Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR) announced that Grant County will receive a $100,000 Drug-Free Communities investment in their Safe Communities Coalition. The investment is administered through a competitive grant program by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

“This investment provides Grant County with a wonderful opportunity and helps recognize the unique needs of rural Eastern Oregon,” said Kerryann Woomer, alcohol and drug prevention coordinator for Grant County. “Communities throughout Oregon already do such great work when it comes to prevention; these federal funds will provide even greater opportunities for us to advance our education and training programs.”

To qualify for this investment, Grant County had to demonstrate a history of cooperative work on substance abuse reduction initiatives, develop a long-term plan to reduce substance abuse, and participate in a national evaluation of the Drug-Free Communities Program.-

-The Drug-Free Communities Program was initially established by Congress in 1997 and extended in 2001 by legislation that Walden supported. Administered by the ONDCP with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the program provides investments in community organizations that serve as catalysts for citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts.-