[Archived] Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria Awarded Federal Grant

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 15, 2008     

Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria Awarded Federal Grant
$602,930 Grant Will Fund Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Programs 

The Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA) received a federal Drug Free Communities (DFC) grant of $602,930 ($120,586 per year for five years) that will support the work of the coalition to prevent and reduce substance abuse among Alexandria’s youth. 

SAPCA is an alliance of more than 80 members representing parents, youth, schools, City of Alexandria health and recreation agencies, nonprofit groups, businesses, faith communities, policymakers and law enforcement whose mission is to engage the entire community in reducing youth substance use and abuse in Alexandria. SAPCA was created in 2007 as part of the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria (www.alexhealth.org/partnership). Mayor William D. Euille is SAPCA’s honorary chair. 

The Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria will use the funding during the first year to complete a comprehensive community assessment that seeks to better define the local conditions that are contributing to youth substance abuse in Alexandria. First-year funding will also allow SAPCA to develop an action plan with intervention strategies for grant years two through five and build community awareness about youth substance abuse among the City’s diverse faith-based, business, parent and youth groups. The Alexandria Community Services Board will serve as the fiscal agent overseeing the grant and staff the coordinator position funded through the grant.

“This DFC grant provides our coalition a great opportunity to have a major impact on reducing substance abuse among youth in our community,” said Allen Lomax, SAPCA chair. “We welcome and encourage the support and involvement of everyone in the community—parents, youth, business leaders, officials, law enforcement, and faith-based leaders—as we work together to reduce youth substance abuse, an issue that affects all of us.” 

Visit www.alexhealth.org/partnership/sapca.html for more information about SAPCA and its membership. For further details about SAPCA, e-mail Allen Lomax at aclomax@aol.com or Mary-Jane Atwater at matwater@aol.com.