More Than a Message: E3’s Impact Across Lake, Sumter, and Hernando Counties

“I liked most … where it tells you how valuable we are and that we are precious.” – Survey response by a high school student after participating in Equipping Youth program

E3 Family Solutions staff believe every person is a treasure, and their actions reflect this belief. From the Director to the Coordinators to the Facilitators and volunteers, they support and encourage each other, as well as each student, parent, and community leader they encounter.

Their core message that we are all priceless, valuable, and precious is making a difference in Sumter, Lake, and Hernando counties. When students understand this fact, they make healthy choices, positively affecting their future and our community.

While the ultimate impact isn’t measurable, we can calculate the number of students, parents, and community members within Sumter, Lake, and Hernando counties who heard our messages or received our services. And we know from test results and survey testimonials that E3 changes lives.

Equipping Youth

In the 2024-2025 fiscal year, we served 1,344 middle and high school students in Lake, Sumter, and Hernando counties. Of the students who took pre- and post-tests, 93% of their scores improved. We also saw significant shifts on most survey questions for both middle and high school students.

Narrowing our prevention program down to a few words is difficult. We often say we talk with students about avoiding risky behaviors and making healthy choices. But the scope of our message is deeper, and we address a wide selection of topics. Survey feedback helps reveal what our facilitators “do” in classrooms.

Survey Feedback Examples

  • Middle and high school students answered this question: How did the program impact you? Their answers follow. (Statements are edited for errors and clarification.)
  • It showed me what a caring relationship is.
  • I know how to identify bullying or manipulation or if I, or someone I know, is in a toxic relationship. This program was very effective. I now know much more about human trafficking, abuse, or bullying.
  • It made me more knowledgeable about toxic relationships and catfishers.
  • This program impacted me by showing me that I can make my boundaries clear when going into a relationship, and I cannot change people because they have to change themselves. I also know the dangers of human trafficking better now.
  • It showed me how important mental health is and not to use drugs and to trust my gut.
  • This program has been helpful when it comes to finances, quality of life, red flags and relationships.
  • It taught me the importance of saying no to drugs and alcohol and the importance of setting boundaries.
  • This program inspired me to make healthy choices.
  • This program has made me understand more about consent and peer pressure. Also, how to be abstinent from having intercourse before being married.
  • Made me realize that I can say no.
  • This program helped me understand the importance of not having sex before marriage, consent, red flags, and the dangers of social media.
  • All the lessons you guys taught were awesome and you guys really showed me a lot about relationships that I didn’t know about before and a lot of things I didn’t think about. Also u guys are awesome.

Empowering Parents

“I feel better informed. Hand signal for help was a great new addition to toolbox to assist.” – response from Human Trafficking Awareness presentation

Parents influence their children more than anyone else. So, we’re dedicated to helping parents understand the teen brain and how today’s issues, like screen time, bullying, vaping, and human trafficking, affect the teen brain. We continue to educate parents through social media, blog posts, and presentations. We started working with the Sumter County Teen Court program this year. Through this collaboration, we speak with teen court parents monthly.

Encouraging Communities

“Thank you for providing the Impaired Driving Teen and Parent/Guardian agreements for us to distribute at the DMV office. The bullet points about Impaired Driving really helps us to talk to them about this important subject before the teen registers for their driver’s license.” – comment from Clerk of Courts Office

Because communities make a difference, we desire to strengthen our community. To that end, we educate community leaders, organizations, and professionals on the benefits of programs that reach teens before they engage in risky behaviors. The result is healthier, more stable communities and families.

Sumter CAP (Community Action Partnership), part of E3’s Encouraging Communities arm, has been busy. Their goal is to develop, implement, and promote innovative, sustainable substance free prevention strategies and educate families to ensure a safe, substance free, and healthy environment for teens and families.

In addition to participating in community events and presentations, our team hosted 18 Friday Night and/or Summer Nights Done Right events, distributed medication lock boxes, and provided all Sumter schools with Red Ribbon Drug Use Prevention lessons and activities. They also distributed 7,715 Deterra and/or DisposeRX drug deactivation systems.

Your Participation

E3 Family Solutions continues to thrive because the community believes in our message and supports our efforts. We are so thankful to each person and organization who encourages us, promotes us, and donates their time and resources.

We Can’t Do It Alone! You can help Equip Youth to make healthy choices, Empower Parents to build strong families and Encourage our Lake, Sumter, and Hernando Counties to be truly Family Friendly through your generous donation. Join us in shaping the future of our communities to be safer and healthier. Click here to donate.

“There comes a point where we need to stop pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.” Attributed to Desmond Tutu

We can’t do it alone!

Help us make sure that our youth are properly equipped to make healthy choices NOW so that they can go on to lead happy, successful lives later. Let’s change the face of the community today!

Show Support Today!

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