GRANTS TAKE AIM AT DRUG ABUSE

YMCA, Long Beach Group Receive Funds

HARRISON COUNTY - Two South Mississippi organizations have been awarded
nearly $200,000 in federal grants through a Drug-Free Community support
program from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast YMCA will receive $100,000 for drug prevention
and awareness. The group plans to use part of the money to conduct drug use
and perception surveys in schools and residential areas in parts of Biloxi
and D'Iberville.

Another portion of the money will help the YMCA establish a media campaign
to increase awareness of youth drug problems.

"The grant will help to better the Drug-Free Coalition in Harrison County,"
said Michelle Shows, YMCA program manager. "It will also give the coalition
enough money to hire a full-time coordinator."

The YMCA recently received $115,000 from the Department of Health and Human
Services to use for mentoring programs for children of inmates. The
association is awaiting approval of a grant from the Federal Department of
Education to help fight childhood obesity.

The Long Beach Substance Abuse Task Force will also receive $95,888 in
federal grants.

The grant is in addition to $39,000 the task force received earlier this
year to launch a research-based community development program, Communities
That Care. CTC aims to reduce problem behaviors, including substance abuse,
among children.

Harrison County is one of only 10 communities nationwide selected this year
by Purdue-Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, for the $25,000 grant. The task
force also has a $14,000 grant from the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi.

Fred Walker, task force chairman, said the latest grant will go a long way
to help oversee the task force's efforts to evaluate countywide resources
and coordinate solutions.