Bridging Hope Inc

DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES - HOPE WELLNESS AND PREVENTION YOUTH ALLIANCE - BRIDGING HOPE, INC. FUNCTIONS AS A 501C3 AGENCY AND SERVES AS THE FISCAL AGENT FOR HOPE YOUTH ALLIANCE COALITION (HOPEYA). THE HOPEYA COALITION PROPOSED GEOGRAPHIC AREA FOR THE DRUG FREE COMMUNITIES GRANT WITHIN TARGETED ZIP CODES OF WEST AND NORTH BALTIMORE, MARYLAND. SITTING JUST 45 MILES NORTHWEST OF WASHINGTON D.C. AND 100 MILES SOUTH OF PHILADELPHIA, BALTIMORE SITS ALONG THE SHORES OF THE PATAPSCO RIVER AND CHESAPEAKE BAY, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, HOLDS A CENTRAL POSITION IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. THE POPULATION FOCUSES ON THE RESIDENTS OF THE TARGETED ZIP CODES IMPACTING 78,182 RESIDENTS BASED ON THE HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THOSE LIVING IN POVERTY (SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS), HEALTH DISPARITIES, GEOGRAPHY, AND LIMITED ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE. WE WILL PRIORITIZE THE POPULATIONS OF THOSE LIVING BELOW POVERTY LEVEL AND LIMITED ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE SERVICES. THE MISSION OF HOPE WELLNESS & PREVENTION YOUTH ALLIANCE IS TO STAND AS A UNIFIED VOICE AGAINST SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG YOUTH, STRENGTHENING COALITIONS, DRIVING IMPACTFUL POLICIES, AND FORGING PARTNERSHIPS FOR A DRUG-FREE WORLD. HOPEYA AIMS TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIVE FACTORS AND DIMINISH RISK FACTORS, SUCH AS ACCESSIBILITY AND LOW PERCEPTION OF HARM, TO MITIGATE SUBSTANCE MISUSE AMONG YOUTH. ALIGNING TO OUR LOGIC MODEL, THE HOPEYA WILL REDUCE YOUTH (AGES 12-18) USE OF MARIJUANA AND UNDERAGE DRINKING OF ALCOHOL BY ADDRESSING ROOT CAUSES AND LOCAL CONDITIONS. OUR STRATEGY FOR THE UPCOMING FIVE YEARS FOCUSES ON LEVERAGING OUR ABILITY TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS, BROADEN COALITION CAPABILITIES, AND INTRODUCE INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY LEVEL CHANGE APPROACHES REGARDING THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH MARIJUANA AND UNDERAGE DRINKING. CENTRAL TO THIS APPROACH IS THE EMPHASIS ON BOLSTERING COPING MECHANISMS AND OTHER PROTECTIVE FACTORS, MODIFYING POLICIES, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING CONNECTIONS TO RESOURCES. IN ADDITION, WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROMOTING INCLUSIVITY, CULTURAL SENSITIVITY, AND THE USE OF DE-STIGMATIZ ING LANGUAGE EFFECTIVELY THROUGH OUR PREVENTION AND OUTREACH INITIATIVES. WE WILL ENGAGE WITHIN THE LOWER SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEMOGRAPHIC IN THE COUNTY, TO CONCENTRATE ON PROMOTING PROTECTIVE FACTORS. WE AIM TO OFFER EVIDENCE-BASED POSITIVE COPING STRATEGIES WITHIN SAFE AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTS FOR YOUTH. THIS APPROACH ALSO ADDRESSES THE CULTURAL NORMS PREVALENT WITHIN THIS POPULATION. OUR COALITION IS COMMITTED TO COLLABORATION, BRINGING TOGETHER STAKEHOLDERS FROM MULTIPLE SECTORS, AS WELL AS YOUTH AND PARENTS, TO PROVIDE INPUT, AND ACTIVELY ENGAGE TO OWN AND GUIDE THE PROCESS. THE COALITION EMPLOYS EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES, UTILIZING THE STRATEGIC PREVENTION FRAMEWORK, THE SEVEN STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNITY CHANGE, AND OTHER PROMISING APPROACHES AS WE WORK IN THE COMMUNITY.