Prevention Coalition sets strategic planning

FORT MADISON - The Fort Madison Prevention Coalition would like to invite all community members and partners to join our Strategic Planning Meeting on July 24, 2024. 
The Fort Madison Prevention Coalition is currently funded by the Partnership for Success Grant through the Van Buren County SAFE Coalition/Community School District to address substance use prevention for underage drinking, adult and youth binge drinking, youth tobacco/nicotine/vape misuse, adult and youth marijuana/THC use, and to increase the capacity of coalitions.  During the process of building a coalition, the following steps are used:

1. Assessment: collect and evaluate community data to assess what can be done to reduce substance misuse in the community. Actively look for sources to share that data.
2. Capacity: find partners in the community to join the coalition to work to address issues in the community.
3. Planning: develop an action plan to address the issues that are identified in the community.
4. Implementation: implement the strategies in the action plan in the community.
5. Evaluation: evaluate data from the work that is being done to make sure that it is effective in the community. This includes the data sources previously collected and surveys from services provided.
6. Cultural Competence: this is about ensuring the coalition is reaching all community members in our community with information they can understand and utilize.
7. Sustainability: this is making sure that strategies that are implemented are sustainable once grant funding ends.

What is strategic planning?  Strategic planning determines where an organization is going, how it’s going to get there, and who can assist with reaching the goals of the organization. An organization needs to recognize its function within a dynamic, changing environment, and how it can adjust to those needs. 
The Coalition invites all Fort Madison community members and those who work in the community to the Fort Madison Library Meeting Room on July 24, 2024, from 12:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. Those in attendance will work on developing the Vision and Mission Statements, official name, and what kind of branding the coalition will do (this will include colors and a logo).  Coalition Staff will lead a discussion on membership capacity and the organizational structure of the Coalition as well.  Light refreshments will be served and a Zoom option is available for those who are unable to attend in person.  We ask that you RSVP to this event on or before July 22, 2024, to ensure that we have enough refreshments and packets for those who are attending.  Link to RSVP: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SPMeeting1

Please contact the coalition at allie.houston@vbcwarriors.org for any questions you may have.