Drug Free Communities renewed in Klickitat County
From Washington Gorge Action Programs:
By Tamara Kaufman
Klickitat County, WA.October 30, 2023 - Our Klickitat Prevention Coalition members are celebrating that their youth prevention work will continue to be funded by the federal Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grant for another five years. The announcement came out of Senator Maria Cantwell’s office last month, just after the school year started.
The coalition’s goal is to improve the lives of youth in Klickitat County and help them thrive. Our Klickitat is part of a network of youth prevention organizations in Klickitat County that work to reduce substance misuse by helping teens make better choices today so they can have a brighter future tomorrow.
This award is significant. It is the organization’s second and final DFC grant, bringing in $125,000 annually for a total of $625,000 over five years. Local partners must match the grant at 125 percent for the first two years and 150 percent for the remaining three years, bringing a total contribution to youth prevention efforts over five years to $1.5 million.
“This award will allow Our Klickitat to continue the important work started by the coalition’s founders,” said Joanna Turner, the DFC Prevention Program Director. “It also gives us time to focus on how we sustain these important youth programs once the funding ends.”
Members are currently focusing on three main efforts:
Directly supporting communities to provide education resulting in harm reduction.
Supporting CultureSeed, a nonprofit that offers underserved youth long-term outdoor immersion and outdoor mentorship programs with a focus on mental health.
Support school-based health initiatives with partners such as One Community Health, Skyline Health, Amerigroup of WA, Klickitat Valley Health, and the Klickitat County Health Department.
With issues such as opioid addiction and the dangers of Fentanyl at the top of a list of concerns for parents, schools, and healthcare providers, Our Klickitat is bringing opioid awareness to local communities and also offering some training in administering Narcan to reverse opioid overdoses.
The next upcoming event will be in White Salmon at Columbia High School on Friday, November 17, 2023, from 6-8 p.m. It will be conducted in Spanish to reach a more diverse audience. It is free and open to the public. Further events are in the works.
Recently, Our Klickitat held a community meeting to pilot a separate program using the Screenagers Project, which addresses youth issues such as screen time, depression, and substance misuse. The coalition purchased access to three different documentaries with talking points for group discussions. It also includes shorter classroom versions and activities with curriculum for teachers.
To join efforts, request prevention training, or a movie screening for your local community, email Turner at ourklickitat@gmail.com. The Coalition meets monthly via Zoom and is one of three youth prevention programs operating under Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) throughout Klickitat County. Learn more at https://www.wagap.org/prevention.
The Drug-Free Communities grant is funded and directed by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). More information can be found at https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/grant-programs/dfc/.
# # #
Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Community Action Agency that helps individuals, families, and communities. WAGAP addresses basic human needs, including food, shelter, energy assistance, and more, in Skamania and Klickitat Counties. For more than 50 years, WAGAP has helped people help themselves and reach self-sufficiency. Learn more at wagap.org, or contact WAGAP at (509) 493-2662 or info@wagap.org.
