Who We Are
Casco Bay Create Awareness Now (CAN) Coalition is a group of local individuals, schools, law enforcement agencies, organizations, and businesses who work together to prevent and reduce youth substance abuse in Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, North Yarmouth, Pownal and Yarmouth.
Mission: Mobilize citizen involvement and multi-sector collaboration to foster a healthy community environment with norms, policies, and practices that work together to promote positive, drug and alcohol-free development for all Casco Bay youth.
Coalition members secured $125,000 annually in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to implement a Drug-Free Communities program to directly impact the communities served for the next five years. The project is sponsored by the Cumberland County Government. Coalition members are leaders in various sectors of the communities it serves including but not limited to: businesses, media, schools, youth-serving organizations, law enforcement, parents, youth, religious or fraternal organizations, civic or volunteer groups, healthcare professionals, state or local government, and other organizations involved in reducing substance abuse.
The Coalition is different than many other organizations that address youth substance use / abuse because it partners with adults that influence our youth, providing tools and resources that adults can then use to help prevent youth substance use / abuse.
Members work to reinforce the positive messages adults can give about avoiding alcohol, marijuana and other drugs to youth. They do this by focusing on community-level changes of rules and regulations, media messaging, accessibility and providing links to community, statewide and national resources and information.
Together, we CAN prevent youth substance abuse.
Contact Us!
| Beth Blakeman-Pohl Drug-Free Communities Coordinator Email Beth Blakeman-Pohl |
Kim Gillies Drug-Free Communities Assistant Coordinator Email Kim Gillies |