Newsletter

Spring 2023

Wood County Prevention Coalition

MISSION

We are a coalition of compassionate community members working together to coordinate high quality programs for the prevention of youth substance abuse in Wood County.

VISION

Helping youth be drug-free, responsible, and productive citizens.

Mark Your Calendar

Mark your calendar for our next Wood County Prevention Coalition/Addiction Task Force meeting: Friday, June 9 at 9:00 a.m. This meeting will be held at the Wood County Educational Service Center, 1867 North Research Drive, Bowling Green, OH 43402.

Meeting notices will be sent out, but please invite others to attend as well. Those not on our email distribution list should contact Tina Bradley at tbradley@wcesc.org to be added. All are welcome!

Download the 2023 WCPC Meeting Schedule

Drug-Free Communities Grant Updates

Daffodils and tulips are emerging from the ground, the days are getting longer, and it is slowly getting warmer outside. Welcome to springtime!

Springtime marks our annual renewal of the Drug-free Communities (DFC) grant. Coalition staff recently submitted the Year 10 DFC grant application to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The continuation grant is for $125,000 in federal funding. Our Coalition will match these dollars with non-federal funds at the 150 percent level ($187,500).

Our Coalition continues to collaborate on a variety of projects. Here's a glimpse into some of what transpired this past few months...

In January, we welcomed our very talented spring intern: Josalynn Thomas, a Bowling Green State University student.

In late January, our Coalition was awarded Blue Ribbon Coalition status at CADCA's National Leadership Forum in National Harbor, MD.

Wood County Living Classroom volunteers assembled medical lock box toolkits (The kits included Deterra packets, drug abuse prevention information sheets and prescription drop box location magnets.) as part of Project Secure Those Meds (February).

Last year's Safe Celebrations project (funded primarily by a Bowling Green Community Foundation grant we received) was recently featured as a resource (Coalitions in Action) by CADCA. Click here or on the photo above to access.

Recorded a fabulous podcast with North Baltimore Middle School students about the re-establishment of the Junior Teen Institute in Wood County. Listen to it here.

Utilizing the problem gambling prevention grant from Prevention Action Alliance, the Coalition was able to send Prevention Education staff to this year's Ohio Problem Gambling Conference in late February.

This past March, the Coalition kicked off a series of partnered Safe Drug Disposal Programs with the Wood County Addiction Response Collaborative. These programs are scheduled to run through June at select Wood County Committee on Aging congregate meal sites. Pictured are our presenters Deputy Kaleb Smith (left) and Madison Weilnau (right). The Coalition provided free Deterra to those in attendance.

A scene from our March meeting... We had 51 in attendance!

Volunteers Needed

for Drug Prevention Fishing Event

HOOKED ON FISHING, NOT ON DRUGS is a program provided by the Wood County Educational Service Center's Prevention Education staff. The program combines classroom prevention training with a fishing outing as a drug prevention mechanism. VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED TO HELP YOUTH AT THESE OUTINGS (teaching youth to use use fishing rods, help bait fishing poles, etc.).

If you or someone you know is interested in volunteering (any amount of time) during one of the four sessions noted below (or would like more information), please email Tina Bradley. All sessions are held from 9:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.

LAKE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT: Monday, May 1

OTSEGO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT: Thursday, May 18

NORTHWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT: Wednesday, May 24

ROSSFORD EXEMPTED VILLAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT: Thursday, May 25

Thank You, Volunteers!

April is National Volunteer Month. Although we are thankful for our volunteers every day, this month allows us to pause and voice dedicated gratefulness for the impact made as result of their efforts.

We are a small, but mighty, staff of two. Without volunteer support, there would be no Wood County Prevention Coalition. As an added bonus, volunteer time is calculated as part of our required grant match requirement. Last funding year (ended September 29, 2022), volunteers contributed service hours totaling roughly $17,500 in value. This level of volunteerism shows our various funders we are vibrant and supported within our community--also adding to the sustainability of our work. Feel free to invite others you know to participate as a Coalition member/volunteer. There is strength in numbers.

Whether you attend our quarterly meetings, serve on a committee, assemble promotional materials, agree to participate on one of our podcasts, represent us at special events or support us in a myriad of other highly important ways, you are one of our valued volunteers--moving us forward. Our gratitude to you for your continued support of our mission to someday realize a drug-free Wood County!

Coalition Receives Two Non-Federal Grant Awards for 2023!

In addition to our federal (Drug-Free Communities) grant, our Coalition has received two other funding awards (both non-federal) to date this year. Below is a bit about both awards.

Prevention Action Alliance (PAA) Problem Gambling Grant

Our Coalition received $15,000 for gambling prevention. The funding will be used to launch a media campaign consisting of billboards, radio and television spots, as well as print and digital advertising. Additionally, the dollars paid for prevention staff training provided by the Problem Gambling Network of Ohio. Click (below) on the imbedded informational video (made possible by PAA's generosity) to hear Director Kyle Clark discuss this grant!

Bowling Green Community Foundation

An award of $7,135 was received from the Bowling Green Community Foundation for Project Secure Those Meds. This collaborative project enabled our Coalition to purchase prescription drug lock boxes. Thereafter, the lock boxes were provided to various Bowling Green agencies (Wood County Committee on Aging, Wood County Educational Service Center (Family and Community Partnership Liaison and Parent Mentor Programs) and The Ohio State University Extension--Wood County) for distribution to their Bowling Green clients. This project assisted 204 local households in medicine securement which helps prevent accidental poisoning, drug abuse and addiction.