Upper Saddle River and Allendale Receive a Drug-Free Communities Grant Aimed at Preventing Youth Substance Abuse.

The DFC Program provides grants to community-based coalitions to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use. Recognizing that local problems need local solutions, DFC-funded coalitions engage multiple sectors of the community and employ a variety of environmental strategies to address local substance use problems.

“The grant is in the amount of $125,000 annually for five years. This amounts to $625,000 to both sustain and broaden the USRA Coalition’s programming and education. The mission of the USRA Coalition is to educate and create awareness in the communities of Allendale and Upper Saddle River to prevent and reduce substance abuse and other related health issues. The Coalition has been the sponsor of National Night Out, the Bike Rodeo, Meet a Cop and a wellness program at Northern Highlands as well as providing programming on vaping, opioid abuse, suicide prevention, mental health and the best method to speak to your child on difficult subjects. Members of the Coalition are thrilled to put this funding to good use and will be working with our police departments, boards of health, religious and community leaders, as well as with our school administrators for the life-long benefit of our young people,” explained Mayor Joanne Minichetti, who also serves as Chairperson of the USRA Coalition and Director of the Grant.

For more information on the USRA Coalition, please visit www.usracoalition.org or like us on Facebook at USRA Coalition.