Asian Group Gets Grant for Programs

A San Fernando Valley group has received a federal grant to fund substance abuse prevention and other social programs in the Asian American community.

The federal Center for Substance Abuse Prevention under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has approved a $275,000 grant for the Asian and Pacific Islander Council of the San Fernando Valley, according to council board member Sue Fan.

“They want us to use this as a community-organizing grant so that we are better able to deal with earthquake relief and recovery,” Fan said, explaining that the center is concerned about a possible increase in drug abuse and other social problems such as domestic violence in the aftermath of the earthquake.

In addition to drug abuse prevention, the council will use the grant to fund youth, senior and information referral programs. Each of the projects will be carried out by consortiums of community groups that have already submitted program proposals. The council will announce the winners of the contracts next week, Fan said.

Under the information program, the consortium will try to develop a network of all Asian American groups in the Valley by organizing forums, distributing contact sheets and hiring staff that will communicate regularly with the groups.

The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention invited the council to apply for the grant at the recommendation of an Asian American organization in Los Angeles, the East-West Partnership, the community leader said.

The council is a coalition of community organizations, social service providers and individuals working to promote the social, cultural and civic interests of the Valley’s Asian community. It was established in 1991 with seed money from United Way.