As of October 1, 2023, Vida Del Norte is fully funded again! We look forward to kick-starting things up after a year-long gap. Our last events were the annual New Year’s Eve event and our annual summer camp.
Vida Del Norte is committed to continuing to serve our community, and providing support for our youth, by engaging them in activities that are proven to reduce substance misuse. Vida Del Norte also hopes to expand its workshops and education to parents, families, and the community as a whole. Maria Gonzalez will continue to serve part-time as the Vida Del Norte program coordinator, and will be looking to hire support staff in the near future.
To kick off the new grant cycle, our Active8 Youth Coalition would like to invite you to a holiday dinner on Sunday, December 17, from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Questa VFW.
We hope to host our annual New Year’s Eve event as well, and if all falls into place, we will be advertising in the community as soon as we can. Be on the lookout for the many family fun and friendly events, along with workshops to help support community.
A short overview of what the Drug-Free Community Grant entails:
Created in 1997, the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) Support Program funds community-based coalitions that engage multiple sectors of the community to prevent youth substance use. Vida Del Norte was first funded in 2017. We have applied for funding since 2014 and functioned as a coalition since then. Vida is currently on their second 5-year grant, and we hope to create a sustainable coalition that will last far beyond the next five years.
The DFC Support Program provides grants of up to $125,000 per year for five years to community coalitions to strengthen the infrastructure among local partners to create and sustain a reduction in local youth substance use. After five years, community coalitions may re-compete for another five-year cycle.
Recognizing that local problems need local solutions, DFC-funded coalitions engage multiple sectors of the community and employ a variety of environmental strategies to address local substance use problems. DFCs involve local communities in finding solutions and also helps youth at risk for substance use recognize the majority of our nation’s youth choose not to use substances. As demonstrated by independent evaluations, the DFC Support Program significantly reduces substance use amongst youth, the target population.
DFC Coalitions consist of community leaders representing twelve sectors that organize to meet the local prevention needs of the youth and families in their communities. These twelve sectors are:
Youth, Parents, Businesses, Media, School, Youth-serving organizations, Law Enforcement, Religious/fraternal organizations, Civic and volunteer organizations, Healthcare professionals, State, Local and Tribal governments, and other organizations involved in reducing illicit substance use. Vida Del Norte is currently looking for more coalition members to join their efforts, if you are interested, please contact Program Coordinator Maria Gonzalez at (575) 779-2260 or email at Maria.gonzalez@vidadelnorte.com
