CDC awards SRSLY Manchester five-year Drug-Free Community Grant

submitted by Alexandra Duranczyk, SRSLY Manchester

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded SRSLY Manchester its second five-year Drug-Free Community Grant, providing funding from October 2023 to September 2028.

SRSLY Manchester was awarded its first five-year Drug-Free Community Grant in 2018. This grant will continue to empower Manchester to address youth substance use issues and promote a healthier, drug-free environment for students, parents, and community members.

“SRSLY Manchester is thrilled to be selected as a recipient of this highly competitive grant for the second time,” said SRSLY Manchester Coalition Director Alex Duranczyk. “Being awarded this grant reflects the dedication and commitment of our coalition members, community partners, and stakeholders to helping youth make healthy choices. We would not be able to do this work without the help of our incredible community.”

The Drug-Free Community Grant provides the coalition $625,000 over the next five years. This substantial award will help us continue and expand upon our efforts to promote the health and well-being of Manchester youth through a community-wide initiative aimed at decreasing the onset and incidence of high-risk behaviors, including substance use.

“The work that SRSLY Manchester has done in supporting the students of Manchester with the Drug-Free Community Grant has been amazing,” said Manchester Community Schools Superintendent Brad Bezeau. “This critical funding source will continue programming and support living in a safe and drug-free community.”

Over the next five years, SRSLY Manchester will use this funding to implement a comprehensive strategy that includes youth-led initiatives, community collaboration, awareness campaigns, environmental strategies, data collection, and evaluation tools.

SRSLY Manchester is deeply committed to the well-being of Manchester youth, has been able to successfully implement evidence-based strategies to combat youth substance use, and has brought awareness to youth mental health. With this grant, the coalition is determined to make even greater strides in reducing youth substance use and creating a safe and healthy future for the community.

SRSLY Manchester extends their gratitude to the CDC for their trust and support and looks forward to continuing to work closely with the coalition members, the Manchester Community Schools, partners, stakeholders, and the entire community to achieve the shared goal of empowering and equipping youth to reach their full potential by remaining substance-free.

For more information about the Drug-Free Community Grant or SRSLY Manchester’s initiatives and ways to get involved with this work, please contact Alex Duranczyk at alex@srslymanchester.org

About SRSLY: SRSLY’s mission is to empower youth to live healthy, substance-free lives by bringing the community together. SRSLY promotes positive family, school, and community involvement. SRSLY also works to limit youth access to alcohol and other drugs and to reduce parental and peer approval of youth drug use. SRSLY receives support from the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Drug-Free Communities Program, the Coghlan Family Foundation, Chelsea Hospital, and the Five Healthy Towns Foundation. For more information, visit www.srslymanchester.org or follow SRSLY on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.