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The Rev. Pat Tobin just wanted to remind folks that great neighbors are an important part of what makes the Northland a great place to live.

Tobin, associate pastor at St. Therese Church in Kansas City North, was the keynote speaker at the Northland Coalition’s annual meeting July 29 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church.

Tobin talked about being inspired by Mother Theresa to spend his 53 years in the ministry helping other people. In 1979, Tobin co-founded the nonprofit organization Harvesters, a national food bank that hands out roughly 4.5 million pounds of donated food every week to impoverished families.

Volunteerism, Tobin said, is the heart of thriving community.

‘"Unless a life is lived for others, it is not really worthwhile,’" Tobin said, quoting Mother Theresa. "The point of volunteerism is to cause things to happen that make the most people happy."

The Northland Coalition is an agency of Tri-County Mental Health Services and serves Clay, Platte and Ray counties. It helps coordinate public and private programs and activities to protect youths and communities from the damages of violence, drugs and alcohol.

The coalition’s major programs include:

• "18 Facing 15" mock trial of a teenager accused of drunken driving and manslaughter;

• "It’s Time to Make a Deal," a substance abuse curriculum for seventh-graders;

• "Project Respect," which teaches parents and students about the real-world consequences of substance abuse;

• "Those Who Host Lose the Most," which educates parents about the legal ramifications of providing alcohol to youths in their own homes;

• and "Safe Prom," which organizes activities to promote prom and graduation parties without drugs or alcohol.

The coalition itself has very few paid staffers, Tobin said. Its success depends on volunteers.

"It’s delightful to speak to people today who really act on what they believe," Tobin said. "You’re going out and giving of yourselves so wonderfully and beautifully."

At the annual meeting, Clay County Prosecutor Daniel White ended his one-year term as the coalition’s president by reviewing some of the organization’s recent success.

White cited recent municipal smoking bans, the well-publicized arrest of two parents for providing alcohol to minors last winter, and the state’s recent ban on devices that turn alcohol into a breathable mist.

"One of the best things I’ve done with my own time is my work with the Northland Coalition," White said.

At the end of the meeting, Mary Jo Misner was voted in as the new president by the Northland Coalition members present.

In the next few months, the coalition will need people to attend meetings of other nonprofit organizations in order to coordinate their community programs, Misner said.

"Our main goal is to find out where their interests lie," she said.

Staff writer Ray Weikal can be reached at 389-6637 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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