Two Jefferson City organizations received federal grants Wednesday.
The Council for Drug Free Youth and the Missouri Association of Community Task Forces (also known as ACT Missouri) each received Drug-Free Communities Support Program grants.
Created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, the program is the nation’s leading effort to mobilized communities to prevent youth substance use.
CDFY Executive Director Joy Sweeney said the $125,000 grant is a continuation of a series of grants her organization first received in 2014.
“It begins the second half of the $1.2 million we were awarded in 2014,” Sweeney said. “Sometimes they don’t award for the second five years. We’re very fortunate that the community results have demonstrated positive outcomes.”
CDFY works with the Jefferson City School District to reach students within the city. The grant is specifically directed at serving students within the city. However, it allows the nonprofit to free up other revenue sources to serve the rest of Cole County and neighboring counties, Sweeney said.
“We survey the (Jefferson City) students every two years. We showed positive outcomes in several areas,” Sweeney said. “That helped us score highly.”
Additionally, to receive the grant, the nonprofit is required to maintain associations with representatives of 12 sectors within the community — schools, media, police departments, businesses and others.
“I really appreciate all the support from the community we receive. It’s about the whole community supporting us and helping us be successful in keeping the community drug-free,” Sweeney said.
Founded in 1991, ACT Missouri is a private nonprofit intended to serve as a catalyst in solving social problems challenging families and youth. It works with community groups across Missouri to spread the message about making healthy choices. Primarily funded through the Missouri Department of Mental Health, it tracks facts, policies and trends concerning drug use. It supports a network of regional support centers and community coalitions, according to the Department of Mental Health website.