| |
|
Mount Clemens-Clinton-Harrison Journal
September 23, 2009 |
Erin McClary
Staff Writer |
|
| |
|
Chippewa Valley receives federal DFC grant |
|
| |
|
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy recently awarded the Chippewa Valley Coalition for Youth and Families a $625, 000, five-year Drug Free Communities (DFC) grant to help expand efforts in drug and alcohol prevention. Charlene McGunn, chair of the Chippewa Valley coalition and student assistance coordinator for the district, said coalition members are pleased with the award. She said the coalition will certainly benefit from it.
The DFC grant is issued nationally to recipients in $125, 000 increments each year. This is the first time the Chippewa Valley coalition will receive the DFC grant, McGunn said, and the district is the first local coalition to be a recipient.
Congressman Sander Levin co-authored the Drug Free Communities Act of 1997 with former Congressman Rob Portman and, thus, started the DFC program. Levin, who's a principal advocate of the program, has fought to improve the funding levels of roughly 1, 500 coalitions nationwide.
"Evidence has shown that communities receiving DFC grants lowered their instances of youth drug and alcohol abuse," he said. "The Chippewa Valley coalition has demonstrated effective and innovative ways to engage the community on drug prevention efforts, and this grant will allow them to continue to do so." McGunn said the coalition recently won an award from the state's Prevention Network agency for an alcohol retail project that sent student members of the coalition into party stores within the Chippewa Valley community to provide clerks with information packets about alcohol abuse. The project also included in a sting operation and allowed students to warn storeowners about the consequences of selling to minors.
She said what's most honorable about receiving the DFC grant is that "many apply and few are chosen." A statement released by Levin's office announced that $21 million has been awarded in DFC grants this year to 161 new recipients, which were selected from 417 that applied.
"To qualify for the grants, awardees must have at least a sixmonth history of working together on substance abuse reduction initiatives, have representation from 12 specific sectors of the community, develop a long-term plan to reduce substance abuse, and participate in a national evaluation of the DFC program," the statement said.
McGunn called the entire process "extensive," and said DFC creators are well aware that spreading community awareness to the point of it reaching parents of elementary-age students - which is where it all starts, she pointed out - takes time and resources.
The grant money will be used to do just that.
"What's really positive about it is the time span of the grant. They recognize that change takes a great amount of time," McGunn said.
"It is extremely important not to create programs for teens that include only teens. We also have parent involvement … and want to engage more parents in the elementary and middle school levels." She said the grant funding puts the coalition in the position of sharing its services while promoting youth services and programs geared toward getting teens and parents involved.
(####)
|
|
|
|
To Contact Congressman Levin: -
Email Congressman LevinIn Michigan: 27085 Gratiot Ave, Roseville, MI 48066 | (586) 498-7122 | (248) 968-2025
In Washington: 1236 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 | (202) 225-4961
