River Coalition   

The River Coalition is in the sixth year of being a Drug Free Community (DFC) grant recipient, having successfully completed the goals of the 1999 Office of Juvenile Justice Programs (OJJDP) and now being one of only three coalitions in the State of Maine to receive the new 2005 round of awards as a DFC from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 

The River Coalition partnership has a strong history of successful initiatives which have resulted in reducing risk factors, attaining further funding, and the development of new partnerships.  Some of these include:  acting as a hub for child/family services in the area and increasing collaboration; creating a local prevention and treatment resource directory for parents; being the coordinator of after-school programs for the greater Old Town communities in order to reduce duplication and make opportunities for youth easy for access through the Department of Education, 21st Century funding - provides programs in 7 schools; awarded a second 21st Century grant as a result of achieving outcomes of the first 21st Century grant; forming an Underage Drinking Task Force as a result of previous OSA funding; collaborating with the high school media teacher on service-learning projects, resulting in Public Service Announcements created by students related to community needs; holding four intergenerational dinners per year; implementing the diversity awareness program, Challenge Day for 8th grade transition, which resulted in the development of mentoring relationships at the high school; the RC now being the coordinator of both school districts transition planning and coordinating of resources for 5th to 6th grade and 8th to 9th grade step-up; the award of an Office of Juvenile Justice and Deliquency Prevention/JUMP grant resulted in mentoring programs at Helen Dunn School in Greenbush, Indian Island School, Old Town Elementary, and Viola Rand School in Bradley; the RC is now a mentoring hub, as one of the strongest partners of Maine Mentoring Partnership, and was contacted by Communities for Children and Youth to participate in expanding and sustaining mentoring, also resulting in the hiring of a graduate student at the University of Maine to coordinate volunteer recruitment through the Bodwell Volunteer Office; forming and distributing Kindergarten registration packets for parents containing parenting information; arranging for the education of local parent educators; making Welcome Baby Boxes with parenting information for parents of local newborns; sponsoring anti-bullying programs at area elementary and middle schools; and sponsoring and participating in Challenge Day at both Old Town High School and Old Town's Leonard Middle School. 

After 10 years of implementation efforts, the Coalition has succeeded in greatly increasing collaboration among organizations, reducing duplication of services, and educating schools and law enforcement about the benefits of adopting science-based programs.  Most important, it has established an ongoing dialogue with the Penobscot Nation about prevention efforts.  A mark of the Coalition's success in helping the community "work smarter" to address drug problems is that the Old Town School Department asked the RC to participate in their Service Learning Program and to assist in bringing a full-time Service Learning Coordinator to this school system.  The Coalition has also been invited to participate in statewide initiatives through the Office of Substance Abuse, Jobs for Maine Graduates, and Communities for Children and Youth.

The River Coalition is able to provide programming through a variety of funding sources including State and Federal Grants, organizational partnerships, public and provide donations, and fundraising.

The majority of program costs can be covered through grant resources and organizational partnerships; however, operatinal expenses require donations and fundraising.  Partnerships with local businesses and fundraising efforts, such as the Canoe Hullabaloo celebration, are key to our survival.  Please consider supporting the River Coalition to meet our goals of raising $60,000 annually to guarantee our available to our communities.

     The River Coalition is here to help the members of our communities.  If you want to share ideas of what the River Coalition can do to help you or other members of our communities, please contact us.  We would love to hear from you.

The River Coalition helps provide the following types of programs:

 ·    After School Programs

 ·    Mentoring

 ·    Substance Abuse

     Prevention Programs

 ·   Youth Leadership   

    Programs

 ·   Parenting Workshops

 ·  Conflict Resolution

 ·   Anti-bullying Training

 ·    Intergenerational  

     Programs

 ·   Welcome Baskets

    to all parents having

    babies

The River Coalition’s programs serve individuals of all ages from birth to seniors.