caption, page 2:


With Courtney
All SADD PHS students and advisors  with U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney. Left to right: Jasper Coomey, Lisa Mooney, Natalie Ionkin, Monica Boudreau, Congressman Courtney, Brenna Fowler, Aidan Bernier, Jewelia England, Scott Davagian, Kayla Anderson and Sgt Niko Sezenias. Courtesy photo.


PRIDE
seeks
funding
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM --- The mission is still  important. Now also important is finding funding for Putnam PRIDE as federal grants stop.
Created to "unite the citizens of Putnam in a partnership to create and foster a safe, drug-free environment for the entire community," according to PRIDE coordinator Romeo Blackmar,   PRIDE has provided education and training for students and the community as a whole.
Blackmar attended the CADCA forum on in Maryland, along with PHS SADD students and visited  Washington, D.C. to search out more funding. Lisa Mooney, social worker at PHS and SADD advisor, PHS SADD students, along with members of Putnam PRIDE, attended CADCA at National Harbor, Md., Feb. 5 to 9.
Blackmar said PRIDE has three ideas for funding options to keep PRIDE helping the community.
Blackmar said: "At the recent CADCA Conference I spoke with our Project Officer from Washington and it was suggested that PRIDE might apply for a Partnership for Success grant, which is usually awarded on a five-year basis also.  Not exactly sure if we are able to qualify for this type of grant, but several agencies in the state have been awarded PFS grants in the past. "
The current Drug Free Communities (DFC) Grant Program that PRIDE is operating under ends on Sept. 30. Under the guidelines of the DFC Program Putnam is no longer eligible to apply for another DFC or STOP ACT Grant.
Another possibility for funding would be joining forces with NOW. Blackmar said: "I have also talked with the Executive Committee of NOW and proposed that they adopt PRIDE as part of their organization adding a prevention component to their existing programs.  I also suggested to NOW that after one year of providing substance abuse prevention to their program, they would be eligible to apply for the Drug Free Community Grant funding of their own."
A third option, Blackmar said, would be: "Looking to the Town of Putnam to fund a part-time coordinator position to keep PRIDE functioning to continue serving the town.  As part of seeking another grant, I created a bare bones budget of about $47,000 that would fund the coordinator position (part-time) and continue to provide initiatives, surveys, advertising and other expenses for to keep PRIDE running.  We continue to receive donations from local groups like Rotary, Lions etc.  but those donations are not enough to keep a paid coordinator position."
Mooney said PHS SADD students took part in “Capitol Hill Day” which was an opportunity for Forum attendees to communicate directly with their representatives "to educate them about the successes and challenges facing our schools and community and advocate to our legislators what they can do to advance prevention efforts.”  Putnam students met with U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney and an aide from Senator Richard Blumenthal.
Mooney said: " Jasper Coomey, a junior at Putnam High School, prepared a heartfelt speech for the congressman, as well as Senator Blumenthal’s aide in regards to keeping the existing programs in our community in place and advocating for more funding since Putnam PRIDE is in their final year of the DFC Grant.  Jasper spent hours preparing this speech and did amazing. I was so proud of him.  The senator’s aide told Jasper that his speech was the best he had ever heard from a Youth. "
Blackmar is proud of what PRIDE has accomplished since its beginning in 2006. PRIDE's accomplishments include: "Our semi-annual surveys conducted in grades 7,9,11 have shown that the use of alcohol and tobacco products continues to be reduced in Putnam.  Our last survey was conducted in 2016 indicated that Putnam is still below the national average on teen opioid/prescription medication use.  The survey continues to point out that the number one abused drug is marijuana. Providing education and training has been the focus of PRIDE since its inception.  Our target audience over the years has evolved from concentrating on the 12-17 age group, to the entire community.  I believe that we have expanded our messaging to include the entire community.  Our Drug Take Back Days have removed  more than 2 tons of unused, expired and unwanted medications from being circulated in the community.  One of the strong points of PRIDE is in providing community and individual protective factors.  Protective factors are environmental changes that focus on community building, providing alternative activities for families as well as individuals.  PRIDE has been an integral part of the entire community, working with the Putnam Business Association, local civic-fraternal, youth serving and other organizations to education parents, guardians and students about the dangers of substance abuse.  Our Mission statement pretty much sums it up:  'To Unite the Citizens of Putnam in a Partnership to create and foster a Safe, Drug-Free Environment for the entire community.'  Our goal of making Putnam “A Safe, Friendly and Healthy Community” stems from our partnership with the Putnam Police Department and our other community sector representatives."