Massapequa Takes Action Coalition (MTAC) has recently been awarded a five-year Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grant from the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The DFC Support Program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the community by creating and sustaining ways to reduce local youth and adult substance use. MTAC was awarded the first five years of funding in 2018. After competing for another five-year cycle, MTAC secured the grant and will receive a total of ten consecutive years of award to support the work of the coalition. This will allow for continued success and cooperation among community members working to create a healthy and safe environment for our children.
About MTAC:
Operating under YES Community Counseling Center, MTAC partners with multiple sectors of the community: Government and school officials, parents, youth, community leaders, religious/fraternal and civic/volunteer organizations, healthcare and businesses professionals, law enforcement, media, substance abuse and youth-serving organizations, and more to help educate the community on the dangers of underage drinking and substance use. The opioid crisis is affecting our community, state, and country. By facing this epidemic head on through guidance, support, and education, we can come together as a community to help create sustainable solutions.
Since 1997, MTAC has worked with many local, state and national partners to prevent youth substance use. The mission of MTAC is to work together with the Massapequa community to promote healthy families by addressing drug use, underage drinking and addiction so our youth grow up drug-free. To learn more about MTAC’s efforts, you can go to mtacoalition.com or contact MTAC Project Coordinator, at (516) 799-3000 x131 or email mtacoalition@yesccc.org.
About DFC Support Program:
The Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program, created in 1997, is the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use. It helps fund community-based coalitions that engage multiple sectors of the community to prevent 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 DFC Support Program provides grants up to $125,000 per year for five years to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use. After five years, community coalitions may re-compete for another five-year cycle.