Speaking Presentation References

"This program dealt with more than just saying no.  It dealt with the human side of feeling invincible and thinking that everyone drinks - it's no big deal.  I was intrigued with the fact that someone was trying to tell kids the truth about what alcohol and drinking can do - no matter who you are.

The program was excellent.  That was the first assembly that all of the students sat and really listened.  When they left the assemble, it was still quiet.  Many students told me it was the best assembly they had ever had, because it was so real.  The boy in the slides was just like them.  He died having what they considered fun - only it didn't look like so much fun, now.  Many students commented that what they liked best was that Mr. Church told them the facts.  He didn't lecture them.  The pictures told the rest of the story.

I would highly recommend this program for any youth group.  Unfortunately, we should present this program to 10-year-olds, too.  I think many parents would be surprised at how many students say they know friends or relatives that they worry about drinking too much.  I think it helped me realize that we have to do a better job of educating children on the dangers of drinking - for some it can be fatal."

                                                                Dr. Shirley Wills - Principal

                                                                Bosqueville Junior High & High School

                                                                Bosqueville, TX

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"On behalf of the clients of The Freeman Center, I would like to express gratitude for your presentation to our Relapse Prevention Group.  It is clear that you have committed your life to helping those who suffer from addiction as the outcome of your family tragedy.

I know that your story and visual aids had a strong impact on our residents.  You very clearly addressed the life threatening risks of drug and alcohol abuse in the lives of our recovering clients." 

                                                                Randall M. Kahan, LMSW-ACP, LCDC

                                                                Executive Director

                                                                The Freeman Center

                                                                Waco, TX

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"As a counselor for drug-free coordination, finding effective drug-free programs is difficult.  My school has shown the three-screen presentation about choices.  Different branches of law enforcement have done presentations to our students on laws and consequences of alcohol and drugs.  Signs and posters are posted in the hallways and classrooms with anti-drug messages.  In lower grades, a drug-free curriculum is in place with the D.A.R.E. program.  But the program Jack Church presented to our junior and high school students was outstanding.  Our students were speechless through his entire presentation.  Mr. Church did not preach or dwell on stats.  He told his son's story of how alcohol and the decisions his son made ended his life.  His message made such a tremendous impact on our students that tears were shed and students left the auditorium without saying a word.  I would highly recommend this program to any junior and senior high school."

                                                                 Donna Wood

                                                                 Counselor & Drug-Free Coordinator

                                                                 Blooming Grove ISD

                                                                 Blooming Grove, TX

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In my profession I work with juveniles who have been adjudicated for drug and alcohol offenses.  It is a challenge to come up with programs that will truly cause these young people to do some self-examination and understand how they got to the point where they are today, and how changing their behavior can indeed make their lives better and safer.  Of the many speakers I have brought in to impact these young people, one of the most effective by far has been Jack Church of Arrive Alive. 

Mr. Church’s presentation to youth is unique in that he does not lecture them or beat them over the head with statistics.  Rather he shares with passion the decisions his 20-year-old son Robert made that cost him his life, and the effect that Robert’s death had not only on his family but also on the friends he left behind.  Jack also shares the stories of several other families he has met who suffered a similar loss because of the personal decision of a son or daughter.  These stories are made even more powerful by projected pictures that put faces behind the statistics.  His presentation is far more than “just another lecture on the dangers of underage drinking and drinking and driving.”  It is about the often irreversible consequences that are associated with a wide range of personal choices, with those consequences validated by the true stories he shares with his audience.

I highly encourage any secondary school or college to bring Mr. Church in to speak to their students.  He will quickly gain their undivided attention, and many will leave with a new perspective on the importance of making good personal choices.  If your venue allows for a separate assembly of parents only, I equally recommend you take advantage of that option.  There are lessons for all of us in the message Mr. Church now shares across the country.  His message is compelling, often inspiring emotion from his audience, and most definitely thought provoking and effective.

                                                                 Mary Jo Wolley

                                                                 Counseling Services Supervisor

                                                                 Bell County Juvenile Probation Officer

                                                                 Temple, TX

An extensive list references available upon request.

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