FY 2004 Continuation Drug-Free Communities Support Program

First Step, Inc. is the fiscal agent for the Health Educators Linking Parents and Students (HELPS) Coalition. The HELPS Coalition seeks to reduce substance abuse among youth in the Greater Cockeysville, Maryland communities by addressing factors that increase the risk of substance abuse and enhancing protective factors that reduce the risk in a comprehensive and long-term manner. Greater Cockeysville has a population of 100,000 and encompasses the suburban area north of the city of Baltimore and south of the Pennsylvania border.

The HELPS Coalition will accomplish its mission by realizing two primary goals. The first is to mobilize community collaboration among all sectors of the community by strengthening, educating and supporting the HELPS Coalition. The second goal is to reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD) by youth in the Greater Cockeysville communities.

The Coalition will employ the following strategies to achieve its goals:
1. Develop and issue a Coalition annual report addressing the upcoming strategic plans, goals, objectives, outcomes, and local statistical data;
2. Provide substance abuse prevention classes for youth and parenting skills classes for parents, host events and speaking engagements, and support after-school programs;
3. Increase the level of collaboration among all sectors of the community and governmental organizations by increasing Coalition membership and by disseminating information about the efforts of the coalition via newsletters, brochures and a website; and
4. Research and develop sources of Coalition funding on an annual basis.
CA/NCF