The North Bergen Prevention Coalition, formerly the North Bergen Municipal Alliance, has received a $150,000 grant from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy to help fight drug and alcohol addiction.Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
As part of the grant, which comes with the possibility of adding an additional $1.25 million in funding over the next 10 years, the North Bergen Prevention Coalition will be mentored by Partners in Prevention and the Hudson County Coalition for a Drug-Free Community.
Partners in Prevention is a Secaucus-based organization whose mission is to improve wellness and prevent substance use disorders and related health challenges in Hudson County and New Jersey.
The Hudson County Coalition was only one of three coalitions in the entire country to receive said grant.
“I am extremely proud to announce this grant. It is imperative that we utilize every resource available to us to combat the opioid epidemic that is devastating so many families,” North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco said in a statement.
“I commend the excellent work done by the North Bergen Prevention Coalition Chairman John Belluardo, Coordinator Nick Biamonte and all of the Coalition members, our friends at Partners in Prevention and Representative Bill Pascrell for helping us secure this needed funding.â€
Hudson County Coalition Program Director Yaisa Coronado, also the associate executive director for partners in prevention, expressed a similar sentiment.
“We are very excited to receive this grant. Through our longstanding relationship with the North Bergen Municipal Alliance/Prevention Coalition and with the help of this grant, we will be able to provide guidance to North Bergen as they continue to expand their prevention programs,†she said.
“The North Bergen Coalition will now be able to concentrate on efforts salient to their community. We truly appreciate the support from our public officials in securing this grant.â€
The Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program, created by the Drug-Free Communities Act of 1997, is the nation’s leading effort to mobilize communities to prevent youth substance use.
Directed by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the DFC Program provides grants to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use.