs do to your mind and body.”

Hendrickson said she also has learned something.

“We worked on this for eight months and talked to hundreds of citizens,” Hendrickson said. “The thing that has been overwhelming is how many people care about our city. I had no idea.”