Tucson

Tucson

Holy Resurrection Orthodox Christian Church

Through the coalition we have formed the Youth Advisory Council. This group allows the kids of our community, both Orthodox and non-Orthodox, to have a voice on the types of prevention programs and activities they would like the coalition to bring into fruition. Our vision is to provide programs and activities on a regular, ongoing basis to help our community's kids make healthy decision, and to bring their families closer together. We believe that strengthening family bonds and providing kids with positive, pro-social outlets for growth will help them make better choices when faced with the pressures which may lead to substance use and abuse.

Parish Priest

Fr. Philip Nixon is the Pastor and Orthodox Educator of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Tucson, Arizona. He studied Divinity at Talbot Seminary and holds a BA in Mission Work and Psychology at Biola University.He is the Founder of numerous Orthodox Christian Missions in Idaho and in California where he was a Drug Abuse Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist.Fr. Philip is well-known for his leadership skills, youth work, and international speaking.He is the Pastoral Counselor of Holy Resurrection Church and a member of the Orthodox Clergy Association of the Diocese of LA and the West.

Fr. Philip and his wife, Theodora, bring a wonderful sense of Christian service to the Greater Tucson community and work unselfishly for the glory of God.

Rev. Fr. Philip Nixon

frphilip@holyresurrection.us

OCCHY - Tucson

Coalition Leader

Susie Mills

Susie Mills is the Coordinator for the OCCHY-Greater Tucson/East Tucson Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition.She brings to the coalition over 15 years of administrative experience, and is currently the Administrative Assistant of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church.She is a graduate of Texas A&M University, and holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Sociology.Prior to her employment at Holy Resurrection, she worked in the Human Resources field, which required her to develop and organize multiple training programs, conferences and company events.This experience has leant itself well in her work with the Coalition.

In July of 2010, Fr. Philip Nixon, pastor of Holy Resurrection, approached Susie and her husband Tim with the idea of starting a local OCCHY coalition in Tucson.Because of Tim’s work as a Licensed Behavioral Health Therapist, he is well connected within the Educational, Behavioral Health and Law Enforcement sectors, and therefore they were able to bring many community leaders to the table for our Coalition’s first meeting on September 30, 2010.Since this first meeting, we are proud to have loyal membership and support both within our parish, and from individuals and organizations throughout the Tucson community.

In the first seven months of our existence, we have held two community Town Halls, have attended CADCA Coalition Trainings and submitted an application for a $625,000 Drug Free Communities grant from the Federal Government.However, we are most excited about the creation of our Youth Advisory Council.The Council is a youth driven program designed to give the kids of our community a voice on the programs and activities they would like the Coalition to provide.

We look forward to many years of involvement with the youth of our parish and throughout our Tucson community.The vision of our Coalition is to promote healthy communities and stronger families in an effort to reduce substance abuse among our kids, and to provide them with the knowledge and life skills they need to make positive decisions throughout their lives.

Susie Mills: susie@healthyyouth.com

Congratulations OCCHY-Tucson!

On behalf of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church and OCCHY-Tucson, Fr. Philip Nixon was recognized at the Sewell Elementary School Celebration for their part in the effort to save the school.

Recent deliberations by Tucson’s Unified School District governing board, relating to school closings, forced concerned citizens and the devoted members of the Orthodox Christian Coalition for Healthy Youth (OCCHY – Tucson) to take action. Fr. Philip Nixon and many community residents lobbied to keep the Sewell Elementary School open.