Waycross area shelter for abused persons/trust partnership

The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded $125,000 to the Waycross Area Shelter for Abused Persons Inc. (doing business as Magnolia House) on July 1, 2026, under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grants (CFDA 93.276).

The Waycross Area Shelter serves as fiscal agent for the TRUST Partnership, a multi-sector coalition conducting strategic planning and prevention work in Ware County, Georgia. Year one activities target alcohol and tobacco prevention, including compliance checks on underage sales, advocacy for increased penalties for underage alcohol sales, implementation of the Strengthening Families Program and the TALK. They Hear You. parent campaign to increase protective factors, and retail signage reminding patrons of sanctions for providing alcohol to minors under 21. These efforts are designed to reduce commercial and social access to alcohol, shift community norms that normalize adolescent drinking, and equip parents with tools to communicate clear no-use expectations to their children.

The award funds a five-year period of performance from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2031. Place of performance is Georgia. The Drug-Free Communities Support Program establishes and strengthens collaboration among community coalitions to prevent and reduce substance use among youth and, over time, among adults by addressing risk factors and promoting protective factors in communities.

Abstract

The TRUST partnership (TRUST) is a multi-sector coalition that serves ware county, GA with strategic planning related to youth substance use prevention. TRUST was established in 2020 to address opioid and other substance use disorders that were afflicting ware county and two neighboring counties. Members soon recognized the need to include youth-focused prevention efforts in their continuum of care to prevent and reduce youth substance use and increase protective factors. This led to the formation of TRUST's youth prevention committee. A TRUST partner, the waycross area shelter for abused persons (D/B/a magnolia house) will serve as the coalition's fiscal agent and is the official grantee for TRUST. Ware county is a geographically large predominately rural county located in extreme southeast georgia with a population of 36,222. As with many rural counties, ware is underserved and under-resourced for behavioral health and prevention services. Fortunately, the spirit of collaboration is strong in ware and in its principal city, waycross. TRUST partners are accustomed to working together to improve substance use conditions in the county. TRUST's strategic prevention planning is data-driven, comprehensive and focused on community-level change. They plan to target alcohol and tobacco in year one. Alcohol prevention strategies will reduce commercial and social access and change norms that accept IT as a normal part of adolescence. TRUST plans to conduct compliance checks and advocate for increased penalties for underage sales. The strengthening families program and the talk. They hear you. Parent campaign will increase protective factors and prepare and encourage parents to talk to their children about risks associated with underage drinking and give clear no-use expectations. Retail signage will remind patrons of sanctions related to giving alcohol to anyone under 21. TRUST partners will advocate for social host liability ordinances in waycross, ware county and georgia. Using the CDC's call to action as a guide, TRUST plans to reduce and prevent youth tobacco use by increasing youth awareness about the harms/risks associated with tobacco use and vaping, conducting compliance checks to restrict youth access, and widely publicizing tobacco cessation resources geared to youth and young adults. They will equip tobacco outlets with resources for checking IDS and warning patrons that IT is illegal to purchase tobacco products to provide to others under 21. To improve and expand youth protective factors, TRUST will provide youth mental health first aid training for parents, educators and others who work with youth in community settings. Ymhfa prepares youth gatekeepers to recognize signs that a young person may be experiencing a substance use, mental health or other crisis and respond appropriately. The evidence-based keepin' IT real school curriculum will reduce tobacco smoking, vaping and underage drinking while providing fundamental life skills needed for healthy development including responsible decision making, communication skills, and handling challenges and responsibilities. In future years, TRUST will expand its focus to include strategies targeting marijuana and prescription drugs. TRUST's 30+ members and sector representatives are experienced and up to the challenge of implementing their DFC work plan for 2026-2027.