COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS SECURES ITS FIRST GRANT

Agency Tackling Drug, Alcohol Issues

After many months of planning, Community Solutions for Substance Abuse has
received its first grant to tackle drug and alcohol issues in the community.

The organization recently received $14,850 to be allocated among four area
agencies and one school system to provide prevention services to youths.

"Our mission is to work with others who are implementing programs and have
needs," said Debbie Zuerner Johnson, executive director of the organization
since May 12. "We want to be the vehicle to help secure dollars to put back
into this community, whether it's for prevention, intervention or treatment
of substance abuse."

The organizations to receive the dollars are: Cliff Hagan Boys & Girls
Club, Owensboro Catholic Schools, Girls Incorporated and the H.L. Neblett
Community Center.

The Boys & Girls Club will receive $3,180 to implement its Smart Moves and
Smart Parents program in the Catholic schools. The programs are geared
toward students ages 6 to 14, said Steve Winkler, executive director of the
club.

"We'll be reaching about 2,200 kids in that school system," he said Friday.

Girls Incorporated will receive $3,080 of the grant money to fund Friendly
Peersuasions, a mentoring program that will reach 100 girls. The program
teaches skills to girls ages 11 to 14 to keep them from using drugs and
alcohol. After completing 15 sessions, the girls then teach children ages 6
to 10 about prevention, said Bethany Blackstone, campus manager at the
Rolling Heights Campus.

"In addition to providing the standard information about drugs and alcohol
and their effects on your body and life, there also is a leadership
component in the program," she said.

The Neblett Center will receive $5,520 for its Here's Looking at You
program for fourth- and fifth-grade students who attend after-school
programming at the center. The money will be used to train a staff person
who then will implement the science-based curriculum addressing alcohol,
tobacco and other drugs. Part of the money will also be used to purchase
materials for the program.

Community Solutions will receive some of the money for office and training
needs.

Community Solutions, formerly called Champions for a Drug-Free
Owensboro-Daviess County, has been around since 2001 but only last year
received its nonprofit status. It is governed by a 12-member board
comprised of members of the law enforcement, business, treatment,
prevention and the faith-based communities.

Last fall it received $50,000 from the city of Owensboro and in May
received an additional $50,000, to be allocated over two years, from
Daviess Fiscal Court for operations. Its office is at 3520 New Hartford Road.

A local substance abuse prevention organization such as Community Solutions
is needed to help area agencies secure grant dollars, Johnson said. Two
issues it plans to address are underage drinking and treatment options
available in the community.

"This group will be looking at those and pulling people around the table to
make sure some things will change," Johnson said.