Creating Communities where Youth Thrive
Gardiner Thrives includes the communities of Gardiner, Pittston, Randolph, & West Gardiner
Funded by a Drug Free Communities grant, the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program is the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent and reduce substance use among youth. Created in 1997 by the Drug-Free Communities Act, administered by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and managed through a partnership between ONDCP and CDC, 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.
The DFC program is aimed at mobilizing community leaders to identify and respond to the drug problems unique to their community and change local community environmental conditions tied to substance use. More than 700 community coalitions across the country receive funding up to $125,000 per year to strengthen collaboration among local partners and create an infrastructure that reduces youth substance use.
Healthy Communities of the Capital Area (HCCA) manages and coordinates this grant for Gardiner Area Thrives Coalition.
Gardiner Area Thrives Mission:
To create a community where youth thrive by preventing substance misuse; by providing community and school supports, positive adult-youth connections, increasing opportunities for youth engagement & leadership, and other evidence-based efforts to reduce youth substance use & increase individual and community assets over time.
Gardiner Area Thrives is a coalition of volunteers from Gardiner, Pittston, Randolph, & West Gardiner creating communities where youth thrive. Members include youth, parents, school employees, organization and business representatives, and other community members.
Youth volunteers provide input and advice for all members to work together on ways to reduce youth use of alcohol and marijuana including ways to address trauma & engage youth in more supportive and extracurricular activities.
The goal is to lower barriers for all youth and families so all youth are able to thrive.
If you are interested in being involved in Gardiner Area Thrives, please email: Patricia Buck Welton at: [email protected]
