The Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction received a $125,000 federal grant to support the Prevention Coalition of Mercer County.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy awarded the organization the Drug Free Communities grant. The DFC program provides grants of up to $625,000 over 5 years to community coalitions that facilitate citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts.
Mercer Council formed the Prevention Coalition in 2012. It has more than 25 active members from all sectors of the community, including law enforcement, government, schools, parents, religious groups, treatment, prevention and business.
The DFC grant funding will allow the Prevention Coalition of Mercer County to support existing environmental strategies and efforts to keep youth drug-free.
Sharese Dawes has been selected as the project coordinator. Dawes holds a Ph.D. in Psychology and has extensive experience in adolescent counseling.
The DFC Program was created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, and reauthorized by Congress in 2001 and 2006. Since 1998, the Office of National Drug Control Policy has awarded more than 2,000 Drug-Free Communities grants to local communities nationally.
More information is online at mercercouncil.org.
