WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) today announced that the Human Services Center of Southern Metro East was awarded a $125,000 grant through the Drug-Free Communities Support Program. Serving 47,000 residents, including those in Randolph County, the Human Service Center of Southern Metro East and Southern Illinois Substance Abuse Alliance aim to strengthen community involvement in local efforts to prevent youth substance misuse through Drug Take Back events, parent community education events, youth-led prevention activities, and communications campaigns.
“Families and communities across Southern Illinois have been devastated by substance abuse,” said Bost.“Drug addiction doesn’t care about your age, race, gender, or socio-economic status, which makes it all the more important that we teach our children of the dangers of drug use. This grant will help the Human Services Center of Southern Metro East to continue their work to educate children in Randolph County about the dangers of these substances so that we can stop drug use or abuse before it starts.”
The Drug-Free Communities (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 by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the DFC Program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use.
