Lourdesmont's Sixteenth Annual S.O.B.E.R. Party

Catholic Charities USA
Tuesday, 31 December 2002

Two Honor Awards Presented

Begun in 1889 in Scranton by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Lourdesmont Youth and Family Services has been located in Clarks Summit since 1927 and currently offers residential and day programs for troubled adolescents. To help ensure a safe holiday celebration for all the children and families in the communities of northeastern Pennsylvania, Lourdesmont hosts a S.O.B.E.R. Party.

During the sixteenth S.O.B.E.R. Party held on December 4, at the Viewmont Mall in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Lourdesmont Youth and Family Services of Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, honored Ann Marie Santarsiero, Executive Director of the Lackawanna County [Pennsylvania] Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse for her two decades of work in the prevention of substance abuse. Mary Lesho, Lourdesmont's Director of Admissions, and Sister Margaret Benfield, IHM, Coordinator of Administrative Services, presented the award to Ms. Santarsiero on behalf of the community. The Viewmont Mall was co-sponsor of this public event which was attended by approximately 250 persons.

Concurrently, on behalf of the Lackawanna County Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Ms. Santarsiero presented Lourdesmont with a "Partners in Prevention" Community Service Award in appreciation of Lourdesmont's years of committed service to the treatment and prevention of substance abuse among the adolescent population.

Anthony J. Munchak, member of Lourdesmont's Board of Directors, presented an inspiring message to the crowd about the importance of each individual's responsible driving practices toward ensuring a safe holiday celebration for all the children and families in the communities of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Sister Margaret Benfield, IHM, Coordinator of Administrative Services, provided a brief overview of the concept of the S.O.B.E.R. Party, a community event held each year during the holiday season to heighten public awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving. S.O.B.E.R. stands for "slow on the bottle, easy on the road." The S.O.B.E.R. Party demonstrates to the public that an enjoyable, fun-filled social event can be enjoyed without the use of alcoholic beverages.

Entertainment featured an outstanding performance of Christmas carols by the Advanced Chorus of Scranton High School, under the direction of Leanne Amabile. Following the program, a hot and cold buffet was provided, compliments of Lourdesmont, to the public.

Notable guests at the 16th S.O.B.E.R. Party who have also contributed to substance abuse programs included Lackawanna County Commissioner Robert C. Cordaro, District Attorney Andy Jarbola, Lackawanna County Drug and Alcohol Prevention Director Dolly Michalczyk, Scranton School District Superintendent Dr. John R. Williams, and South Abington Township Chief of Police Robert A. Gerrity, as well as other representatives of local government, law enforcement, education, and youth programs.

Ann Marie Santarsiero, recipient of the 2002 S.O.B.E.R. Award, has served as Executive Director of the Lackawanna County Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse since July 1982. In her capacity as administrator of one of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs network of Single County authorities, she is responsible to the Department and to the Lackawanna County Commissioners for the development and delivery of drug and alcohol services in the areas of prevention, intervention and treatment.
During her tenure, the SCA has grown from a two member administrative unit to a twenty-member staff complement incorporating prevention and case management functions in its operations.

Through her efforts the Commission was chosen, by means of a statewide competitive processes, as a member of the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Commonwealth Training System in 1998, and most recently by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Chronic Diseases, as primary contractor in Lackawanna County for its Tobacco Control Initiative. In collaboration with the county school districts she has been instrumental in the development and implementation of comprehensive prevention programs funded under the Safe and Drug Free schools and Communities Act.

Ms. Santarsiero's received a B.A. in languages from Rosemont College, Rosemont, PA, and a License en Letres from Laval University, Quebec, Canada. Her prior experience included serving as director of the multi-service Community Centers Project for the Welfare Planning Council of Scranton; research coordinator for the Stanford Research Institute of Palo Alto, California; guest lecturer in French at the University of Scranton; and teacher of French and English as second languages in the Binghamton, NY, and Philadelphia, PA, school systems.

Lourdesmont Youth and Family Services

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