25.3°F  Website Login | TroySeptember 1, 2010Coalition scrambles to secure funding
By Terry Oparka
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Photo by Patricia O’Blenes |
Police say alcohol, drug prevention efforts make
quality of life difference
TROY — Like other city-funded programs, the Troy Community Coalition for the Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, which runs 40 different alcohol- and drug-abuse prevention programs for youths and families each year, is facing lean times.
The coalition is a nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to improve the quality of life for people who live or work in Troy by promoting a lifestyle free from the abuse of alcohol and drugs.
Programs include the popular Jam Fest for teens at the Troy Family Aquatic Center each summer, spring break offerings, and the free bowling events at Troy Lanes for students after the Aug. 28 football games at Troy High School and Athens High School.
Last year, the coalition’s budget was just over $400,000.
This year, the coalition will lose $100,000, as a federal grant ends and will not be renewed. The coalition also lost funding from the Police Department. The department contracts with the coalition to provide prevention services in schools and the community. After July of 2011, the city has not earmarked any funding for the coalition.
According to the treasurer’s report presented at the coalition’s Aug. 5 meeting, the coalition ended the 2009-2010 fiscal year with $59,892. The estimated income, which includes use of $77,600 in reserves, for 2010-2011 is $308,600, less $308,522 in expenses, which leaves a total net income of $78.
The coalition began in 1990 when a parent support group, Troy Families for SAFE Homes, organized a workshop with community leaders to address the problem of underage drinking after data indicated that alcohol use by high school and middle school students in Troy had spiked above the national average. The group formed the Troy Community Coalition, and applied for and received a five-year federal grant from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“We’ve made really good headway, especially in reducing tobacco use,” said Ann Comiskey, executive director of the coalition. She noted that there has been a 25 percent reduction in overall use rates across the board, and Troy high school and middle school students’ use of alcohol, illegal drugs and tobacco is below the national average. She added that “new drugs and ‘treats’ keep popping up.”
Comiskey hopes to bridge the budget gap with fundraisers, including a Camaro raffle and Celebrity Night Dinner.
“We’ve made as many cuts as we can with staffing and expenses,” she said.
Two full-time and three part-time coalition employees deliver the programs in schools and to the community. Salaries for paid staff comprise 40 percent of the coalition budget. Staff gets no benefits and is paid on salary basis only. About 150 unpaid volunteers help with special events.
She said the bowling event, which was free to the first 100 students, came about after one of the coalition members learned of a similar event offered at a local church.
“It’s a safe, healthy activity after the football games,” she said.
Troy Police Capt. Gerry Scherlinck, who serves as president of the Troy Community Coalition’s executive board, described the group as a major force behind the community crime prevention efforts, which he said is a major component of public safety.
He said he believes that 99 percent of crime is related to substance abuse issues.
“There’s a direct correlation between substance abuse and crime,” he said. “We want kids to be drug and alcohol free.”
Scherlinck acknowledged that the results of the coalition’s efforts are “hard to put a finger on.”
“Look around at other communities where they’ve let these resources get away,” he said. “You tend to see a deterioration of the quality of life in that community. And federal grants are drying up as an alternative means to raise money.”
Scherlinck said that tickets for the Camaro raffle are “going slow.”
“We can’t let prevention efforts slip away,” he said. “We need to come together as a community to not let that happen.”
There will be 1,000 tickets at $100 each for a chance to win a 2011 Chevy Camaro 2SS, which the coalition purchased at cost from Suburban Chevrolet.
The third-place prize is $1,000, and the second-place prize is $2,000. The drawing will take place at the Celebrity Night Dinner at the San Marino Club Oct. 28. People need not be present to win. Local comedians Mike Green and Mark Ridley will entertain. Tickets to Celebrity Dinner and donations to the coalition are tax deductible. Coalition memberships are also available. For information and entry forms for the Camaro raffle and the Celebrity Night Dinner, visit www.troy coalitioncom or call (248) 823-5088.
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