What is a Coalition?

“A voluntary strategic alliance… to enhance our ability to achieve a common purpose by sharing risks, responsibilities, resources, and rewards."

In other words, it’s a group of volunteers who simply act as a vehicle to create a positive change in their community. Members represent all sectors and levels of their community. By focusing their efforts on the environment as well as on the individuals within it, community norms will change around substance use.  Population/community level change is the best way to promote healthy, positive and thriving communities with more drug free youth.

For coalitions to be successful, they must be community motivated and focused. The importance of a coalition being community driven is twofold. First, only your community members truly know the various aspects of your neighborhood. Who better to say what the issues are and how best to resolve them then residents? Second, having buy-in from all sectors of you community will create a tight group that will sustain itself.  After programs and money run out, the coalition will still have its partnerships!