On February 10, members of the AGAPE-Network Partnership Initiative (NPI) will be meeting at the Laval Community Learning Center to discuss their 2010 agenda. The committee is made up of members from Santé Publique, CSSS Laval, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, Laval Police, and other representatives from the community, working together for the common goal of providing better English services to the growing anglophone community of Laval.
Three special projects are in the works this year, according to coordinator Luigi Morabito of AGAPE who spoke to TLN on January 11. They include a tobacco strategy project aimed at young adults, providing better health services to the elderly, and implementing drug prevention programs in schools. "We're working very closely with our many partners," said Morabito. "We applied for different funding to help out the community. Once the applications are approved, the projects will be underway April 1st."

Tobacco cessation
The Tobacco Strategy Project consists of working with the SWLSB and Adult Education Centres to set up a campaign to help young adults aged 18-28 years old to stop smoking. "It consists of primarily working with the CSSS of Laval and what is called the Oxygen Method," explained Morabito. "Basically, it's eight 2-hour meetings scheduled over a period of eight weeks. In small groups of about 15 people, instructors and experts will provide coaching and support."
Participants will have the opportunity to explore their reasons for smoking and learn healthy alternatives and different methods to cope with the stress of quitting in the program which has been approved by the Quebec Ministry of Health. "The project is going to provide personal actions plans, telephone follow-ups, numbers they can call, and there will be dietitians and personal fitness experts coming in to help as well."
The project has been highly successful is French, but with the help of the AGAPE-NPI committee, the service will now be offered in English. "The success rate of the program is 24.6%," explained Morabito. "It's an in-depth program that caters to young adults."

Health promotion project
Another project in the works for the committee this year is called "Healthy Eating and Healthy Living." Aimed at seniors, the project consists of two components. One is to provide healthy nutritional information and practical meal ideas to lower the risk of diseases. The second is the focus on physical activity and creating personal activity routine plans. "We want to remind seniors that it's never too late," said Morabito. "We want to show them how to get started and how easy it can be."
Working with the Laval Senior Association and Groups, l'Agence, and the CSSS Laval, the project consists of working with seniors in groups of anywhere between 25-135 people in two information sessions lasting two hours each. "We're planning to test out two groups this year, and if its successful, we will continue it," he explained. In the program, anglophone seniors will be able to participate in discussion sessions on their health, receive physical activity guidebooks, and learn ways to improve their overall health and well-being.
Finally,the details on the third project the AGAPE-NPI will implement is still in its planning stages but is expected to work with the SWLSB, Laval Police, Community Learning Centre, and the CSSS Laval to bring Drug Prevention programs to English high schools. "We're going to make it open to all students who want to participate," explained Morabito. "It's not about targeting any students or anything. It's about educating them. But the details are yet to be discussed."