What’s Happening

This quarter’s coalition member spotlight is on Denise Merrifield.

Denise is a member of the Riverhead Town Board. Her dedication to supporting Riverhead students and families is reflected through her work and coalition efforts.

As a Town Councilwoman, Denise devotes herself to proactively helping the Riverhead community. Denise works tirelessly to increase the quality of life for all Riverhead residents. A recent project she worked on is Half Shells for Habitats, where local restaurants partner with Sea Tuck to recycle used oyster shells back into our waterways, creating cleaner bays.

CREATING A HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER RIVERHEAD

Denise joined the coalition in 2023 and has been an avid supporter since then. Denise’s commitment to supporting the Riverhead community was reflected in her efforts to update Riverhead’s policies on marijuana sales and promotions during town events. Her work preserves a family-friendly atmosphere for Riverhead town events.

Denise continues to support the Riverhead community by participating in coalition Environmental Scans. Environmental scans provide the coalition with helpful information about substance use within the community. Denise took a large role in recent scans, helping identify locations in the community that were selling illegal products.

Riverhead CAP’s former Coalition Coordinator, Isabella Marcucci, sat down with Denise Merrifield to talk about her experience with the coalition. Here are the highlights:

WHY DID YOU JOIN THE COALITION?

“I joined the coalition because I have a strong belief in supporting youth in positive ways,” said Denise. “Throughout my career as a prosecutor in the DA’s office, I have witnessed how negative influences can shape students’ lives.  I love that the coalition proactively helps community members have a better quality of life. The work the coalition does in the community instills youth with confidence and a strong sense of self.

“Being a member of this coalition is special because you get to make positive contributions to the lives of Riverhead youth. I think it is important to support youth and to recognize their achievements.”

FAVORITE COALITION ACTIVITY

“My favorite coalition event is the CAP March. I love this event because it is such a wonderful celebration for the students of Pulaski and the greater Riverhead community. The CAP March gets the youth outside, celebrating a drug-free life. I love seeing the dedication the students have to the CAP program, and the community rallying behind our kids.”

THREE WORDS/PHRASES TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF

“Caring, Tenacious, Proud.”

BESIDES COALITION WORK, WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO?

“I love doing activities that keep me active, like CrossFit! I love spending quality time with my family and friends. I’ve also become interested in gardening!”

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT COALITION MEMBERSHIP?

To learn more about joining the Riverhead Community Coalition for Safe and Drug-Free Youth, contact Chelsea Shuren, CAP’s new Coalition Coordinator, at (631) 727-3722 ext. 106, or Chelsea.Shuren@RiverheadCAP.org.