Reeves Honored for Decade of Service to Strong Families/Great Youth Coalition | News

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Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Reeves Honored for Decade of Service to Strong Families/Great Youth Coalition

8:53 AM

Contact: Tonya Osinkosky
Coordinator, RMH Community Health Education and Awareness
540-433-4421

Cindy Reeves, senior grant writer for RMH, has been recognized for 10 years of service as chair of the Strong Families/Great Youth Coalition.

The Coalition, founded in 2000, is a collaboration among local schools, law enforcement, health agencies, parents, and youth-serving organizations (among other sectors). Its purpose is to increase protective factors and reduce risk factors for youth in our community.

Under Reeves’ leadership, the Coalition’s work has resulted in various sustainable programs, including the following:

PEAS (Parenting Education and Support), which is in its 28th class at the Lucy Simms Continuing Education Center.
Student-produced TV commercials on underage drinking prevention air on WHSV TV throughout the year.
“Youth Give Back,” a bi-monthly insert in the Daily News-Record, highlights the contributions youth make to our local community.
Increased police patrols for underage drinking and driving are funded during high risk weekends.
“Towards No Tobacco” is taught by a registered respiratory therapist at RMH to all 7th grade students in Rockingham and Augusta Counties and soon in City of Harrisonburg.

Reeves has written numerous grants to fund substance abuse prevention initiatives in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. These grants include:

Governor’s Office on Substance Abuse Prevention grant ($112,000)
Drug Free Communities grant ($1,125,000)
STOP Act (the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking) grant ($200,000) and
Grants from Virginia Tobacco Settlement Fund ($375,000).

For the last 10 years, Reeves has managed these and other federally and state-funded grants and coordinated RMH Community Health Education and Awareness programs.

“The Strong Families/Great Youth Coalition thanks Cindy Reeves for her passion in promoting the health and wellness of our youth,” said Rebekah Brubaker, Coalition Chair.

For more information on how you can get involved in substance abuse prevention in Harrisonburg/Rockingham County, contact Tonya Osinkosky, RMH Health Education Awareness Coordinator, at tonya.osinkosky.6567@rhcc.com.