Wes Hickman (202 224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864 250-1417)
WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties, fiscal agent for the Community Roundtable of Irmo, Dutch Fork, and Chapin, will receive a $99,984 Drug Free Community grant to support their efforts to reduce substance abuse among youth in Lexington and Richland counties.
The funds will be used to:
- Establish Family Resource Centers in low-income, subsidized housing communities;
- Provide youth with tutoring and academic assistance, mentoring, recreational opportunities, and cultural enrichment activities;
- Implement science-based drug prevention and parenting programs;
- Support community policing, gang prevention, adult education, and family strengthening initiatives;
- Improve coalition facilitation and management; raise community awareness;
- Cultivate membership to increase levels of community involvement;
- Recruit underrepresented groups t become involved in coalition activities.
“Coalitions like this help South Carolina’s youth avoid the pitfalls of abusing drugs and alcohol,” said Graham. “They take a unique approach to this serious problem, addressing not only law enforcement and education, but also getting families actively involved in the lives of their children.”
The Drug-Free Communities Program provides grants of up to $100,000 to community organizations that serve as catalysts for citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts. 183 new grants totaling $17.5 million were awarded today to community anti-drug coalitions across the country.
The grants were awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice.
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