The Emporia Gazette

May 28, 2012

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After 22 years of service, Emporians for Drug Awareness, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing substance abuse among youth, will be dissolving by the end of the school year.

The reason for the dissolve is mainly financial. From 1998 through 2008, Emporians for Drug Awareness received federal Drug Free Communities grant funds from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration to assist in their efforts. However, with the availability of federal and state grants dwindling and local fundraisers becoming more and more difficult to achieve, EDA has had fewer resources in the last several years. EDA does not have sufficient funds to operate another full year. With EDA’s financial status as it stands now, the board has voted to dissolve.

“We had to provide more and more of a local match in the ending years of that grant, which we did,” said Margi Grimwood, Treasurer of EDA. “It’s just very difficult for us to find other federal or state grants to replace that. Finding local sources to help fund the program has been more and more difficult all the time.”

The Drug Free Communities grant was awarded with five-years cycles and was renewable one time. EDA has exhausted its eligibility for the grant funds.

Founded in 1990, Emporians for Drug Awareness worked to help educate parents, youth, and the community about the dangers of alcohol and drug use. Over the years, EDA had the opportunity to collaborate with many local organizations and businesses to provide evidenced based prevention programs for our schools and community. Among these were: Just Say No Week, Red Ribbon Week, Keep it A Safe Summer, New Years Eve Party for Teens, Preparing for the Drug Free Years and other parenting classes, Town Hall Meetings, School and Community Trainings, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Education and Prevention Trainings, obtaining grants for Emporia Public Schools to fund Life Skills curriculum and PATHS curriculum, EHS Freshman Orientation, EHS Mock DUI, Emporia Middle School Fun Run against Drugs, Lowther North Walk to Be Drug Free, Keg Registration Ordinance, Clean Indoor Air Ordinance, Medication Disposal Day, Family Day, and Social Hosting Law Education.

Eventhough EDA is shutting down, Grimwood hopes other individuals and organizations step up to continue drug and alcohol awareness.

“We hope that other groups or individuals will step up to fill the gaps,” said Grimwood. “Alcohol and drug problems among youth lead to many other societial problems such as teen pregnancy, bullying, teen violence, school drop outs. It’s all interrelated and connected.”

After final accounting, the board plans to donate much of EDA’s remaining funds to Emporia Public Schools to assist in their continuing efforts to prevent alcohol and drug use among school age children.

For more information, please contact Grimwood at 366-1295.