UNION COUNTY TOGETHER PROGRAM PROVIDES GRANT MONEY TO COMMUNITIES TO PREVENT DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE

Read on: The community of Union is putting an emphasis on reading. From left, back row, are Tom Colton, parent, eighth-grader Rebecca Colton, senior Melissa Longwell, school office manager Deb Titus and senior Jennifer Colton. In front are freshman Emily Warburton and sophomore Dan Blair. ().

The grants are small, but they make a big difference to people, says Barbara Tyler, who coordinates Union County Together.

The state funds, designed to prevent alcohol and drug abuse, are distributed in small packages to a variety of public and private efforts.

Anybody can apply, Tyler said, and many small and large groups have received money.

This year, 10 groups are spending grant funds for prevention efforts. Sometimes, its hard to see the connection between the groups and alcohol and drug use prevention, but Tyler said any work that strengthens families and communities is a prevention tool.

The Union County Safety Net program that helps families at risk of child neglect or abuse received $2,000, and the Health Network for Rural Schools Family Resource Centers received $1,500. Another $1,500 went for self-esteem classes at La Grande High School.

A support group for the parents of autistic children received $800 to attend an information seminar, but many programs received less than $800, including one support group for young moms, Breastfeeding Matters!, which received $350.

The community of Union has developed a number of programs using Union County Together funds, Tyler said, including an after-school music group, a reading program that involves students and adults, and a pre-school play group. Theyve been real innovative in Union, Tyler said.

A lot of people involved in these projects give their time, which makes the programs work, she said.

There are requirements. The applicants must have a clear picture of their goals and how they will achieve the goals, and of course, there is paper work that must be completed, including evaluation forms and a record of expenditures.

The premise of the program is to look at the risk factors and the protective factors that make kids resilient, said Mark Kubin, an administrator with the Center for Human Development. If we can eliminate risks, we increase protection and theyll (children) make better decisions.