The Coolidge Youth Coalition will be around for another year thanks to a decision made in Washington D.C. Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, announced $19.8 million in new Drug-Free Communities Support Program grants to 147 communities and 19 new DFC Mentoring grants across the country. The awards recently announced are in addition to the $59.4 million in continuation grants simultaneously released to 473 currently funded DFC coalitions and four DFC Mentoring continuation coalitions. Coolidge Youth Coalition (CYC) from Coolidge, AZ was one of the grant recipients, and will receive $125,000 in DFC grant funds to continue to involve and engage their local community to prevent substance use among youth.
The DFC Program provides grants of up to $625,000 over 5 years to community coalitions that facilitate citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts. CYC is currently in their fifth and final year of funding. Coalitions are composed of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement, the media, and others working together at the local level.
The Drug-Free Communities program has been hugely successful in reducing the prevalence of drug use among both high school and middle school students. The rate of overall drug use has declined by 23 percent in Coolidge due to the efforts of the community and the Drug-Free Communities team.
“The work that the Coolidge Youth Coalition is doing for our community cannot be understated and the partnership between the Coolidge Police Department and Coolidge Youth Coalition is synergetic, our work together is accomplishing more than what we could do alone,” said Coolidge Police Chief Joe Brugman. “I respect the work that the CYC is doing and I have sincere appreciation for all of their accomplishments.”
This fifth year of funding began on Oct. 1 and will conclude on Sept. 30, 2014, at which time other funding sources will be required to keep CYC going.
“Efforts to keep our youth drug-free are critical to healthy and safe communities,” said Sharon Schultz-Boyd, DFC director for CYC. “This continuation funding will allow CYC to support existing environmental strategies, work with the CYC Students Against Destructive Decisions, and organize our community to continue to prevent youth substance use.”
CYC will be hosting its annual Harvest Daze festival on Nov. 23. The event serves as a fundraiser and a method of raising awareness about the issues that matter to the organization.
“I am excited that we have received a continuation of funding for one more year,” said CYC program coordinator Michael Flores II. “The DFC Team along with CYC SADD will continue to work hard to make CYC a highly recognized coalition whose example reaches nationwide through our social media and activities.”
The DFC Program was created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, and reauthorized by Congress in 2001 and 2006. Since 1998, ONDCP has awarded more than 2,000 Drug-Free Communities grants to local communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Palau, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
For more information on the Coolidge Youth Coalition and CYC Students Against Destructive Decisions, visit their Facebook page by searching Coolidge Youth Coalition.
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CYC receives final year of drug-free community funds,
