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Health & Fitness

Maloney Announces Investments to Strengthen Communities in the Hudson Valley

Newburgh, NY – Representative Sean Patrick Maloney announced that five local organizations will receive a total of $625,000 in federal grants to strengthen communities through youth anti-substance abuse initiatives. Earlier this year, Rep. Maloney strongly supported these long-standing community organizations’ grant applications to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Program. “As a father of two young girls, I am deeply committed to doing everything possible to protect our children from the devastation of substance abuse. This investment will strengthen our communities and bolster the important work of many of our neighborhood coalitions dedicated to keeping our kids off drugs and alcohol,” said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney. In New York’s 18th Congressional District, five local initiatives were awarded grants, including: • $125,000 for the Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition (first time grant recipient); • $125,000 for the Middletown Cares Coalition; • $125,000 for the TEAM Newburgh Community Prevention Coalition; • $125,000 for Mount Kisco Drug & Alcohol Prevention Council; • $125,000 for Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth. “Since the Putnam County Communities That Cares Coalition's inception, our grassroots efforts, prevention strategies and initiatives, and the strong collaboration between the various sectors in our community have helped to reduce substance use amongst our youth. Since 2005, 30 day alcohol use has decreased (amongst grades 8-12) 19.5%, tobacco reduced 37.9% and marijuana use 3.2%. Progress is being made and we are honored to be able to continue to diligently serve the residents of Putnam County and are thankful to the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Substance Abuse Mental Health Administration for this award,” said Elaine N. Santos of the Putnam County Communities That Care Coalition. “This investment provides continued hope that our mission can continue to effect change in our community through our grassroots efforts concerning substance prevention and education. Over the last 9 years, we’re getting good results in within our community and perceptions are changing in regards to substance abuse, so this essential funding will continue and sustain our mission of substance prevention among youth,” said Martin Colavito of the TEAM Newburgh Community Prevention Coalition. “The Middletown Cares Coalition is delighted to receive Drug Free Communities grant funding to begin its seventh year of building an alcohol and drug free community for the youth of Middletown. The energy and commitment of our many coalition partners has already reduced past 30-day alcohol use among Middletown’s 12th graders from 58% in 2008 to 37% in 2012 (as measured by the PRIDE Survey administered in January 2012 to grades 8, 10 and 12). This continued funding will allow us to further our work in alcohol prevention as well as to implement our planned Prescription Drug Prevention Campaign. As always, we will work with all sectors of our community to keep our youth safe,” said Peg Kimble of the Middletown Care Coalition. The $625,000 in federal grants were awarded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Program, which provides grants to community coalitions that facilitate citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts. Since 1998, ONDCP has awarded more than 2,000 Drug-Free Communities grants to local communities nationwide.

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