Today's matching grant represents the first federal dollars awarded through the Drug Free Communities Support Program. The program was created by the Drug Free Communities Act that Grassley sponsored in 1997.
The grant was awarded to the Marshall County Youth and Violence Committee. The committee works to increase citizen action in the prevention of substance abuse. The committee will use this grant to combat substance abuse by disseminating information regarding illegal drug abuse, assessing the effectiveness of community generated initiatives and by examining the factors that put youth at risk of substance abuse.
Grassley said the drug free communities program was designed to take money already being spent by the federal bureaucracy in Washington, and get it out to grassroots organizations across the country.
"This program recognizes that the best way to fight drug use is at the grassroots. So its goal is to give help to local coalitions who are at work and achieving success in preventing and reducing drug use by teenagers," Grassley said. "I am committed to encouraging effective community-based efforts and working to involve every part of local communities in the fight against drug use.
Grassley said that grant money from the Drug Free Communities Support Program can be used for a variety of initiatives that target illegal drug use by young people. The program also provides training and technical assistance to grant recipients.
Non-profit, charitable and educational organizations, as well as local governments, are eligible to receive funding under the program. To qualify for a grant the entity must form a coalitionthat includes a representative from each of these categories: youth, parents; business; media; schools; youth-serving groups; law enforcement; religious organizations; civic, volunteer and fraternal groups; health care professionals; state or local government; and, one other organization working to reduce substance abuse. Information about the grant program is available at http://whitehousedrugpolicy.gov or http://ncjrs.org/ojjhome.htm.
Grassley said that organizations who receive federal funding must demonstrate that they have worked on anti-drug initiatives for at least six months and have plans in place to continue for the next five years.
Coalitions that received a grant award this year may apply for funding each year for the next four consecutive years. They must make application and meet the requirements each year. The maximum grant award for one fiscal year is $100,000. The applicant must match the federal funds with non-federal funds including cash and in-kind contributions.
Last month, Grassley launched in Iowa the nation's first-of-its-kind statewide anti-drug effort offering citizens strategies to combat illicit drug use in their own hometowns. The coalition is called F.I.T., or Face It Together. The coalition's blueprint for action and other information about the drug problem in Iowa is available at www.senate.gov/grassley.