U.S. SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY

Leahy: Community Anti-Drug Programs Get Federal Boost

…$673,000 In New Federal Funding Will Help Towns Improve Anti-Drug Programs

(MONDAY, July 12) – Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Monday announced that nine Vermont communities throughout the state would be receiving federal funds from the Department of Justice’s Drug-Free Communities grant program totaling $673,291 to bolster anti-drug coalitions. 

The funds are awarded through the Drug-Free Communities Program administered by the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.  Funds from this program are used to prevent and reduce drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse among youth and strengthen community anti-drug coalitions between community organizations, law enforcement and state anti-drug agencies, Leahy said. 

“Vermont communities large and small are seeing our children exposed to drugs and alcohol at earlier ages and more frequently than parents could have imagined even a few decades ago,” said Leahy, the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which authorized and oversees the Drug-Free Communities grant program, created in 1997.  “These communities are doing their part to fight this fight and these grants will help them form strong and visible anti-drug programs at the local level to combat this growing problem.”

The funds will be distributed as follows:

Ø   Greater Northfield Coalition Council will receive $50,000.  Areas served:  Northfield and Roxbury.  Vermont contact: Alan Weiss, (802) 485-8081.

Ø   Brattleboro Area Prevention Coalition will receive $99,800.  Areas served: Southeastern Windham County.  Vermont contact: Beth Schroeder, (802) 257-2175.

Ø   South Burlington New Directions Coalition, Inc. will receive $98,500.  Areas served:  South Burlington area.  Vermont contact: Dennis Mcbee, (802) 651-4001.

Ø   Franklin County Caring Communities Coalition will receive $74,991.  Area served:  Franklin County.  Vermont contact: Beth Crane, (802) 527-5049.

Ø   Chittenden East Community Partnership will receive $50,000.  Area served: Rural areas of Chittenden County.   Vermont contact: Gail Conley, (802) 434-2128.

Ø   Cabot Coalition will receive $50,000.  Area served:  Cabot.  Vermont contact: Lori Augustyniak, (802) 563-3338.

Ø      Springfield Community Partnership will receive $75,000.  Area served:  Springfield.  Vermont contact: Jeanice Garfield, (802) 886-2138.

Ø   Flood Brook Community Collaborative Coalition will receive $75,000.  Area served: Rural communities in Windsor, Windham and Bennington counties.  Vermont contact: Jennifer Flannery, (802) 824-4200.

Ø       Danforth Committee Coalition will receive $100,000.  Area served:  Barre City. Vermont contact: Tom Howard, (802) 229-9151.

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