Wethersfield helping others through prevention and education (WEHOPE) - WEHOPE's proposed project will expand efforts to engage and mobilize youth, parents, and community partners to reduce youth…

The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded the Town of Wethersfield, Connecticut $125,000 under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program Grants (CFDA 93.276) on July 1, 2026.

The grant funds WEHOPE (Wethersfield Helping Others Through Prevention and Education), a community coalition project to expand engagement and mobilization of youth, parents, and community partners to reduce youth alcohol, drug, and nicotine use in Wethersfield. Over the five-year period of performance through June 30, 2031, WEHOPE will directly impact 3,702 Wethersfield youth ages 11–18 and 1,851 family and community members. The coalition will establish and strengthen collaboration among community stakeholders to address youth substance use, with specific focus on alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine based on existing youth survey data.

WEHOPE's stated objectives include increasing community awareness from 25 percent to 35 percent, strengthening ongoing communication and collaboration between law enforcement and WEHOPE, and decreasing the percentage of Wethersfield youth in grades 7–12 reporting easy access to alcohol from 30.2 percent in 2025 to 26.7 percent by 2031. Performance will occur in Connecticut.

The Drug-Free Communities Support Program establishes and strengthens collaborations among community coalitions, public and private nonprofit agencies, and federal, state, local, and tribal governments to prevent and reduce youth substance abuse and address community risk and protective factors.

Wethersfield helping others through prevention and education (WEHOPE) - WEHOPE's proposed project will expand efforts to engage and mobilize youth, parents, and community partners to reduce youth alcohol and drug use and create a safe and healthy community. Over the 5-year grant period, WEHOPE will directly impact 3,702 wethersfield youth ages 11-18, and 1,851 family and community members. The town of wethersfield is a suburban town in hartford county, connecticut with a population of 27,180 residents. Wethersfield residents are about 51.5% female and 48.5% male. By age, children 0-9 make up about 10.8% of the population, youth 10-19 are 11.4%, young adults 20-29 are 11.2%, adults 30-59 are 37.7% and adults 60+ are 28.9%. The median household income in wethersfield is $118,523. There are currently 1,692 middle school and high school students enrolled in wethersfield's silas deane middle school and wethersfield high school. The stated goals of this drug free communities project are to: establish and strengthen collaboration among community stakeholders and organizations to address youth substance use and reduce substance use among youth and, over time, reduce substance use among adults by addressing the factors in a community that increase the risk of substance use and promoting the factors that minimize the risk of substance use. Based on existing wethersfield youth survey data, WEHOPE will specifically address alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis. Select long-term outcomes include: increasing community awareness of WEHOPE from 25% to 35%, increased ongoing communication and collaboration between law enforcement and WEHOPE, decreasing the percentage of wethersfield youth in grades 7-12, who report easy access to alcohol by 11.6% (from 30.2% in 2025 to 26.7% in 2031), and decreasing the percentage of wethersfield youth in grades 7-12, who report easy access to alcohol by 3.9% (from 30.2% in 2025 to 29.0% in 2027. WEHOPE's objectives are to: 1) increase awareness of WEHOPE by investing in WEHOPE's coalition leadership role through continued attendance at community events and engagement with key leaders; 2) strengthen collaboration among coalition members and stakeholders through establishment of targeted work groups and development of educational and skill- building opportunities; 3) build on successes of WEHOPE youth leadership group through investment in leadership development opportunities; 4) raise awareness of youth substance use through targeted outreach and public campaigns; and 5) decrease the percentage of wethersfield youth who report easy access to alcohol by 11.6% (from 30.2% in 2025 to 26.7% in 2031). To achieve these objectives WEHOPE will engage in activities that increase education and provide support to wethersfield youth and adults, including implementation of trainings, parent leadership programming, peer education efforts, youth development programming, and an anti-vape education campaign that incorporates elements that resonate with youth and focus on the risk and harm of cannabis use. WEHOPE's approach incorporates evidenced-based practices and strengthens collaboration between community leaders and the coalition.