Coaltion Seeks to Honor Residents Who Make Rice County Healthier

Do you know someone who has worked to create and support healthier lives in Northfield and Rice County? If so, the Rice County Chemical Health Coalition wants to hear from you.

The coalition, which works to prevent youngsters in our community from using alcohol and other drugs, is seeking nominations for its Prevention Champions Award.

Here is the press release explaining the award program:

In honor of National Substance Abuse Recovery Month, The Rice County Chemical Health Coalition needs your help to find and recognize PROJECT PREVENTION CHAMPIONS in our community.

A Project Prevention Champion is someone who has helped provide support for a healthier life in our community. Someone who helps reduce risk factors for alcohol and drug abuse, someone who supports recovery, or builds assets for our youth and other community members.

They can be our friends and neighbors, our teachers, our mentors, our business partners, our police officers, our health professionals or community members.  Please help us recognize and encourage these community leaders by nominating them for a Project Prevention Champion Award.  They will receive the recognition and encouragement they deserve, and others will be inspired by their story.

Nominating a Project Prevention Champion is simple and takes just a few moments.

• Visit the Rice County Chemical Health Coalition Website to download a nomination form.

• Send a copy to the address or email at the bottom of the page by August 16, 2013.

Please take just a few moments to help us recognize these leaders who make our communities safer for our children.  

If you have any questions about the nominations, please call Kathy Sandberg at 507-210-5151 or Zach Pruitt at 507-664-3524.

MORE ABOUT THE  COALITION

Here is additional information about the coalition from its website:

Since 2004, the Rice County Chemical Health Coalition has worked to prevent youth use of alcohol and other drugs.  As a countywide, multi-sector work group convened by the Rice County Family Services Collaborative and the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, the Coalition works from a comprehensive, research-based plan to address youth substance abuse.  The Coalition is comprised of Action Teams, each focused on a particular aspect of drug and alcohol abuse prevention.  Work of the Coalition and its Action Teams is based on best practices found to be effective in other communities.

Both Faribault and Northfield receive grant funds from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration under the Drug Free Communities program.  These federal grant dollars help the Coalition focus on two overarching goals:
• To reduce substance abuse among youth
• To strengthen collaborative efforts among sectors of the community to engage in alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention activities