ANTI-DRUG GROUP TO FUND WORTHWHILE PROPOSALS

NEW BEDFORD -- The Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts will
meet from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. today at the Whaling Museum for a Project YES
bidders' conference.

Project YES, which stands for Youth Entitled to Success, was established
with an anonymous donation of $1 million to the Community Foundation. The
donor's goal was to provide financial support to address drug problems in
the New Bedford area.

The bidders' conference is for organizations interested in learning more
about the proposal process, which seeks innovative, collaborative efforts
to address education and prevention of illicit drug use among school-age
children in the New Bedford area.

"This is the first major granting project funded by the generosity of
donors through the Community Foundation," said Anne Beaulieu, the
foundation's executive director. "This is an excellent opportunity for
partnerships to develop in an effort to protect our children from the
dangers associated with drugs and their use."

Through a competitive request for proposals process, collaborative partners
and independent groups may apply for grants to provide drug education and
prevention for youth ages 6 to 18. Programs will be selected based on their
ability to have a measurable impact among youth in Greater New Bedford.

For more information, call the Community Foundation of Southeastern
Massachusetts at 996-8253.

Checked-by: Mike Gogulski