96-069 - Grant Award Agreement for the Santa Ana Community Action Network Program

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The activities planned for this program include a minimum of 10 community education projects on topics such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs awareness; community mobilization; leadership; computer skills; healthy lifestyles; choosing leisure time activities in alcohol and drug free environments; home and neighborhood safety; and other prevention related issues. Several community-wide special events and projects will be coordinated in conjunctiion with other organizations and interagencies. These events and projects will include: Posadas (Christmas carolling), 16 de septiembre, Volunteer Connection Day, Concerts at the Park, Summer Lunch Program, Family Unity Day, and a variety of activities that will serve to promote drug and alcohol free environments. Multi-component, community-wide programs that involve parents, children, and other members of the community should be made an integral pan of risk tbcussed prevention programs in order to buffer the effects of economic deprivation. This approach is especially important to high density communities that lack natural surveillance of public places and that have high mobility rates as does the target area. Few studies of neighborhood disorganization have explicitly examined, but more research and evaluation of programs that address this problem are needed. PROJECT PRIDE The purpose of Project PRIDE is to provide positive alternatives to gangs that increase self-esteem and family esteem and that teach young people the skills needed to remain gang free. Project PRIDE is a gang prevention and early intervention program that is geared toward diminishing the gang recruitment base by increasing and retaining participation in city recreation programs. The program takes the traditional aspects of recreation, such as sports, aquatics, games, etc. and enhances them with educational activities that address current problems and teach skills. Project PRIDE also involves parents to a high degree. Parents make up the bulk of the volunteer work force for all PRIDE activities and events. Parents are educated in a variety of gang related issues and are lxained to participate in decision making, planning, and implementation of programs. The Project PRIDE activities that will be added to the Santa Ana Community Action Network include the parent component that provides education and resources related to gang prevention; the Family PRIDE Clubs that provides opportunities for approximately families to participate in organized recreational activities that enhance family esteem and respect. Parents who successfully complete the nine week parent education workshops and who show leadership abilities will be trained to conduct those workshops as volunteers. This allows the program to reach a greater number of parents and to place parents in a leadership role. The Parent Support Group will meet once a month to discuss problems and solutions.