Ice cream shops serve up a scoop of prevention this summer

Food & DrinkHealth

Jul 14

Written By Staff

This July, in celebration of National Ice Cream Month, local ice cream parlors across West Michigan are partnering with TalkSooner, an online resource for parents and caregivers offering drug facts, talking tips, trends, and prevention resources, to encourage families to start natural, everyday conversations about substance misuse.

The community initiative is designed to help parents and caregivers feel more comfortable talking with children about substance use prevention in relaxed, familiar settings. By pairing meaningful conversations with a fun summer tradition, the campaign reinforces the idea that prevention discussions can happen early, often and naturally.

“Enjoying a sweet treat with your child is a great way to introduce the drug talk and normalize discussions on prevention,” explained Amy Embury, Prevention Manager for the Lakeshore Regional Entity (LRE), which powers TalkSooner. “We want to meet families where they are – in the community, making memories together – to show that prevention conversations can be a natural part of everyday life.”

Participating ice cream shops include:

Coopersville Creamery, Coopersville, MI
Frosty Boy of Cascade, Grand Rapids, MI
Kilwins Ice Cream, Grand Rapids, MI
Lafayette Creamery, Hopkins, MI
Ruth Ann’s Ice Cream, Muskegon, MI
Whippi-Dip, Norton Shores, MI

To help break the ice, participating locations will offer a branded ice cream scoop, while supplies last. Shops will feature flyers and materials providing quick tips on how to start age-appropriate discussions about prevention.

Starting conversations early is one of the most effective ways to prevent youth substance use. According to the Substance Use and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), frequent, casual conversations are more impactful than a single high-pressure lecture.

“Creating opportunities for young people and families to connect is something we're proud to support. Being able to do it over ice cream is just the cherry on top.” said Heather Schmidt, Owner of Ruth Ann’s Ice Cream.

The collaboration kicks off in early July, running through the end of summer.

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