Celebrating progress in 2010 and defining safety issues to address in 2011 were the talking points at the White Center – South Delridge Safety Coalition meeting on Dec. 9 at the Department of Social and Health Services at 9650 15th Ave s.w.

Coalition chairman Sean Healy presided over the meeting, attended by about a dozen White Center residents, many of them members of Rambo Ministries which meets at the White Center Culture Center on 18th Ave s.w.

The coalition discussed organizing a “Take Back Your Meds” day in White Center, based on information a coalition member gathered from a recent South Seattle Drug Free Communities Coalition meeting. During that meeting, Margaret Shield with King County Local Hazardous Waste Prevention spoke about getting involved with the “Take Back Your Meds” campaign, focused on making it possible for people to properly dispose of prescription drugs any day of the year, not just once or twice a year.

“It’s really an epidemic,” Shield said at that Nov. 18 meeting. “It’s the fastest growing type of drug use out there and it can be really deadly. More people are dying of (prescription) drug overdoses than in car accidents in our state right now.”

Coalition members agreed that having a prescription medication drop-off in White Center could be a big aid in curtailing prescription drug abuse in the area.

The safety coalition also talked about helping promote TAFT, an after school program that provides children access to computers and technology for homework that they would otherwise not have access to. Groundbreaking for the TAFT building at Lakewood Park is expected to happen in the spring of 2011, according to coalition member Dick Thurnau.

Healy spoke of recently helping an older couple set up a block watch on 12th Ave s.w. The couple had contacted Healy, telling him they felt “held captive” in their own neighborhood due to criminal activity.

“No one should feel like that in their own home,” Healy said.

An ongoing issue for White Center residents is frustration with King County law enforcement in the area, according to several coalition members.

“I’ve been to three different southwest precinct chair commanders and they tell me they don’t even have enough deputies for traffic enforcement,” one coalition member said.

“That’s what happens when the recession hits our police force, we gotta take over,” said Pastor Timothy Rambo of Rambo Industries.

Coalition members also discussed the problems alcohol causes in White Center, from convenient stores selling inexpensive, high alcohol content beverages to chronic inebriants to problems surrounding Club Evolucion.on 16th Ave s.w.

The coalition keeps a close eye on area convenient stores that cater to chronic inebriants and call in violations, such as selling to someone who is already visible intoxicated in hopes of curbing the behavior.

Their efforts may have recently paid off, as one member said she believed a White Center market had decided not to renew their beer and wine license as a result of several recent violations.

“We have enough alcohol (in White Center), so now we need some coffee to sober them up,” said Angela Rambo, who has been emailing Starbucks and Tully’s about bringing a coffee shop into a vacant spot on the corner of 16th Ave s.w. and Roxbury.

Coalition chairman Sean Healy is 25 years old, and took over the chair position almost exactly one year ago.

As to why he devotes so much time to improving safety in White Center, Healy said, “Honestly, it’s my relationship with Jesus Christ. That may be a shocker for some but I can’t really find another answer. I found a love for God and God gave me a love for people and also for community … I believe I have a responsibility to love somebody else the same way God loves me so I’m here to take care of everybody else and do as much as I can, as humanly possible, without trying to be God myself.”

Healy said the White Center – South Delridge Safety Council is actively looking for more members to join them in 2011. For more information, contact Healy at wcdsc@yahoo.com or visit them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/White-Center-South-Delridge-community-Safety-Coalition.