Project Prevent, a grant program to support community programming to spread information about the appropriate uses of opioids, has approved seven grants to two community organizations.
The grants are administered through the Heritage Fund — The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County and ASAP, Alliance for Substance Abuse Progress in Bartholomew County.
They were made possible by a matching grant program funded by Mark and Wendy Elwood of Columbus, which resulted in $1 million being available for educational programming on opioids and their appropriate uses.
The first round of grant funding is $33,950, which includes six grants for supporting innovative programming at Foundation for Youth and a seventh grant to support Celebration Place, for children of adults in recovery at Community Downtown, an initiative of Community Church of Columbus.
FFY is weaving important prevention messages into ongoing programming designed to build developmental assets to help children and teens thrive, Heritage Fund officials said.
Specific Project Prevent messages being addressed in the programming is:
Substance abuse disorder is a brain disease
Treatment works
Becoming smart about opioids is key to prevention.
This summer, teens at FFY are developing podcasts, devising a theater production and murals focused on the “We Know, We Can” theme of ASAP. Artists and other professionals are working with the teens to develop the projects.
FFY is also adding specific opioid addiction prevention material and messages to its Counselor-in-Training, Smart Girls and Passport to Manhood programming.
The Counselor-in-Training program encourages young adults to become FFY Ambassadors and assume a leadership role among their peers. Smart Girls and Passport to Manhood programming targets youth ages 8 to 12 and focuses on life skills.
Celebration Recovery will offer substance abuse awareness programming to children in grades 1-6 while their parents attend support group sessions at Celebration Place.
Celebrate Recovery is an 11-year-old program for adults wishing to address addictions including substance abuse, gambling and other harmful habits. Celebration Place will begin in July and continue through May 2019, organizers said.
Project Prevent is continuing to accept grant applications, which are due by the first business day of each month through April 2019.
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Project Prevent is continuing to accept grant applications, which are due by the first business day of each month through April 2019.
For application guidelines, informational materials, frequently-asked questions and submission forms, visit the Heritage Fund website at heritagefundbc.org.
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