Press Release
October 14, 2009
Assemblyman Charles Lavine speaks at Glen Cove InterAgency Council October Meeting
On Wednesday, October 14th the Glen Cove InterAgency Council gathered at the First Presbyterian Church for their monthly membership meeting. The IAC was honored to host Assemblyman Charles Lavine, Pastor Elisabeth Simpson and Cathy Samuels, Pride Project Program Coordinator as featured guest speakers.
At the church that houses the homeless shelter during winter months, Assemblyman Lavine praised the members of the IAC for all that they do to serve those in need in our community. Each year, the IAC and its members, comprised of representatives of the many social service agencies throughout Glen Cove, look forward to hearing from Assemblyman Lavine for an update on New York State. The Assemblyman provided an overview of the events that have shaped the past year on the state level, and he fielded a variety of questions on specific topics, ranging from politics, healthcare to the budget.
Following these guest speakers, Cathy Samuels, SAFE Pride Project Program Coordinator presented on the comprehensive work that SAFE and the PRIDE Project Coalition have been doing to eliminate alcohol and substance abuse among our youth and adults. In 2004, SAFE/PRIDE received a 5 year/500,000 grant from the federal government to reduce substance abuse in Glen Cove. Working through the Drug Free Communities Grant, the Coalition is determined to establish and strengthen collaboration among communities, private non profit agencies, and all levels of government to support the efforts of community coalitions to prevent and reduce substance abuse among youth. The project addresses the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance abuse and promotes the factors that minimize the risk of substance abuse.
To date, the Coalition boosts major accomplishments in substance abuse prevention, intervention, and treatment services to at-risk youth and adults. Community mobilization addresses the negative impact of substance abuse which led to the reduction and prevention of substance abuse among youth. Existing collaborations have been strengthened & new collaborations have been established to reduce substance use among the youth of Glen Cove on a sustained basis, and over time, among adults. Substance abuse problems in high-risk areas of the community have been addressed. The Parents Who Host Media Campaign mobilized the community with very limited funds. The Coalition implemented a Social Host Law in the City of Glen Cove changing the norms regarding serving alcoholic beverages to minors. The Police Department’s Project 21 now has 100% compliance and the Prevention Policy Statement adopted by the City Council has set the tone for prevention efforts.
The Coalition closed the first 5 years of DFC funding on September 30th and was awarded another 5 years of DFC funding in the amount of $625,000. SAFE’s PRIDE Project Coalition was one of 161 new grantees that were selected from 417 applicants through a competitive peer review process. The Coalition has already met and set forth objectives for the 2009-10 year and each committee has developed specific initiatives to reduce alcohol and substance abuse among our youth and adults.
The next IAC meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 18 at the Glen Cove Boys & Girls Club.