Local Youth Groups Get Thousands In Government Funding

GARDEN CITY, NY — Rep. Kathleen Rice announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to youth and family organizations in the 4th Congressional District.

According to Rice, HHS has awarded $125,000 to the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC in Cedarhurst, $125,000 to the Rockville Centre Coalition for Youth and $124,977 to the Family and Children’s Association in Mineola through its Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program.

“Preventing youth substance abuse in our communities is critical, and these grants will help us just do that,” said Rice. “I commend the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC, the Rockville Centre Coalition for Youth, and the Family and Children’s Association for their tireless work combating youth substance abuse and I congratulate them on winning these highly competitive federal grants.”

The DFC Program is the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth. Created in 1997 by the Drug-Free Communities Act, the DFC Program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use.

Each grant recipient will use its funding on programming to combat youth substance abuse in the communities they serve. The Marion and Arron Gural JCC has used the DFC program to help create the Saving Lives Five Towns Community Drug Free Coalition.

"As a gerontologist and registered nurse, I am very proud to see my vision coming to fruition as we have created the Saving Lives Five Towns Community Drug Free Coalition”, said Cathy Byrne, associate executive director of the Marion and Aaron Gural JCC. “Prevention is a powerful instrument to counteract drug use in our community and we will use this funding to help educate parents and youth in the greater Five Towns to make healthy choices."

The Family and Children’s Association will use the funds for the Hempstead Prevention Coalition, and the Rockville Centre Coalition for Youth will use the funding to continue its education and prevention services.

"This grant will give us a chance to sustain and extend the work of the Hempstead Prevention Coalition, a diverse and dedicated group laser-focused on reducing underage drinking and substance use in the Village of Hempstead," said Jeffrey Reynolds, president and CEO of the Family and Children’s Association. "The stress and anxiety associated with COVID-19, coupled with the economic fallout, is fueling drug and alcohol use, so this grant comes at the perfect time."

“As the Project Coordinator for the Rockville Centre Coalition for Youth, I am proud our coalition is included in this grant award announcement,” said Ruthanne McCormack, projector coordinator for the coalition. “This additional five years of funding under the Drug-Free Communities Grant Program will enable us to continue our prevention education and fulfill our mission to plan and implement strategies to prevent and reduce youth substance use and its associated consequences."