%20(1).png){kind=logo}
Topsfield, MA — The Coalition, a program of community-based non-profit Tri-Town Council has been selected as a recipient of a $79,000 federal grant from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) under the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program. This grant program, managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), represents an opportunity to strengthen ongoing efforts in preventing youth substance use in our community.
ONDCP’s DFC program is the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent and reduce substance use among youth. The DFC program provides federal grants to community coalitions to identify and respond to the issues unique to their community and change community conditions tied to youth substance use. With this grant, The Coalition will be able to continue building a safe, healthy, and drug-free community.
Coalition Coordinator Nicole Gregoire-Allis, who has steered Coalition initiatives since 2018, is looking forward to deepening Coalition work with the DFC funding. Nicole shared, “This grant will enable us to expand efforts to connect with Tri-Town youth and community members regarding issues related to youth substance use prevention. We are especially looking forward to growing the involvement of our Tri-Town youth in prevention efforts. We have a dedicated (and growing!) group of youth (our Youth Action Advisory Board, or YAAB) who are energized and ready to share information about substance use prevention and root causes for risk behavior through peer education and mentoring, as well as engaging with the community about prevention, healthy norms and protective factors.
“Preventing substance use today is critical, so that today’s youth don’t become tomorrow’s overdose victims. We are thrilled to award this grant because we know the outcomes DFC funded coalitions are capable of achieving when implementing evidence-based prevention strategies at the local level.” said Helen Hernandez, Administrator of the DFC Program at ONDCP. “Through the DFC program, CDC is empowering community coalitions to implement local solutions to unique, local conditions, with the common goal of preventing youth substance use.” added Allison Arwady, MD, MPH, director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at CDC.
“The Coalition is grateful for the support of and partnership with ONDCP and CDC,” said Tri-Town Council’s Executive Director and Coalition member Meredith Shaw. “We are proud to share this mission and effort to prevent youth substance use and promote healthy choices. Collaboration with our longtime partners in municipal public health, safety, and law enforcement, along with our schools, faith communities, youth-serving organizations and our Youth Action Advisory Board (YAAB) is critical to the efficacy and reach of prevention efforts. This grant will enable us to expand our work with partners to address some of the environmental conditions that are conducive to youth substance use. The solutions to any challenge are always in the community. Together, we are looking forward to continuing to strengthen those critical youth protective factors while reducing the risk factors, and leveraging our Coalition members’ wisdom, expertise, and experience for maximum positive impact.”
More information about the DFC program can be found here. Interested in learning more about the Coalition? Click here.
Comentarios