Rep. Patrick Murphy Announces Federal Funding For Drug Free Communities Program

Press Release

Rep. Patrick Murphy Announces Federal Funding For Drug Free Communities Program

Today, Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-8th District) joined community leaders to announce two grants for the Drug Free Communities Support Program, which will help reduce youth substance abuse through school-based prevention programs.

Both the Council Rock Coalition for Healthy Youth (CRCHY) and the Upper Bucks Healthy Communities Healthy Youth Coalition (UBHCHY) will receive a $125,000 federal grant this year from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The grant will total $625,000 over five years. The highly competitive funding, which Congressman Murphy has advocated for, will support drug use prevention and education efforts in the Council Rock School District and several school districts in Upper Bucks. In addition to Upper Bucks and Council Rock, two other communities in the 8th District, Central Bucks and Pennsbury, will also receive Drug Free Communities funding.

“Advocating for funding like this grant is an important part of my job, and I'm proud of the work we've done to keep Bucks County families healthy and safe,” said Congressman Murphy. “Both the Upper Bucks Healthy Communities Healthy Youth Coalition and the Council Rock Coalition for Healthy Youth do the vital work of mentoring our youth and building stronger communities by preventing drug abuse. We're proud of the great work that these groups can continue to do with these grants.”

“Efforts to keep our youth drug-free are critical in the Palisades, Pennridge and Quakertown communities in Upper Bucks County”, said Lee Rush, UBHCHY Community Organizer and Executive Director of justCommunity, Inc. “This award from the DFC program also recognizes and supports our work to increase the level of the 40 Developmental Assets in all youth. These assets are the essential building blocks for healthy youth to thrive throughout their lives and make smart decisions.”

“The Council Rock Coalition for Healthy Youth is grateful for the support of Congressman Murphy, along with the support of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration, the Council Rock School District, and all of our coalition partners who are working together to reduce substance abuse in our communities,” said Debbie Moskovitz of CRCHY. “The DFC funding will enable our coalition to strengthen, grow, and sustain community collaboration to prevent and reduce substance abuse.”

The Drug Free Communities program provides funding for community organizations that facilitate citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts. Coalitions are comprised of community leaders, parents, youth, teachers, religious and fraternal organizations, health care and business professionals, law enforcement, and the media.

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