The North Bergen Prevention Coalition is one step closer to receiving a $1.25 million federal grant after members attended a national training conference in San Antonio, Texas last week.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Working closely with the Hudson County Partners in Prevention organization, North Bergen is one of only three cities in the United States to receive a $100,000 mentoring grant from the federal Drug Free Communities Program. In turn, this makes the township eligible for the larger grant.
Formerly known as the Municipal Alliance, the Drug Prevention Coalition works to inform North Bergen children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and has been recognized as one of the top municipal programs in New Jersey.
“I’m proud of the work our Drug Prevention Coalition is doing in helping children in our community stay on the right path, and this grant would allow those efforts to expand considerably,” Mayor Nicholas Sacco said in a statement.
“We’re all hopeful that North Bergen is selected to receive this grant and we are doing everything in our power to make it happen,”
North Bergen was represented at the conference by John Belluardo and Nick Biamonte, who have both long been involved in prevention efforts in the community.
The conference is presented by Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, an international organization that seeks to strengthen the capacity of community coalitions to create and maintain safe, healthy and drug-free communities globally.
