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ABC Board grant provides students a creative, informative outlet
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Published: April 25, 2009
Updated: 04/25/2009 11:21 am
CHARLOTTE - Dipping brushes in red, blue and green paint, a dozen youths create self-portraits in the basement of Grier Heights Presbyterian Church. Artist T.J. Reddy talks about the dangers of alcohol and drugs as he encourages them to accurately paint their heads.
"The head is the temple of your consciousness," he says. "The use of drugs is another one of these threats against the temple of the mind."
Reddy's presentation is part of Discover Your Style, the Mint Museum's weekly alcohol education program for the Grier Heights community. The program is funded by an $18,850 grant from the Mecklenburg County Alcohol Beverage Control Board. The Mint is one of 23 grant recipients this year.
The Mint's program at Grier Heights pairs art with alcohol education. After students recently painted their portraits with Reddy, Delilah McDonald took over.
The health educator let several students wear goggles that simulate alcohol's effect on your vision. Giggling and stumbling, the students tried unsuccessfully to walk a straight line. They talked about the reasons teens drink, citing peer pressure or a desire to look cool.
"Is staying cool worth your life?" asked McDonald, health education coordinator for Teen Health Connection.
CN Jenkins Presbyterian also uses its ABC grant in conjunction with the church's fine arts programs. Last week, about a dozen youths heard about the dangers of smoking and chewing tobacco. After the 45-minute presentation they learned ways to express themselves through dance.
Adding substance-abuse prevention fit with the church's weekly Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, said Mike Grier, program coordinator.
"The focus is prevention," Grier said. "Without mandating it, we really wanted everybody to get it."
The ABC board is accepting requests for next year's grants through Thursday. Applicants must be nonprofits and must use the money to fund alcohol education and treatment programs for residents of Mecklenburg County. The 14-year- old grants program has nearly doubled its allocations to $500,000 in the last five years. It's funded by profits from alcohol sales countywide, said Mary Ward, the board's director of alcohol education and training.
This year, grants of up to $25,000 went to groups such as the Mint Museum, CN Jenkins Memorial Presbyterian Church and the Children's Theatre of Charlotte. Grant recipients must initially pay for their programs and then get reimbursed by the ABC board.
Last year, the ABC board received 26 applications and awarded 23 grants. In 2007, 38 groups applied and 18 got grants.
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