KCCAM’s 40 Assets Project Funded
KCCAM’s 40 Assets Project Funded
Knox County Coalition Against METH received notification on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, that their 40 Assets project has been funded by Missouri Prevention Assistance, Strategic Prevention Framework Steering funding. The funding organization is part of Missouri’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Department. After an intensive study of data by federal and state drug agencies, Knox County was identified as having a high degree of need to provide a framework for prevention strategies.
This will be the second year of a two-year project funded by ACT Missouri (Missouri efforts to take ACTion against drug and alcohol abuse), to prevent binge and underage drinking. During the first year, grant coordinator Cindy Gunter’s primary responsibility was to make our community aware of the drug and alcohol risks for our youth and to identify strategies to make our community a safer environment in which to live and work.
KC CAM president Robert Becker has lead the coalition toward seeking more effective prevention strategies to make Knox County a community of adults who care about youth.
Funds from this grant will provide for a 40 Assets training in Knox County. The 40 Developmental Assets is a Search Institute project that identifies building blocks of healthy development that help young people grow up healthy, caring and responsible.
Knox County Community Development Corporation (KCCDC) is the fiscal provider on this $9,191 project, and was the provider on the previous year as well. Their devoted service to Knox County is demonstrated by their commitment and efforts to serve as a Knox County C501 agency. Laura Crist, Preferred Family Healthcare coalition specialist, provided technical support for the project.
With the support of local community organizations; (Knox County R-1 Schools, Knox County Ministerial Alliance, Knox County SPIRIT and Knox County Rotary Club), KC CAM will secure a nationally known trainer to show adults how to utilize the 40 Asset strategies in their personal daily walk. After the training, Knox County will have an unlimited number of asset builders interacting with youth.
KCCAM and Cindy Gunter made the application for this grant project and look forward to implementing it in our community. KC CAM encourages the involved or all adults to our monthly meetings at the Southside Youth Center on the third Wednesday of every month. Once a quarter, we meet with Knox County youth to hear their concerns and get their vision for the future. Last month we had over 30 youth in attendance at that meeting.
40 Asset does not require lengthy specialized training. It does require approximately 60 minutes of your time. It does require adults who care about youth and our community. The rewards will be without end as we see young people growing up healthy, caring and responsible in Knox County.
