The Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Drug Free Community Support Program is awarding Delaware anti-drug coalitions with grants totaling $250,000.
Youth mentoring program Duffy’s Hope in Wilmington, and Newark drug rehab center Open Door were each awarded $125,000 to fund their respective drug prevention coalitions.
Duffy’s Hope has been a service provider for at risk or hard to reach youth in Wilmington for almost 20 years. The mentoring program is receiving the money to fund its Lighthouse Project Prevention Coalition.
Tanya Mathews manages the grant for Duffy’s Hope. She says to meet one of the requirements of the grant, the coalition must distribute drug prevention information to K through 12 students.
“Most recently the coalition participated in a book bag drive at Bancroft Elementary School, where they gave away book bags. The book bags were filled with pencils and notebooks, and different things the kids would need for school,” said Mathews.
Mathews says the coalition works with the police department, the school districts, local churches and the youth to combat underage drinking and drug use.
“Different backgrounds from youth, to educators, to police, to various sectors to all come together around the table to have discussions about what the problems are in the city of Wilmington and New Castle County,” said Mathews.