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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 25, 2008

SCHUMER ANNOUNCES NEW $125,000 DRUG-FREE COMMUNITY SUPPORT GRANT FOR BROOME COUNTY SUBSTANCE ABUSE COALITION

Funds Will Help Combat Substance Abuse Among Youth and Expand Drug Prevention Education Programs in Broome County

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced a new Office of National Drug Control Policy grant program that will bring $125,000 in fresh federal funds to Broome County’s Keeping Youth Drug-Free and Safe Coalition (KYDS). The money will be used to support programs that work to prevent and reduce youth drug and alcohol abuse in the Greater Binghamton Area.

“These funds have the potential to save lives,” Schumer said. “I am so glad we could deliver this much-needed money to help fund the coalition’s efforts to minimize the risk of substance abuse among our youth. I will continue to fight for federal funds to help support programs that promote community safety and education."

Keeping Youth Drug-Free and Safe Coalition of Broome County was awarded $125,000 under the FY 2008 Drug Free Communities Support Program of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This money will be used to prevent and reduce drug and alcohol abuse among youth in Broome County and the surrounding areas.

The Keeping Youth Drug-Free and Safe Coalition (KYDS) serves Broome County and the school districts of Broome-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational services. The goals of the coalition are to reduce substance abuse among youth in Broome County and to establish and strengthen collaboration among the county’s private nonprofit agencies, and Federal, State, local, and Tribal governments. The coalition aims to reduce substance abuse by addressing the factors in the community that increase the risk of substance abuse and by promoting factors that minimize those risks.  

The grant will help the coalition achieve these goals by strengthening and expanding the coalitions’ capacity for systemic change by increasing community involvement and gathering information regarding youth substance use. It will also aim to implement science-based programs and prevention strategies that build on existing community assets and services.  

The Drug Free Community Program (DFC) grant program provides grants of up to $625,000 over five years to community organizations that facilitate citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts. This year, the 199 recipients of this grant were selected from 419 applicants through a competitive peer review process. To qualify for matching grants, all awardees must have at least a six-month history of working together on substance abuse prevention initiatives, develop a long-term plan to reduce substance abuse, and participate in a national evaluation of the Drug-Free Communities Program.

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