Blunt Rochester, Carper, Coons celebrate $125K to combat youth substance use in Delaware
Wilmington,
September 6, 2024
WILMINGTON, Del. – Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester and U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (all D-Del.) celebrated the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) awarding $125,000 to Guiding Approach to Positivity (GAP) Youth Mentoring Initiative, Inc. to support its efforts to combat the nation’s overdose epidemic and prevent youth substance use. The Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program, which distributed the award, is designed to support communities as they mobilize individuals and organizations in a multidisciplinary manner. “We must do all we can to combat substance use, especially among our young people,” said Congresswoman Blunt Rochester, member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Health Subcommittee. “Last week may have been Overdose Awareness Week, but this is a critical mission that we must dedicate our attention and resources to year-round. This investment from the Biden-Harris administration will boost the efforts of GAP Youth Mentoring, Inc. to help us do just that. As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force in Congress, I’ll continue my work to bring funding to Delaware to combat this epidemic, support pathways to recovery, and save lives.” “Preventing substance abuse starts early and takes an all-hands-on-deck approach,” said Senator Carper. “I’m proud of the local efforts happening in Delaware to provide positive mentorship and guidance to our most at-risk children, and this grant will go a long way to support that work.”
“A dangerous epidemic of substance use grips our country and our state, and we must provide children with the education and support they need to make healthy choices and live healthy lives,” said Senator Coons. “This grant will continue and expand the lifesaving work being done throughout communities here in Delaware and prevent addiction from taking hold of more of our kids.” “The Biden-Harris administration has made supporting our nation’s youth and strengthening their well-being a top priority in our whole-of-society efforts to address the overdose epidemic,” said Rahul Gupta, Director, ONDCP. “This new funding, awarded through our DFC Support Program, will help local coalitions in states like Delaware prevent youth substance use in their communities.” “For several years, I had been providing nicotine and substance prevention activities for young girls on my own,” said LaTaysha Harmon, Executive Director and Founder, GAP Youth Mentoring Initiative, Inc. “However, after joining the Wilmington United Youth Coalition and the Wilmington United Lions Club, I quickly realized how community collaboration within the coalition greatly amplified not only my efforts, but everyone else’s as well. Lions members Matthew Williams, Michael McCline, and Ashley Jordan shared a vision of neighboring DFC coalitions working together to make a significant impact on reducing youth substance and alcohol use in Wilmington and New Castle County, and this funding will help us all continue to do great work together.” “For the past four years, thanks to the unwavering support of Senator Chris Coons and his New Castle County Director JJ Francis, the Delaware Center for Community Engagement, based out of the Bellevue Community Center, has been working tirelessly to empower and mentor new DFC coalitions in New Castle County,” said Daniel Marney Elkins, Founder, Delaware Center for Community Engagement. “Through our partnership with Lions Clubs International, we have leveraged asset-based community development and evidence-based prevention practices to create an interconnected network of support for our youth. Together, we are building stronger, healthier communities and ensuring a safer future for generations to come. This funding is a wonderful boost to aiding that mission.” The DFC Support Program, created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, is the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use. Directed and funded by ONDCP, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the DFC Support Program provides grants to community-based coalitions to address youth substance use, implement evidence-based prevention locally, and ultimately, save lives. The Biden-Harris administration has issued $92 million in the current fiscal year to more than 750 community coalitions to support evidence-based prevention initiatives. ### |
