Creating Positive Change (CPC) not only facilitates healthy change for our communities, we also negotiate change for our own coalition. 

Last year, at this time, Creating Positive Change was celebrating the award of a $500,000, five-year Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This year we are resorting our priorities after learning that our five-year award was not renewed.

With the ongoing five-year support, we had planned to direct substantial funds toward the prevention initiatives of many of our community partners –schools, social service agencies, businesses and other organizations who share the coalition’s goals of promoting substance free lifestyles.

For example – with our award last year, the coalition underwrote an after school program in Antrim. We bought books for Foundations for Success a two-day, off site leadership program for Jaffrey-Rindge high school freshman. We supported and helped organize a substance free group at ConVal High School. We provided weekly co-facilitation of the ConVal SADD group, worked with Interact Group, and met with a large number of groups and representatives throughout the region to initiate and facilitate discussions about the health of our youth, families and communities.  One example is a series of discussions among police departments, the NH Liquor Commission and a national software company to initiate a pilot database project to enable three local police departments to track the incidence of substance abuse in police interventions. 

Now, for the good news! In response to our unexpected change in fortune, CPC is practicing what it preaches – we are examining our situation, prioritizing, weighing options and generally employing the good decision-making and coping skills we believe to be protective, not only against substance abuse, but undesirable outcomes of any kind.

We are moving forward with a revised agenda based on a realistic and optimistic assessment of our situation. We know what we can continue to accomplish with our current resources and capacities, and what needs to be put on hold. We know what we’re good at, and we know where we need to improve. 

We have completely revised our budget. We will continue to provide funding for programs provided by four Coalition partners.  These are: The AFTER Program (Jaffrey Recreation Department and Jaffrey Library), The REC (Antrim Recreation Department), Young Life and Wild Life (non-sectarian, faith-based group activities for high school and middle school youth) and The Extended Learning Program (Great Brook School and Monadnock Family Services).

Club Cannon, our most visible prevention initiative, will remain open and staffed at the same level, while the structure and function our of coalition remains the same – a group of concerned organizations and individuals committed to providing healthy and substance-free environments and opportunities for our residents.

The coalition will continue to provide technical assistance and resources to those who need them. There are many sources of free information and educational materials which we can make available to the community. We will continue to facilitate and advocate for strategies which promote healthy choices for our youth. And, we remain the grassroots organization which represents the hopes and concerns of parents, educators, youth, healthcare and human service providers, and others who want to make our corner of the world a safe and thriving environment in which to live and grow.

We were here, providing services and making a positive impact on the health of our communities before the Drug Free Community Support Program grant award last year, and we will continue to do so now. We will bounce back and reapply for the same funds next year.

So, you see, not all that much has changed with Creating Positive Change. We look forward to advancing our mission with the kind of riches that no one can take away – the ideas, energy and caring of our coalition members.