$125,000 federal grant awarded to Kids Escaping Drugs

Funding will support Face2Face Coalition

Congressman Brian Higgins announced a grant totaling $125,000 awarded to Kids Escaping Drugs on behalf of the Face2Face Coalition. Funded by the Department of Health and Human Services and awarded through the Drug-Free Community Support program, the grant mobilizes community leaders to identify and respond to the unique drug challenges that their community is facing and change local environmental conditions that contribute to youth substance use.

“Young people are particularly vulnerable in succumbing to peer pressure when they do not have proper education on the consequences associated with drug use and substance abuse,” Higgins said. “This funding will continue to support the communities of Orchard Park and West Seneca to reduce substance use among Western New York youth and young adults.”

Serving over 74,863 people in West Seneca and Orchard Park, the Face2Face Coalition works to foster drug free communities through outreach, education and youth engagement while empowering young people to become the next generation of resilient leaders.

The Face2Face Coalition will utilize this funding to plan and implement informative events and programs targeted at youth and community education. The grant will also assist in recruiting a diverse, skilled and committed coalition that resembles the demographics of the communities they are working to reach. Additionally, it will help identify community factors that contribute to increased substance use, as well as promote and encourage safe and healthy lifestyles.

“We are incredibly grateful to have been awarded the DFC Grant. Together with Orchard Park and West Seneca, we will work tirelessly to build a drug free community while empowering our youth to become leaders,” said Face2Face Coalition Program Director Suzanne D’Amico.

The Drug-Free Community Support program is the nation’s leading program in preventing and reducing substance use among youth. Created in 1997 and administered by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, it provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners with a commitment to reducing drug use long-term.

For the past 31 years, Kids Escaping Drugs has been committed to combatting the disease of addiction across Western New York. To learn more, visit www.ked.org.