Anti-Drug Programs Receive $3,000 Grants
Anti-drug educational programs in Thousand Oaks and Ojai have each received $3,000 boosts, in the form of federal grants funneled through the Area Housing Authority.
“We’ll use the money for the extras, like T-shirts, pencils and plaques for outstanding DARE students--the things that make the program special for the kids,” said Sgt. Bruce Hansen of the East Valley Sheriff’s Station. DARE stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education.
The Area Housing Authority distributed money to both DARE programs after receiving a $139,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development for anti-drug programs geared toward children in public housing projects.
The housing authority, which operates six public housing sites countywide, also donated $7,500 to Thousand Oaks’ crime prevention symposium, an all-day conference scheduled for May 7.
Other grants support local park districts, which provide recreation programs to get kids off the street. The housing authority also uses federal funds to beef up security in the developments and to provide drug and alcohol counseling, said Marilyn Berwick, resident services coordinator.
“The new buzzwords now are empowerment and self-sufficiency,” Berwick said.
“The thrust is in getting our residents to take over and guide their own lives, with our help.”
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