phentermine legal online
So, last week she attended a meeting for a new, free program aimed at curbing teen pregnancy through phentermine legal online and practical advice. The initiative, called GIRLS (Girls in Real Life Situations) is a partnership between Empowering Believers Church of the Apostolic Faith in Glen Burnie and the county Health Department. It's funded by a grant from the Local Management Board. The primary mission is to keep girls 19 and younger who already have a child from having more babies. But nothing would please the organizers more than to reach girls before they have any children, like Briana, said Talisa Brown of Severn, one of the organizers. "They can help you," Briana said. "I see that I don't want to be in this situation. You can move on with your life." GIRLS began in October and its monthly meetings at the church run through May. Participants are matched with mentors, and can access them between gatherings and even after the program ends, said Ms. Brown, who was a teen mother herself. "The hardest thing is trying to be responsible; trying to make sure you do everything right (for your kids)," she said. The program is the brainchild of the church's pastor, Bishop Larry Lee Thomas, who said he wanted to do something to help people in the community and noted that there was a need to counsel high school age girls. Statistics bear him out: While the overall rate of teen pregnancy has been decreasing slightly, the rate for African American teens is much higher, especially in the northern parts of the county and neither figure is where officials want it to be, said health planner Laurie Fetterman. In 2006, there were a total of 461 births to girls 19 and younger in the county, according to preliminary data. Of those,143 were to African American teens; 304 were to white and Hispanic teens, Ms. Fetterman said. The rest were to other minorities. "I think (GIRLS) is a great program," she said. "I do think the teens will listen. Research shows that individual phentermine legal online and developing relationships (helps)." Without intervention, she said, teen mothers who have additional children, especially while still in their teens, are much more likely to have less education and lower economic status. "Once you have a child (as a teenager)... dreams are shattered," Bishop Thomas said. "I wanted these young ladies to be productive." On a mission "Please try to take heed," said Ms. Brown's mother, Beatrice Brown, who along with her daughter is one of the four senior mentors in the program. "There will come a day when they'll say, 'I wish I had listened.' " Five girls from across the county attended last week's meeting and were outnumbered by mentors more than 2 to 1. A total of 14 girls have expressed interest in the program, said the younger Ms. Brown. Besides phentermine legal online, meetings feature speakers on a variety of health and lifestyle issues. Nancy Elliott, a supervisor for the Health Department's Healthy Start program, talked to the girls at the Nov. 8 meeting. Healthy Start is a home visitation program for pregnant women, new mothers and their infants. Most of the clients are young mothers and first time mothers, Ms. Elliott said. "There's so much (to do); more stuff to learn," said Ashley Thomas of Severn, 19, who has a 5 month old son and another baby on the way. "I thought (GIRLS) would be something nice, something to help. It's been OK. If I could have waited, I would have. But everything happens for a reason. He's a good baby." Not child's play Amber's life is all about school and her children. There's no time for anything else. Amber, 16, already has two children, 3 and 2, and another is on the way. She's juggling their care and high school classes at a local YWCA branch. "That's all I do is go to school and take care of my kids," she said. "If I had to choose, I'd do something else. But I don't (have a choice now)." Specifically, Amber came to the meeting to get assistance in finding a cheap apartment. She said she's going to lose her current residence in a couple months. Amber said people tell her she's a "good mom" all the time, and that makes her proud. Brandi, 14, and her boyfriend, Terell, 16, the only teen father to attend, had more general concerns. They're expecting their first child, a girl, in February, and were trying to find out the kind of help available to them. "I think I'll be a pretty good mom," Brandi said. "I have support." But even with assistance, being a teen mother can be tough, said Jessica Frisby, 20, of Brooklyn Park. Ms. Frisby has a 16 month old daughter and said she thought she was ready to be a parent until the baby actually came. "There's a big difference," she said. "It's nothing like they say. You have to have a child to know what's it's like. "It's not all about me. It's all about her first, then me. I had to get used to that. I hope (GIRLS) can teach me things I don't know, or maybe things I think I know but am not clear on." For more information on the GIRLS program, call the Empowering Believers Church at 410 761 9272 or visit the Web site at www.ebcapostolic.org. The next meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at the church, 7566 E. Howard Road in Glen Burnie. Church membership is not a requirement for attendance. No Jumps ... phentermine legal online