To expand the reach and impact of high-quality drug and alcohol abuse prevention services, Compass Mark supports local coalitions that are doing prevention work in the community. This year, Compass Mark received funds from the Lancaster County Drug and Alcohol Commission to award several mini-grants to projects. Compass Mark recently announced it awarded more than $26,000 in mini-grants to four Lancaster County coalitions for prevention projects that will be implemented between now and June. Grant recipients include Ephrata Cares, Lancaster County Recovery Alliance (LCRA), Donegal Substance Abuse Alliance (DSAA), and The Bridges Poverty Task Force.
The Ephrata Public Library, Ephrata Cares, and the Northern Lancaster HUB will design, facilitate, and staff a 21-week character education after-school program for tweens and teenagers in the Ephrata community. Designed around 12 values to strengthen and increase community protective factors against substance abuse and addiction, the after-school program, called "Character Matters," will take place at the Ephrata Public Library. The library will also provide reading materials for families and teenagers to educate themselves about substance abuse and addiction.
LCRA will introduce the Media Education Project (MEP), which focuses on sharing evidence-based education as well as prevention strategies with the media, so that they can maximize their role as leaders in this community health issue. The primary focus will be on the use of language and attitude as well as the depiction of those affected by addiction in the media. The LCRA MEP team will meet with representatives from local media outlets, comprising print, radio, digital, and television, to educate them face-to-face about the disease of addiction and language and image standards.
DSAA will host bi-monthly family retreats where adult family members attend a full day of education about addiction, self-care, and family issues. Many people struggle to understand addiction and how it changes their loved one's behavior. The family retreats will provide access to education and resources that can help families better support and assist their loved ones, while also teaching self-care tactics to keep the family unit healthy.
The Bridges Poverty Task Force aims to support the health and the ability of individuals to withstand challenges, such as poverty. With their grant, they will host collaboration meetings within the community to address the needs and barriers of those experiencing poverty or other social problems. The meetings will help build awareness of the Bridges Task Force, build community, and provide access to resources to those unable to find help or unaware that help exists. The organization will also host monthly dinners during which providers and parents will be invited to share and collaborate around needs and resources.
Compass Mark's mission is to prevent addiction through education, skill-building, and community mobilization. The nonprofit serves Lancaster and Lebanon counties and seeks to guide and empower all people toward healthy, fulfilling lives free from addiction. More information is available at http://www.compassmark.org.
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