Napa Valley Register: Upvalley anti-drug group gets $125,000 grant

Rep. Mike Thompson announced a $125,000 Drug-Free Communities Support Program grant for the UpValley Partnership for Youth, a broad-based prevention coalition led by the Napa County Office of Education and the UpValley Family Centers.

"This grant will support the UpValley Partnership for Youth’s efforts to keep kids off drugs, and help our younger population stay on healthy and successful paths. I am proud to support their important work,” Thompson said in a news release.

Barbara Nemko, superintendent of the Napa County Office of Education, said the grant would allow the program to expand services and provide information to parents about the risks of alcohol and marijuana use for teenagers, which are significantly greater than for adults.

“Educating parents is a key factor in reducing substance abuse," Nemko said.

Services will be expanded to both English- and Spanish-speaking families, said Jenny Ocon, executive director of the UpValley Family Centers. “Parents desperately want facts about alcohol and marijuana prevention, and this grant will allow us to significantly increase outreach, information, education and support.”