U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Community Capacity Development Office

Spring 2004Volume XII, Number 1

SP R I N G 2004

Volume XII, Number 1Spring 2004

Weed & Seed In-Sites is a publication of the

U.S. Department of JusticeOffice of Justice ProgramsCommunity Capacity Development Office Office of Weed and Seed810 Seventh Street NW.Washington, DC 20531Phone: 202–616–1152 Fax: 202–616–1159www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ccdo

The Office of Weed and Seed is a component of the Community Capacity Development Office in theOffice of Justice Programs.

On the CoverAlbuquerque PoliceDepartment Officer Joe Zitkus (left) andBernalillo County DeputySheriff Ray D. Chavez(right) brief AlbuquerquePolice DepartmentLieutenant Ed Perea(center) on joint patroloperations at theAlamosa CommunityWeed and Seed SafeHaven.

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contents

Visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/abouteow.htmto learn about the functions of OWS and its staff and www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/publications.htm for information on submitting articles and comments.

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3 Open Le t t e r F rom Ne l son He r nandez

4 Le t t e r F rom the U . S .A t to r ney f o r t he Ea s t e r nD i s t r i c t o f V i r g i n i a

5 No G rea t e r Lo ve

6 Con fe rence Co r ne r

9 What ’s Work i ng

26 Su s t a i nmen t

Spring 2004 3

There is nothing better than earning a living at doing what you love. I love working on communi-ty development! Working on community development has never “felt like a job.” Instead, it hasbeen a calling. And, after 20 years at various levels of government, I am as enthusiastic today as Iwas the day I left the warm confines of graduate school.

Accepting the position to direct the new Community Capacity Development Office (CCDO) is atremendous honor and a great responsibility. My new office will continue the proud successes ofWeed and Seed, and assist communities around America as they seek to sustain their efforts to pre-vent crime, increase community safety, and revitalize neighborhoods. As Deborah Daniels, theAssistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs said, “CCDO is an exciting conceptthat brings into focus our agency’s core mission of working with local communities to developsolutions that deter crime, promote economic growth, and enhance quality of life.”

The Department of Justice is my third federal employer. Previously, I served as the Area Directorfor the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Los Angeles. More recently, I was the National Coordinator for Community Affairs at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corpor-ation, where I directed the FDIC’s national community reinvestment, community development,and public outreach efforts. While there, we focused on bringing low and moderate-income people into the banking system in order to help improve their economic opportunities and quality of life. But I have not always been a “fed.” In fact, most of my career was spent at the local level working on implementing community, economic, and housing development projectsand programs.

The Community Capacity Development Office is going to be modeled after the successful strate-gies employed by Weed and Seed. CCDO will help communities to help themselves, enablingthem to develop solutions to community safety problems confronting them, as well as developingleadership to implement and sustain those solutions. We don’t have an “official” motto yet, but ifwe did it would go something like this: “You can do it, we can help.” The emphasis is on you andus helping you to achieve your community goals.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank each person who contributes to the success of Weedand Seed. When all is said and done, Weed and Seed is about people. Weed and Seed is aboutpeople working together to improve the quality of life. The success of Weed and Seed reflects theamazing dedication of thousands of community members and law enforcement officers. Your lead-ership, your devotion, and your commitment have not only helped your communities, but haveshown the nation how to successfully turn our at-risk neighborhoods around.

Again, I look forward to working with you and learning from you.

Sincerely,

Nelson Hernandez Director

Community Capacity Development Office

open letter

FROM NELSON HERNANDEZ DIRECTOR OF THE COMMUNITY CAPACITYDEVELOPMENT OFFICE

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Operation Weed and Seed was created 13 years ago to take communities back from criminals, toempower the law-abiding citizens who live and work in those communities, and to help citizensrealize their dreams of prosperity and happiness. I could not be more pleased with the tremendous

success of Weed and Seed and the revitalization of so many distressed neighborhoods overthe past decade. In 1991, I worked with then-Attorney General Bill Barr to establish Weedand Seed in response to the tragic reality that crime had deprived many citizens of the free-dom to realize their dreams and enjoy their lives. As an original stakeholder in the Weedand Seed initiative, I consider it a special privilege to write an introductory letter for In-Sites magazine, the publication dedicated to the national Weed and Seed family. The initia-tive has grown and flourished under the able leadership of Deborah Daniels and BobSamuels, two veterans of Weed and Seed who were there at its inception. I applaud themfor their efforts in making Weed and Seed successful.

When I think of Weed and Seed, I think of the face of an elderly woman who came run-ning out of her row house to greet Attorney General Barr as he walked through her neigh-borhood. She thanked him because she was no longer afraid to come out of her house. Hercommunity had been held hostage for years by violent crime and drug trafficking, and theresidents had little hope of enjoying a safe and prosperous community. Many were prisonersin their own homes, living behind bars on their doors and windows. Extensive weedingefforts changed all of that. The day we visited, residents were out in front of their homes forthe first time in years, enjoying their neighbors and watching their children play safely.

Our original vision was to “weed” out the drugs, guns, gangs, and violence in these areas and to“seed” them with revitalization initiatives to make them safe, healthy, and economically viableplaces to live. The goal of “seeding” is to prevent reentrenchment of the criminal element. Thecollaborative efforts of residents; Federal, State, and local law enforcement; local government; theprivate sector; and faith-based organizations form a neighborhood of stakeholders in the commu-nity. These partners work together to create and sustain safe, drug-free environments.

As U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, my involvement with Weed and Seed hascome full circle. During the past 3 years, I have had the opportunity to support and cultivate threenew sites in eastern Virginia. Newport News, Petersburg, and Portsmouth have joined Richmondas officially recognized Weed and Seed sites. I share the hopes of these communities to create anenvironment that fosters safety and economic prosperity.

Virginia is the cradle of our Nation and of our democracy. Every Virginian has a right to demandthe freedom to be safe and prosperous. On March 20, 1775, at St. John’s Church in Richmond,Patrick Henry said “Give me liberty or give me death” as he stirred his fellow Virginians to fightfor independence. A stone’s throw away from this church is a Weed and Seed site where the fightfor the American dream continues today. This fight continues in all Weed and Seed neighbor-hoods. With the powerful partnerships facilitated by the Weed and Seed initiative, that fight willsucceed just as the Virginians of the 18th century succeeded in their fight.

The Weed and Seed initiative has grown, flourished, and reclaimed neighborhoods across America.I am so pleased to have been a part of its beginnings, and I am even more pleased to have a rolein implementing it in eastern Virginia. It works, it inspires hope where hopelessness has settled in,and it makes our communities better places to live, work, and raise a family.

Paul J. McNultyUnited States Attorney

Eastern District of Virginia

letterFROM THE U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THEEASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA

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No Greater LoveThere is no greater love than a man lay down his life for his friends .

On the afternoon of January 30,2004, Officer Nicholas Sloan, age 24,was shot with his own pistol and laiddown his life for an entire communityof friends. Sloan and his partner,Officer Gabriel Keithley, age 26, werepatrolling near Taylor and EnrightAvenues in St. Louis as part of theWeed and Seed program to removedrug dealers from that community.Detectives were told that while theofficers were frisking a man suspectedof dealing drugs from his car, a violentconfrontation broke out between theman and the officers. The suspectgrabbed Sloan’s pistol and beganshooting. Keithley returned fire. Bothofficers were shot, as was the suspect.Sloan was shot through the shoulder,and the bullet veered through hisheart. Keithley was shot in the hip andshoulder. The suspect, Dennis E.Hawthorn, collapsed and died clutch-ing several rocks of crack cocaine andSloan’s gun.

Kim Norman, Director of the Weedand Seed site, said that Sloan andKeithley worked in an aggressivesquad that always wanted to do more.“These two officers have been doingextraordinary work,” she said.

The impact of these two officers onthose with whom they worked couldbe seen by the outpouring of emotionof more than 100 officers, many highranking, who rushed to the hospitalupon hearing of their fallen comrades.Chief Joe Mokwa struggled to keep hiscomposure when publicly announcingthe death of Officer Nicholas Sloan,who was the father of a 13-month-oldchild and son of police Sergeant TerrySloan.

The mission of Weed and Seed and itscommunity partners is to restore hopein neighborhoods by removing thepeople whose blatant disregard forothers threatens to destroy the com-munities in which they fester. ThroughWeed and Seed and with the aid oflocal law enforcement, communitiesare fighting to take back and revitalizetheir neighborhoods. In times likethese, we are reminded that this waragainst destructive elements in oursociety is not without its cost. Wemust honor those who make sacrificesfor others with their time, theirmoney, and ultimately with their lives.Officer Nicholas Sloan lived to servehis community and made the ultimatesacrifice to bring a brighter tomorrowto many. As Mayor Francis Slay saidoutside Barnes-Jewish Hospital, “Wewill not forget Officer Sloan, whogave his life for the citizens of St.Louis.” From top: Officer Nicholas Sloan and

Officer Gabriel Keithley.

The Office of Weed and Seed would like to recognize all of theofficers and their families who dedicate their lives every day to

make our Weed and Seed communities safer. Your sacrifices foster hope in many lives across the Nation.

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2004 Continuation Application KitWorkshop and Power of PreventionRegional Meeting

T he 2004 Continuation Application Kit Workshop was successfully held this past

February 24–27 in Dallas, Texas.Application Kit Workshops are impor-tant meetings for Weed and Seed, andthe recent meeting in Dallas was espe-cially significant. There were ground-breaking announcements, powerfulspeakers, and a strengthening of thepartnership with the Power ofPrevention providers.

A training session for new coordina-tors took place on February 23, theMonday before the conference. Thistraining is always popular, and it helpsget things off to a good start. Thenext 2 days were devoted to the “nutsand bolts” issues of the application kitpreparation, and there were informa-tive breakout sessions on a wide vari-ety of topical issues related to theoperation of Weed and Seed sites. Thelast 2 days of the conference weredevoted to the Power of PreventionRegional Meeting.

Deborah DanielsAddressed the Conference A high point of the conference waswhen Deborah Daniels, AssistantAttorney General for the Office ofJustice Programs (OJP), addressed aplenary session. Ms. Daniels was theU.S. Attorney who helped launch theIndianapolis Weed and Seed site, andshe helped shape the program nation-ally as the first director of the Exec-utive Office for Weed and Seed (nowthe Office of Weed and Seed). Withthis rich background, she has beenable to bring the Weed and Seed con-cept to OJP as a whole.

Community CapacityDevelopment OfficeAnnouncedMs. Daniels announced the creation ofthe Community Capacity Develop-ment Office (CCDO). Weed and Seedwill be the flagship component of thisnew office, which will encouragegreater cooperation among and sus-tain Department of Justice programs.

Ms. Daniels introduced NelsonHernandez, Director of CCDO. Mr.Hernandez spoke briefly about hisbackground in coordinating commu-nity affairs for the Federal Deposit

Insurance Corporation (FDIC), andhe outlined an FDIC program, MoneySmart. Money Smart, which reachesout to communities and helps resi-dents with financial issues, will proveto be valuable experience for Mr.Hernandez as he begins working withWeed and Seed communities. Mr.Hernandez began his new position atCCDO on March 15. He is excitedabout the opportunity to head thisnew department, and Weed and Seedsites are looking forward to workingwith him. The Office of Weed andSeed (OWS) reports directly toCCDO.

Honor Guard from the host site in Dallas at the opening ceremonies.

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Conference CornerSpeakers StimulatedDiscussionOutstanding speakers challenged theattendees on a variety of subjects:

■ OJP’s Serious and ViolentOffender Reentry Initiative.

■ Project Safe Neighborhoods.

■ Sustainability tips for Weed andSeed sites.

■ Data collection for identifying bestpractices in the field.

The Reentry Initiative

The following reentry issues were amajor concern for attendees:

■ The needs of people returning tothe community.

■ The role of Weed and Seed sites inthe reentry process.

■ The care of the children of peopleincarcerated.

■ The role of faith-based groups inreentry programs.

Cheri Nolan, Deputy AssistantAttorney General for OJP, began thediscussion of these issues. Ms. Nolan,who has been leading the develop-ment of the reentry initiative, sharedstatistics and facts as well as humaninterest insights about this criticaltopic. She set the tone for much ofthe discussion that followed duringthe conference.

Reverend Wilson Goode, Sr., Directorof the Amachi program, spoke at aplenary session about Amachi, a suc-cessful mentoring program focused onthe desperate needs of children whoseparents are incarcerated. Amachi is aSouth African word meaning, “Whoknows but what God has brought usthrough this child.”

Robert Woodson, Sr., President of theNational Center for NeighborhoodEnterprise, discussed the importantrole that returning ex-offenders canassume in helping to develop a suc-cessful reentry program. He cited spe-cific cases in which young people hadassumed leadership roles that provideddirection for others.

Project SafeNeighborhoods

Paul M. Warner,U.S. Attorney forUtah, describedthe important rolethat Project SafeNeighborhoods(PSN) can play incontrolling gunviolence. He alsostressed theimportance ofcombining thestrengths of Weedand Seed andPSN to reinforceeach other with

good results for the neighborhoods.

Dozens of sessions demonstrated theadvantages of collaborating with pre-vention programs, faith-based groups,housing authorities, and myriad localefforts. They also provided opportuni-ties to showcase local success storiesand encourage further cooperation.These sessions invited discussion andthe lively exchange of ideas.

The computer lab was a special attrac-tion that was available during most ofthe conference. The exhibitors’ boothsdisplayed valuable information fromlocal sites, prevention agencies, andmyriad groups.

Power of PreventionRegional MeetingIn addition to the Weed and SeedContinuation Application Kit Train-ing, Weed and Seed site representa-tives were able to attend the Power ofPrevention Regional Meeting held inconjunction with it. More than 800participants, from a broad range ofprevention and community initiatives,in a variety of sectors ranging frompublic health, substance abuse, eco-nomic development, and violence pre-vention to coalition building, tookpart in the Power of Prevention train-ing. Workshops and plenary sessionsfocused on helping participants learnabout the full scope of resources andprograms targeted toward communi-ties that address critical social needs

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Deputy Assistant Attorney General Cheri Nolan joins otherWeed and Seed participants in the Pledge of Allegiance.

A Weed andSeeder (left) meetswith Beverly WattsDavis (center),Director of theHHS Center forSubstance Abuseand Prevention,and Mary AnnSolberg (right),Deputy Director of the Office ofNational DrugControl Policy.

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(continued from previous page)and facilitate the collaborationbetween various prevention-focusedefforts at the national and grassrootslevels. Effective program models were highlighted on a wide variety of topics,from preventing underage drinking togangs, from working with public hous-ing to homeland security, and fromachieving outcomes to evaluation.

The Power of Prevention RegionalMeeting is a partnership between theOffice of Weed and Seed and the

Center for Substance AbusePrevention, Substance Abuse MentalHealth Services Administration, and anumber of national prevention part-ners, such as the Drug EnforcementAdministration, the National CrimePrevention Council, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, and oth-ers. Workshop presentations can befound on the OWS Web site atwww.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/whatsnew.htm under the “Conferences” section.

The next Power of PreventionRegional Meeting will be held in

Indianapolis, Indiana, in conjunctionwith the OWS CompetitiveApplication Kit Training, July 12–16,2004. Registration for this event willbe available on the OWS Web site inthe spring.

The Office of Weed and Seed wishesto thank all of the participants in thisyear’s conference. Weed and Seed sitesthroughout the country benefited notonly from the information and train-ing disseminated at the conference,but also by having the opportunity tolearn from each other.

Weed and Seed participants network over lunch. Dow Croyle (right), Law EnforcementCommunity Coordinator (LECC) for theU.S. Attorney’s Office of the NorthernDistrict of Texas, converses with aconference attendee.

New Official Recognition Guidelinesare posted on our Web page at

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ccdo

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What’s W

orkingSECTION SUBHEADLAW ENFORCEMENT

U.S. Attorney Melgren AnnouncesProject Ceasefire

E ric Melgren, U.S. Attorney forthe District of Kansas, held apress conference in Wichita last

May to launch the media campaignfor Project Ceasefire. The project waslaunched as part of President Bush’sProject Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)initiative to reduce gun crime nation-wide. The PSN initiative directed U.S.Attorneys to implement a PSN strategyto reduce gun violence in their districts.

“The Project Safe Neighborhoods ini-tiative will bring Federal, State, andlocal prosecutors and law enforcementofficers together to take firearm viola-tors off our streets for a long time,”Melgren told the Federal, State, andlocal officials at the news conference.“With the help of our media partners,we will get the word out to potentialviolators and to their loved ones thatthose who commit gun crimes will dohard time.”

Melgren stated that the ProjectCeasefire media campaign is intendedto warn convicted felons not to pos-sess firearms. The campaign has putup 20 billboards, 4 in Spanish, through-out the Wichita area and run mediaspots on local stations.

“The message is clear: If you are afelon caught with a firearm, you couldspend at least a year in a Federalprison,” said Melgren. “If you commita crime of violence or drug traffickingwith a firearm, you will receive aminimum sentence of 5 years. If youbrandish the firearm during the com-mission of your crime, your minimumsentence will be increased to 7 years,and if you discharge the firearm dur-ing the commission of the crime, youwill receive a minimum sentence of

10 years. If you commit a crime with afirearm and you are an armed careercriminal with three prior convictionsof a violent felony or serious drugoffense, you will receive a minimumsentence of 15 years. Each of theseminimum sentences is in addition toany sentence imposed for the underly-ing crime.”

Wichita/Sedgwick County Weed andSeed, in partnership with the Bureauof Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms andExplosives (ATF); Wichita PoliceDepartment; Sedgwick County Sheriff’sOffice; and the Kansas office of theFederal Bureau of Investigation, heldneighborhood meetings throughout thecity to explain Project Ceasefire to thepublic in advance of the press conference.

“ATF’s Wichita field office standscommitted to working with all lawenforcement agencies in the Wichitaarea in bringing armed violent offend-ers to justice,” said Mark James,Resident Agent in Charge of ATF’sKansas City Field Division. “Further-more, we appreciate the support andpartnership of the U.S. Attorney’sOffice in prosecuting numerous armedcriminals violating Federal firearmsstatutes.”

Riley Williams, Weed and Seed Coor-dinator, reports that the Wichita com-munity has been very supportive ofProject Ceasefire and other programsthat help to reduce violence andremove violent criminals from cityneighborhoods.

Riley Williams, Wichita/Sedgwick Weed and Seed Coordinator; Mark James, ATFResident Agent in Charge; Gary Steed, Sedgwick County Sheriff; Eric Melgren,U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas; Nola Foulston, Sedgwick County DistrictAttorney; and Norman Williams, Chief of Police, spread the message that gunviolence will not be tolerated.

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LAW ENFORCEMENT

T he Community Policing Unitof the Norwalk, Connecticut,Police Department received

training in community oriented polic-ing presented and sponsored by theOffice of Weed and Seed (OWS) lastMay. Lt. Thomas Kulhawik, unit com-mander, requested the trainingbecause many of his officers were newto the unit or had no background incommunity oriented policing.

After the training was approved, Lt.Kulhawik contacted Chief EdwardBrodt (retired) and Lt. Col. CynthiaShain (retired) to discuss the specificneeds of his department. Chief Brodt,Assistant Director, and Lt. Col. Shain,Associate Director, both of theKentucky Regional CommunityPolicing Institute at Eastern KentuckyUniversity, are experienced instructorsand law enforcement practitioners.

“Chief Brodt and Lt. Col. Shainwere very adaptable in tailoring theirprogram to fit our needs,” said Lt.Kulhawik. In addition to 14 officersand supervisors, he invited com-munity residents and the NorwalkWeed and Seed coordinator to attendthe training.

“I felt that by bringing the communi-ty and the police together into theclassroom, both would gain a greaterunderstanding of the perceptionseach were bringing to the table,”he said. “By working together inthe classroom environment, we wereable to gain a better understandingof each other, thereby allowing usto better work together towardscommon goals.”

Training began with an overview ofcommunity policing and then coveredvarious topics, including the SARA(scanning, analysis, response, andassessment) model and steps in prob-lem solving. Part of a day was dedi-cated to a discussion about buildingeffective community partnerships. Thetraining concluded with the studentslearning about and then conductingcommunity surveys in their respectivecommunity policing neighborhoods.

According to Lt. Kulhawik, theinstructors brought real-life examplesinto each area of the training andprovided a solid base from which theunit can grow. He said, “The trainingfar exceeded our expectations. Theinstructors did a tremendous job.”

Weed and Seed Sponsors Training forNorwalk Police

Norwalk was recognized as a Weedand Seed site in August 1995. Lt.Kulhawik noted that the Weed andSeed initiative has had a tremendousimpact on reducing crime and bring-ing residents and police together towork toward a common goal.

Community PolicingResources

OWS provides site-driven technical assistance. Ask yourOWS program manager formore information on availableresources.

Regional Community PolicingInstitutes developed by the U.S.Department of Justice’s Officeof Community Oriented PolicingServices provide innovativecommunity policing education,training, and technical assist-ance. Visit www.cops.usdoj.govand click on training.

What’s the best way to have your site featured in In-Sites?Submit a story to In-Sites, and our staff will help you develop and polish the text! Please e-mail draft text

to darcey.donehey@usdoj.gov or submit it on disk. Send your disk and/or original photos via Federal Express. Please include captions with your photos and send them to:

In-SitesAttention: Darcey DoneheyOffice of Weed and Seed

810 Seventh Street NW., Room 6142Washington, DC 20001

Your photos will be returned if you include a self-addressed envelope. Visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/eows/publications.htm for more information on submitting your story to us.

What’s happening in your neighborhood? We look forward to hearing from you! —Darcey Donehey

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LAW ENFORCEMENT

Criminal Drug Enterprise Shut Down in Utah

F ollowing a year-long investiga-tion conducted by the FederalBureau of Investigation and

local law enforcement agencies, acriminal drug enterprise affectingseveral Utah Weed and Seed sites wasbrought to justice. Overall, more than40 individuals were charged as a partof the investigation. Significantamounts of drugs were taken off thestreets as a part of this case. Homes,vehicles, cash, and other assets of theillegal activity were also seized.

One of the people arrested in connec-tion with drug trafficking and moneylaundering was Juan Romon OlmedoCruz. “Mr. Olmedo Cruz broughtkilos of cocaine and pounds of meth-amphetamine into Utah, where heused his criminal operation to facilitatedrug distribution into Utah commu-nities,” said Paul M. Warner, U.S.Attorney for the District of Utah.“This case was particularly importantto us because the organization’s drugactivities were impacting our Salt LakeCity and Ogden Weed and Seed sites,where we are working hard to weedout drug activity.”

Olmedo Cruz will spend 15 years inFederal prison for his leadership rolein the drug distribution ring he oper-ated in Salt Lake City, Utah, and for-feit $412,000 in assets. U.S. DistrictJudge Paul G. Cassell issued the sen-tence last May after Olmedo Cruzpled guilty to operating a continuing

Drug organizations not only bringdrugs into a neighborhood but othercriminal activity as well. As part of hismoney laundering operations, OlmedoCruz directed others to withdrawmoney from bank accounts for trans-port to Mexico in May 2000. Headmitted that the $25,326 seized bylaw enforcement officers at the SaltLake City International Airport thatMay came from illegal drug sales andthat the money was being taken toMexico to conceal its source andnature.

Olmedo Cruz admitted that he con-spired to distribute cocaine, meth-amphetamine, and marijuana. Headmitted to having an organizationaland leadership role in the drug organ-ization, working in concert with atleast five other people as he commit-ted violations of Federal drug laws.“Fifteen years, with no parole, is asignificant amount of time to spendin prison,” said Warner. “Mr. OlmedoCruz’s sentence sends a strong mes-sage that there is a high price to payfor illegal drug trafficking in Utah.”

Thanks to cooperative efforts by fed-eral and local law enforcement agen-cies, including the Federal Bureauof Investigation, the Salt Lake Cityand Ogden Weed and Seed sites arecloser to their goal of revitalizing theircommunities.

criminal enterprise and money laun-dering scheme.

Weed and Seed is a U.S. Departmentof Justice program that works to pre-vent and control violent crime, drugabuse, and gang activity in targetedhigh-crime neighborhoods across thecountry. Weed and Seed sites range insize from several neighborhood blocksto 15 square miles. Utah has threeWeed and Seed sites—Salt Lake City,West Valley City, and Ogden.

Targeting drug organizations like theone Olmedo Cruz operated is animportant effort in Weed and Seedsites because of the amount of drugsand crime one organization can bringinto an area. For example, as part ofhis plea agreement with prosecutors,Olmedo Cruz admitted to distributingapproximately 250 grams of cocaineat the Lexington Square Apartmentsin Salt Lake City. He also admitted toconspiring to bring 4 to 8 kilogramsof cocaine from California to Utah inApril 2000. Later that month, he bro-kered a deal for a half pound of meth-amphetamine and facilitated a deliveryof cocaine. In May 2000, OlmedoCruz negotiated the sale of a quarterof a kilogram of cocaine and requesteda pound of marijuana from anotherassociate. He also admitted to obtain-ing substantial income from his viola-tions of Federal drug laws and thattrafficking in illegal drugs was his soleor primary source of income.

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PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND TREATMENT

DEFY Takes Top Honors in DrugDemand ReductionLt. j. g. Paul Noel, DEFY Public Affairs Officer

T he U.S. Department of theNavy’s Drug Education ForYouth (DEFY) program has

been recognized as the best commu-nity drug awareness program in theU.S. Navy for fiscal year 2002.

The designation came in conjunctionwith the honor of receiving the Sec-retary of Defense Community DrugAwareness Award, which is presentedannually to a program in each militaryservice, the National Guard Bureau, andthe defense agencies. The award wascreated in 1990 to promote commu-nity drug awareness efforts in the U.S.Department of Defense community.

“DEFY made great strides in fiscalyear 2002,” said DEFY ProgramManager Timm Bentley. “We feelvery fortunate that the efforts ofeveryone involved with DEFY aroundthe world have been recognized.”

DEFY began in 1993 as a programof the Secretary of the Navy’s DrugDemand Reduction Task Force and isdesigned to produce 9- to 12-year-oldgraduates with the character, leader-ship skills, and confidence to engagein positive, healthy lifestyles as drug-free citizens. DEFY gives youth thetools they need to resist drugs andgang involvement.

“Youth leave DEFY with a bettersense of self,” Bentley said. “It goesbeyond learning about drugs and whatdrugs can do to their brain. Theylearn who they are, what they are,and the difference they can make intheir own community.”

During fiscal year 2002, DEFYincreased program participation onNavy and Marine Corps bases by32 percent. It also hit a milestoneduring that time by adding its first

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Last May 17–18, youth and mentors from centralFlorida converged on the Florida Youth Elks Camp,in Umatilla, Florida, to mark the districts’ sixthDEFY Kids & Mentors Team Building Conference.The theme was T.E.A.M. (Together EveryoneAccomplishes More).

Coordinated by the five districts participating inDEFY programs and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, thegroup of youth and mentors took control of the400-acre camp for the weekend. DEFY themes ofdeveloping character, leadership skills, confidence,and drug-free lifestyles were integrated throughoutthe activities that included courses on confidencebuilding, rope and wall scaling, swimming, relayraces, and competitive basketball tournaments.

The pregraduation talent show featured dance,rap, and skit teams, which conveyed DEFY’santidrug messages and the benefit of bandingtogether for positive choices. Other high points

included performances by international percussionistTony Vacca and Senegalese drummer DiopMassamba, a percussion orchestra from among theDEFY group, and the World Rhythms duo’s Hip-HopWest African beats that undergirded a message ofuniqueness, diversity, and common ground among allpeoples.

Complete with a formal graduation and awards cere-mony, this year’s event was another success for thepartnerships fostered by the U.S. Attorney’s Officefor the Middle District of Florida. The districts contin-ue to hold quarterly regional DEFY meetings to pro-vide technical assistance, coordination, and resourcedevelopment for participating sites. Even withoutusing the U.S. Department of Justice as their primaryfunding source, the Florida DEFY sites have sustainedtheir efforts and grown to 10 programs in Brevard,Hillsborough, Immokalee, Jacksonville, Lakeland,Ocala, Orlando, Seminole, St. Petersburg, and Tampa.

DEFY Sites Drum Up Noise in Central FloridaWilliam Daniels, Law Enforcement Coordinator/Community Resource Specialist, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida

(Back row) Cdr. Al Page, CommandingOfficer of the NMCRC, Bessemer,Alabama; Lt. j. g. Paul Noel, DEFY PublicAffairs Officer; Chief Petty Officer ChrisChurch, DEFY Operations Manager;(second row) Katherine Schutz; PettyOfficer Third Class Robert Prichard;Jeanne Glogowski, all Naval Air StationWashington, D.C., DEFY volunteers; andDepartment of the Navy DEFY ProgramManager Timm Bentley (far right) standwith DEFY youth at the Pentagon’s RedRibbon Week observance where theNavy’s DEFY program was awarded theSecretary of Defense Community DrugAwareness Award.

attributed the program’s success overthe past decade to its volunteersaround the globe.

“The award serves as a message toall our volunteers that what they dois important, what they do makes adifference, and what they do is valu-able,” he said. “They’re showingyouth that there are people who careabout what they’re doing. They’regiving them a better understandingof themselves, of others, and howthey fit into the community.”

Bentley wants to build on DEFY’ssuccess by getting the word out thatDEFY is a free program and that anyNavy, Marine Corp, or Air Forcecommand can take advantage of itto expand its drug demand reductioneffort. This marks the second timesince 1999 that DEFY has won theSecretary of Defense CommunityDrug Awareness Award. The awardwas presented on October 27 at thePentagon during the opening cere-mony of Red Ribbon Week.

Other winners of the Secretary ofDefense Community Drug AwarenessAward include the following:

■ For the Army—Army SubstanceAbuse Program, Ft. Stewart, Georgia.

■ For the Marine Corps—CampPendleton Drug Demand ReductionCampaign, Pendleton, California.

■ For the Air Force—Drug DemandReduction Program, Edwards AirForce Base, California.

■ For the National Guard Bureau—“Knight Vision,” Florida NationalGuard Drug Demand ReductionProgram, St. Augustine, Florida.

■ For the defense agencies—DefenseLogistics Agency: Defense SupplyCenter Columbus Employee Assist-ance Program, Columbus, Ohio.

For additional information aboutthe DEFY program, contact Lt. j. g. Paul Noel at 202–433–3113,or visit the DEFY Web site atwww.hq.navy.mil/defy.

(continued from previous page)program for military and Departmentof Defense dependents sponsored bya reserve center. The Navy and MarineCorps Reserve Center at Bessemer,Alabama, added a DEFY programlast summer.

Commander Angela Kemp, VolunteerDirector of the Bessemer program,said DEFY has made a noticeable dif-ference for youth who have participat-ed in the program.

“We are amazed at the changes wesaw in the children,” Kemp said. “Alot of them met challenges they didn’tthink they could meet. When theywear their DEFY hats and shirts out-side of camp, they are saying some-thing very positive. They’re sayingthey have the power to make a posi-tive choice.”

DEFY celebrated its 10th anniversaryin 2003. Since 1993, more than30,000 youth have graduated from theDEFY program worldwide. Bentley

Cosby Inspires YouthAntwan Diggs, Buffalo Weed and Seed Youth Service CoordinatorErin Sharkey, Buffalo Weed and Seed Coordinator of Community Initiatives

Y ou never know where the ubiq-uitous Bill Cosby will turn upnext. It might be on an episode

of one of his television series, in amovie or commercial, on a televisedcomedy performance, or live on stage.For some fortunate members ofBuffalo Weed and Seed and the YouthOpportunity Movement he turnedup at the Kleinhans Music Center inBuffalo, New York.

“Bill Cosby was so hilarious that mycheeks hurt,” said Elliot White, one ofseveral youth who met with the famouscomedian between his performances.It had been an amazing performance.Cosby jumped off stage and jokedwith members of the audience, thenlater he talked with a small group ofselected youth backstage.

“He was really tired after the firstshow,” recalled Marlon Sanford. “I

asked if I could go on tour with him;he said no, he doesn’t need any help.”

Some youth got Cosby’s autograph.Others received a little more.

“He gave me his towel and he inspiredme to follow my dreams and achievemy goals,” said White. “Every time Isee him on TV now, it’s totally differ-ent because I’ve met him.”

This is an experience that will staywith these youth for a long time.Cosby’s comedy and wit impressedthem, and he impressed upon themthe importance of having a goal in lifeand sticking with it while they pursuetheir education.

The Youth Opportunity Movement isa U.S. Department of Justice initiative.It helps youth ages 14 to 21 who liveon the East Side, Lower West Side, andthe area south of downtown Buffalo

to overcome challenges and succeedin school. Buffalo Weed and Seedpartnered with the Youth OpportunityMovement to provide Buffaloyouth with job and skills training,career exploration, and leadershipdevelopment.

Bill Cosby shares his humor and wisdomwith Magalena Komoriko, VanityWithrow, Dominique Cox, Cyd Cruz,Jamine Battles, Percy Stanfield, JasonVon Wrycza, Marlon Sanford, ElliottWhite, and Michael Small.

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Anchorage Weed and Seed AddressesAssisted Living

T he Anchorage Weed and Seedsite was officially recognized in1998 and has had great success-

es with community patrol, neighbor-hood revitalization, and preventionand intervention initiatives. The targetarea encompasses a 6-square-mile sec-tion of Anchorage, Alaska, that is acommunity of diverse ethnic composi-tion. This diversity includes SouthPacific Islanders, Native Americans,Alaska Natives, African Americans,Caucasians, and a large populationof migrant workers of various culturalbackgrounds.

Major concerns in the area are alcoholabuse, child abuse, domestic violence,elder care, and problems in the schools,such as violence, low literacy rates,and high attrition. Alaska also has theparticular problem of a populationwhose median age is in the early 30s,which indicates that many childrengrow up without grandparents orelders nearby.

To address the needs of both youthand the elderly, Anchorage Weed andSeed partnered with the SouthcentralCounseling Center (SCC), a divisionof Anchorage Community MentalHealth Services, to create Day BreakII, a unique program that seeks toimprove the quality of life of the resi-dents of assisted living facilitiesthrough increased activity and socialbonding.

“The need for cognitive and socialstimulation within assisted living com-munities is a compelling communityproblem that must be addressed,”said Tim Sullivan, Weed and SeedCoordinator.

Anchorage Weed and Seed donatedspace in its Northeast CommunityCenter Safe Haven for the Day BreakII program. SCC provides staffing andresources for the program, which hashelped build meaningful relationshipsbetween youth at the safe haven and

seniors at Day Break II. Project part-ners have learned that bridging thegap between these two generations isimportant to the well-being of bothseniors and children.

Bringing the Wisdomof Elders to Safe Haven YouthBy bringing Day Break II to the Weedand Seed safe haven, program collabo-rators strengthened the preventionand intervention services offered toarea youth. Participants and youthserved through the safe haven haveillustrated the natural affinity thatexists between seniors and youth.

“In Alaska, many children grow upwithout grandparents or even theinfluence of elders in the communityat large,” said Ken Helander, SCCDirector of Senior Services. “DayBreak II has shown the benefits ofhaving elders as a natural part of achild’s daily life.” The ease of commu-nication, affection, and attention toeach other that is demonstrated bychildren and elders is a fundamentalstrength of the partnership that existsat the safe haven.

Northeast Community Center SafeHaven houses many community-basedservices such as the Anchorage SchoolDistrict migranteducation pro-gram, a computerlab, Kid’s Kitchen,a Boys & GirlsClub, and out-reach counselingand crisis inter-vention servicesthrough theAnchorage Centerfor Families. Mostprograms target at-risk youth, butincluding a pro-gram for older

adults allows for a more representativecultural experience for all who partici-pate at the center.

“Children have limited role modelstoday,” said Sullivan. “The DayBreak II program is an intergenera-tional response to providing the adultattention that children need. The pro-gram is a great benefit to the entirecommunity.”

Many of the youth who participatein safe haven activities are childrenof migrant workers, primarily fromthe fishing and logging industries.According to Sullivan, “The languageand educational barriers are difficultfor these children. The safe havenprovides a place to learn and interactwithin the community.”

According to volunteers and staff,children from the migrant educationprogram interact freely with the sen-iors in Day Break II. Additionally, theprogram provides a way for seniors toparticipate in and contribute to thecommunity. After all, they are a price-less asset.

For more information about thisprogram, contact Tim Sullivan at907–244–1948.

Seniors at Day Break II enjoy a ring dance with youth and staff.

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orkingLowell Weed and Seed Takes theMiddle Path To Fight CrimeTricia Camire, Weed and Seed Coordinator

I n summer 2002, Lowell, Massa-chusetts, Weed and Seed lever-aged Federal funds from the

Substance Abuse and Mental HealthServices Administration (SAMHSA)of the U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services to address vio-lent crimes as they relate to missingand runaway youth in its target area.The idea for this project resulted froma study done by the Lowell PoliceDepartment that revealed that alljuveniles who committed violentcrimes in the city of Lowell wereonce missing or runaway youth.

The project had a research componentto examine the root causes of youthrunning away in an effort to reduceviolent crimes committed by juveniles.Another component was to fill gapsin family support services. To thatend, Weed and Seed and SAMHSAstaff met with sector Capt. Robert A.DeMoura to brainstorm some com-mon threads that would get familiesinvolved. They quickly thought ofthe faith community.

Lowell has a significant populationof Asian origin. Chanda Soth, LowellWeed and Seed Project Assistant,had a long-standing relationship withthe Venerable Khon Sao from theTairatanaram Temple, a local Buddhisttemple, and scheduled a meeting withhim in April 2003. Venerable Sao is

the President of the Community ofKhmer Buddhist Monks in the UnitedStates and he eagerly embraced join-ing forces with Weed and Seed toaddress this problem. He said Weedand Seed and Buddhism are alike inthat they both work to take out badthings and replace them with good.

Since April, six families of missing andrunaway youth from the target areahave attended temple twice a week forcounseling and the program has beennamed Operation Middle Path. Mostof the six youth in the program areinvolved in gangs but report that “itdoesn’t matter when we are at thetemple.” The program has receivedpress coverage from local media, theAssociated Press,and the BritishBroadcastingCorporation.

The families of theyouth are pleasedto have them spendtime at the templebecause it has taughtthem respect andhas connected themwith their parents’Cambodian culture.In turn, this has ledto improved com-munication betweenthe youth and their

parents and the youth are striving todo better in school. A partnershipwith SAMHSA helped the communityidentify problems that lead youth to runaway. But community efforts to addressthese problems brought together policeofficers, religious leaders, family mem-bers, and Massachusetts Departmentof Social Services staff in a voluntarypartnership that is changing lives—justbecause they care.

For more information about OperationMiddle Path, contact Tricia Camireat tcamire@ci.lowell.ma.us. Additionalinformation on Substance Abuse andMental Health Services Administrationfunding opportunities is available atwww.samhsa.gov.

Venerable Pinn Maha Monirath, Venerable Khon Sao, andCapt. Robert A. DeMoura meet at the TrairatanaramTemple in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

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Weed and Seed Students Participate inInnovative Air Cadet ProgramRon Lopez, LECC, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Mexico

A n F–16 fighter at Kirkland AirForce Base formed an impressivebackdrop as U.S. Naval Reserve

Capt. David C. Iglesias and SeniorCadet Amber Eicherly exchangedsalutes. Behind them, in their blueAir Force uniforms, cadets fromAlbuquerque’s Van Buren MiddleSchool Civil Air Patrol Squadronstood at attention. Eicherly, an eighthgrader at Van Buren, led the cadetson this field trip to the New MexicoAir National Guard’s 150th FighterWing for a tour of the base and aclose-up look at the modern fighter.Iglesias, who is also the U.S. Attorneyfor the District of New Mexico, proud-ly notes that his district has pioneeredthe infusion of a Junior Reserve Offi-cer Training Cadet (ROTC) programinto several Weed and Seed site mid-dle schools.

“Junior ROTC programs are normallyrestricted to high schools,” said Iglesias.“What we have done here in NewMexico is marry up the Civil Air Patrol(CAP) cadet program with our Weedand Seed middle schools, therebyintroducing these younger studentsto the military discipline and rolemodeling which are cornerstonesof a Junior ROTC.”

CAP is a nationwide, paramilitaryprogram for both children and adultsand is designed to augment NationalGuard and public safety organizations.CAP’s cadet program offers trainingand experience in basic military bear-ing and organization, leadership, aero-space science, safety, first aid, searchand rescue, and other military andhigh-tech subjects.

Van Buren’s program began 2 yearsago as an extracurricular pilot projectafter Iglesias’s staff proposed the

program has an enrollment of 45cadets and a waiting list of studentseager to join the squadron. At arecent awards ceremony, Grahamcredited the program with helping toimprove cadets’ academic performanceand reduce disciplinary problems. Sheadded that the CAP awards programwas the best attended family eventheld at the school.

The CAP cadet program has beenadopted by other New Mexico Weedand Seed site middle schools in Albu-querque’s west side and the city ofLas Cruces. To learn more about theCAP middle school initiative, contactyour nearest CAP unit.

Capt. David C. Iglesias addresses Civil Air Patrol cadets during their tour of theAir National Guard’s 150th Fighter Wing.

innovative project to the New MexicoCivil Air Patrol Wing, the NewMexico National Guard Counter-DrugSupport (CDS) Task Force, and VanBuren Middle School. Van Buren islocated in the heart of the Trumbull/La Mesa neighborhood, which hasbeen a Weed and Seed site since 1998and is an active partner in the site’ssteering committee. Carmen Graham,Van Buren’s Principal, embraced theopportunity to provide this unique,positive alternative to the area’sgangs and other negative influences.

Van Buren’s CAP program is now anacademic elective at the school and istaught by two full-time New MexicoNational Guard CDS Drug DemandReduction program soldiers. The

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orkingWeed and Seed Provides SummerTransportation for YouthSylvia F. Stone, Weed and Seed Coordinator

C ouncilman Robert DeLane Shaw had a vision of providing free transportation for area

youth during the summer, out-of-school months. There were manysummer programs for youth in thecity but there was no way to get themthere. Many parents work and grand-parents or guardians were unable toprovide transportation. The Weed andSeed Steering Committee appointed aStudy Committee, chaired byCouncilman Shaw, to research thetype of transportation available, itscost, availability of free lunches, andthe discounted swim fees at Britt Park.

The South and East Lumberton Weedand Seed sites of Lumberton, NorthCarolina, have a population of 9,026residents. The sites are parts of acity/rural community that does nothave a mass transit system.

A pilot transportation program wasinstituted for summer 2002. TheRobeson County public school systemleased two buses to Weed and Seedfor $1 a mile and contracted with twocertified drivers, Vera Ellis and JamesWilliams, to provide transportationfor 1,661 at-risk youth to the Boys &Girls Club, Parkview Activity Center/Safe Haven, East Lumberton PoliceStation/Safe Haven, Bill Sapp Center,Britt Park, and the Robeson CountyLibrary. The buses traveled 1,300accident-free miles that summer. Theypicked up youth at about 9:45 week-day mornings and returned themhome by 6 p.m.

The Summer Transportation Programfor at-risk youth, which served young-sters ages 10 to 17 in the Weed andSeed sites and other areas of Lumberton,was such a success that it was made

permanent last summer. The programran from June 2 through August 1,2003, and transported 3,044 youth toactivities at the Boys & Girls Club,Britt Park, Bill Sapp Center for teambasketball, and to Pembroke StateUniversity for swimming, free movies,bowling, skating, and to attend ses-sions by medical professionals on vari-ous health issues.

The Lumberton Recreation Depart-ment provided two college students,Resheeda Ghaffer and Candace Foster,to help supervise the youth. The stu-dents are studying education with anemphasis in the field of recreation andhelped devise many activities for theyouth. The summer 2002 programaveraged 35 to 40 students daily. Thesummer 2003 program had as manyas 92 youth on any given day andaveraged 65 to 70 youth daily.

The Schools Nutritional Programprovided 645 free lunches throughJuly 12 for youth who went swim-ming each day at Britt Park. Some425 lunches were provided byMcDonald’s, Scottish Food Systems,Domino’s Pizza, Scottish PackingCompany, Bullard’s Restaurants,and Lumberton Christian Care.

The Schools Nutritional Programat Janie Hargrave School providedanother 2,524 free lunches. The pro-gram was scheduled to close on July11 but with the help of Jack Morgan,Director of the Robeson CountySchools Nutritional Program, it wasextended another 2 weeks. Duringthose 2 weeks, lunches were provided byDairy Queen, Wendy’s, McDonald’s,and Pet Milk. A pizza party on July 25was sponsored by Weed and Seed withpizzas donated by Domino’s, Pizza

Hut, Little Caesars, Pizza Café, andPapa John’s.

School resource officers who workthe communities in the summer werepleased that their jobs were made easi-er by the Weed and Seed SummerTransportation Program. By trans-porting area youth to supervised andstructured activities, it helped to keepthem out of trouble during the summer.In addition to providing supervisedactivities, the program enabled youthto meet new people, improve theirsocial skills, increase their awarenessof how city government works, andlearn about the history of Lumberton.The youth were asked to write 100-word essays thanking the city andWeed and Seed for making a positivedifference in their summer.

To celebrate the conclusion of the2003 program, 77 youth and chaper-ones went on a 1-day field trip toCarowinds Amusement Park. NativeAngels Home Health Care provided$2,000 for the admission tickets andLumberton Mayor Raymond B. Pen-nington and the City Council desig-nated $2,350 from their discretionaryfunds for two buses to transport thestudents and their chaperones toBurger King for dinner. The tripclosed out a 9-week program thatproved to be another great success.At the August 19 Steering Committeemeeting, certificates of appreciationwere presented to all participants ofthe summer program.

For more information about theSummer Transportation Program,contact Sylvia F. Stone, EastLumberton Weed and Seed Coor-dinator, at 910–671–3997 or e-mailsstone@ci.lumberton.nc.us.

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Do schools in your Weed and Seedcommunity participate in theNational School Lunch Programand the Federal School BreakfastProgram?

Talk to the school food service direc-tors and find out! If they are not par-ticipating, work with them to servestudents through these programs.Hungry children cannot learn.

If your schools participate in theseprograms, make sure informationabout and applications for free andreduced-price breakfasts and lunchesare available and advertised in thecommunity. For more information,see www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunchand www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Breakfast/Default.htm.

Find your State administrator’s contactinformation at www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Contacts/StateDirectory.htm.

Do you have after-school programming?

You may be eligible for snack or sup-per funding through the Child andAdult Care Food Program. Find moreinformation and your State adminis-trator through the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture at www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Care/CACFP/cacfphome.htm.

If your Safe Haven is in a school,you may also be able to receive fundsfor snacks or suppers through theNational School Lunch Program atwww.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Afterschool/NSLP_QA.htm.

Do you offer summer program-ming for children?

Consider becoming a Summer FoodService Program site. You can receivereimbursements for a meal and asnack each day. Find your Stateadministrator and more informationat www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Summer/Default.htm.

Are there elderly people in yourcommunity?

If so, they may likely benefit fromMeals on Wheels or congregate feed-ing programs. Find more informationat www.aoa.gov/eldfam/Nutrition/Nutrition.asp.

Elderly and disabled people may alsobe able to receive food through theCommodity Supplemental FoodProgram. Find program and eligibilityinformation and your State contact atwww.fns.usda.gov/fdd/programs/csfp/about-csfp.htm.

Are low-income community residents receiving adequatenutrition?

The Food Stamp Program providesassistance for individuals and familieswith incomes below 130 percent ofthe Federal poverty level. For moreinformation, or to access outreachmaterials, see www.fns.usda.gov/fsp.You can also locate your State’s foodstamp hotline through this site.

The Special Supplemental NutritionProgram for Women, Infants, andChildren (WIC) offers nutrition assist-ance in the form of vouchers forgrocery stores or food packages topregnant, postpartum, and nursingwomen who have infants and childrenup to age 5 and whose income isbelow 185 percent of the povertylevel. To locate a WIC clinic in yourcommunity, or for more information,go to www.fns.usda.gov/wic.

Are community food pantriesconnected to the America’s SecondHarvest network?

America’s Second Harvest (A2H) isa national network of more than 200food banks and food rescue programsthat distribute donated food through50,000 agencies to hungry people inthe United States. Last year, almost1.8 billion pounds of food were dis-tributed, and more than 23 millionAmericans were served through thisprogram. To learn more about A2H,visit www.secondharvest.org. Tofind a program or food bank in yourarea, see www.secondharvest.org/foodbanks/foodbanks.html.

Have you considered planting acommunity garden in your Weedand Seed community?

Community gardens can revitalizeabandoned spaces, teach skills, bringcommunity members together, and pro-vide nutrition. Find your State’s com-munity gardening coordinator at www.reeusda.gov/food_security/scgc.

Incorporating Food in Your Weed and Seed Strategy: Information andFunding ResourcesMaryn Olson, Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellow

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Wichita Officer Recognized forHumanitarian EffortsRiley Williams, Coordinator, Wichita/Sedgwick County Weed and Seed

I t was a cold day in February2002 when Community PoliceOfficer Lamar Wallace stopped

by a house on North Estelle inWichita, Kansas, to check on an elder-ly, disabled resident named DorothyLott. He had known Lott since hisrookie days. She did not like thepolice and in earlier years had causeddisturbances on his beat. It had takenOfficer Wallace a year to win her con-fidence and establish a rapport withher. She had come to trust and dependon him.

On that February day she seemed tobe doing okay, but asked if OfficerWallace could look at her back doorbecause cold air was blowing in. Hehad never been invited into her housebefore and what he saw broke hisheart. The house was uninhabitable.The ceiling throughout the residencewas falling down, the kitchen floorwas sinking, the concrete floor leadingto the back door was badly cracked,the plumbing was in deplorable condi-tion, and the back door had deterio-rated beyond repair.

Officer Wallace also noticed that Lottwas using her gas stove to heat thehouse. He temporarily fixed the backdoor until it could be replaced. On hisown initiative, he contacted the city’sOffice of Central Inspection to requestan evaluation of the property and aninspector confirmed that the houserequired extensive repairs. Lott wouldhave to move out of the house andher landlord indicated that, ratherthan make the repairs, he would nolonger rent the property. He wouldjust board it up to comply with thecity code.

Searching for aNew HomeOfficer Wallace contacted Social andRehabilitation Services, which had ahouse available, but Lott would not

move into it because no pets wereallowed. Her pets were her primarycompanions and she would not partwith them.

Officer Wallace went back to thedrawing board. He remembered frompatrolling the neighborhood that Lotthad family members at another houseon North Estelle and that her brotherhad lived in the vicinity. Her brotherwas now deceased and a family mem-ber indicated that his house was to besold to a local mortuary to cover hisfuneral expenses. Officer Wallace metwith his superior, Sgt. Alex Robinson,to discuss options. The officers contact-ed Jackson Mortuary and explainedthe circumstances to the owner, whoagreed to allow Lott to pay $150 amonth on the debt, which was thesame amount she was paying to renther current residence.

Her brother’s house could be probat-ed over to Lott but that would requirea lawyer. Officer Wallace contacted alocal probate attorney, who becameexcited about what the officer was try-ing to do and agreed to donate histime. The house was deeded over toLott but, although an improvementfrom her previous residence, was farfrom habitable.

Cleaning Up:A Community EffortOfficer Wallace’s next move wasto have the property inspected. Aninspector from the Office of CentralInspection found the house structural-ly sound but cited numerous repairsthat would have to be made. OfficerWallace began to recruit volunteers,including Wichita/Sedgwick CountyWeed and Seed, to help refurbish thehouse, which is right in the middle ofthe Weed and Seed site.

Officer Lamar Wallace, Dorothy Lott, and a relative are all smiles in the livingroomof Lott’s renovated home.

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Project Sponsors■ City of Wichita Neighborhood

Improvement ServicesProgram

■ City of Wichita Public Works

■ Dellrose United MethodistChurch

■ Disabled American Veterans

■ Jackson Mortuary Agency

■ John Baker ConstructionCompany

■ Juvenile Offenders Program

■ Kansas Department of Aging

■ KWCH Channel 12 TV station

■ Lockett Photography

■ Probate Court AttorneyRonald Wilkerson

■ Social and RehabilitationServices

■ Wal-Mart/North Rock Road store

■ Wichita Children’s Home

■ Wichita Patrol North Bureaucommunity policing officersand staff

■ Wichita/Sedgwick CountyWeed and Seed

■ Wichita Senior Services

Lott‘s new home before Officer Wallace and his team began renovations.

In June 2002, Officer Wallace, sixother officers, and an employee fromthe Wichita Maintenance Departmentbegan work on the property. The offi-cers brought along some youth fromthe Juvenile Offender Program andWichita Children’s Home to help out.

They worked all day mowing thegrass, raking leaves, and picking uptrash and debris. They trimmed deadtree limbs off the roof of the houseand nearby utility wires. They re-moved boards from the doors andwindows, cleaned out the inside ofthe house, and filled two 40-footcommercial dumpsters.

The next step was to find the funds tomake the necessary repairs. As usual,contractors were available if themoney was right, but there was nomoney. Officer Wallace was discour-aged after his request for financial sup-port was turned down by several socialagencies, but he did not give up.Finally, he was given the name ofMike Hollimon of the City of WichitaNeighborhood Improvement ServicesProgram.

Hollimon toured the house and gaveOfficer Wallace the best news he hadheard in months: Hollimon’s program

could fund the project. More meet-ings occurred with other players, bidswere solicited for the renovations, andJohn Baker Construction Company wonthe contract. While the constructionwork was going on, Officer Wallacesolicited household items and otherdonations from community residents,police officers, and local businesses.

Moving DayOn March 21, 2003, Officer Wallacecoordinated a ribbon-cutting ceremo-ny for Lott to take possession of theremodeled house. Pastor Kevass Hard-ing, of Dellrose United MethodistChurch and a Weed and Seed SteeringCommittee member, blessed thehouse and offered a prayer of goodwill for Lott’s future. The yard andhouse were filled with police officers,local residents, Lott’s family members,and the news media.

In recognition of his humanitarianefforts, Officer Wallace received aDistinguished Service Award fromthe Wichita Police Department anda Certificate of Appreciation fromthe Mayor’s Office. But his greatestreward was undoubtedly the gratitudeof Lott and the simple pleasure ofseeing her in her new home.

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Weed and Seed Hawaii Plants Seeds for Success

W hat’s the secret to buildingstrong communities? Weedand Seed Hawaii sees it as

people working together, sharingideas, and establishing solid relation-ships. So, when residents of Hawaii’sWeed and Seed Site 1 in Kalihi wantedto demonstrate their commitment totaking responsibility for the healthand well-being of their own neighbor-hood, word got out and hundreds ofvolunteers and area businesses steppedforth to contribute to the effort.

“It’s encouraging to see so many com-mitted people dedicated to makingour communities safer and better,”said Ed Kubo, U.S. Attorney for theDistrict of Hawaii. “While Weed andSeed is succeeding in efforts to reduceillegal drugs and crime, it’s the contin-ued involvement of the people wholive in these areas that sustain thesuccess of these programs.”

More than 700 volunteers gathered inKalihi to take part in a special commu-nity cleanup. It is the first of a seriesof restoration activities planned by andfor the Kalihi, Palama, Chinatown,Downtown, Ala Moana, and McCullycommunities. Armed with garbagebags, gloves, power washers, paintbrushes, and cleaning supplies, groupsof volunteers set out to make a visibledifference in their community. Toachieve that goal, volunteers gave uptheir Saturday to paint over graffiti,clean up litter, and landscape someof Kalihi’s most overgrown lots.

“This is the celebration of new effortsto revitalize the area visually and bringthe community to work together,”said Dean Masuno, Cochair of theRestoration Committee. “Our goal isto have people that drove down KingStreet on Friday not recognize thearea on Monday. The positive impactwill be noticeable.”

“People are showing pride and confi-dence in their communities,” saidMaile Kanemaru, Executive Directorof Weed and Seed Hawaii. “No one isever happy with crime and ugly neigh-borhoods. Through collaborativeefforts like today’s cleanup, these peo-ple are taking action and sending themessage that they’re not going to tol-erate unsafe conditions anymore.”

Cooking Up EconomicDevelopmentCleaning up the neighborhood isjust one positive change that is takingplace in Kalihi. The Pacific GatewayCenter’s culinary business incubatorrecently opened its doors to thosewith an appetite for success anda mind for culinary innovations.Situated in the heart of Kalihi andboasting 20,000 square feet of culi-nary equipment, it is the Nation’slargest kitchen incubator. A kitchenincubator is a licensed commercialkitchen where culinary entrepreneurscan lease space to prepare and storetheir food products.

The incubator evolved from discus-sions with Kalihi residents, Weed andSeed staff, and other interested par-ties, in an effort to elicit economicdevelopment ideas. The communitymade it clear that their primary inter-est was to provide opportunities forlow-income and disadvantaged resi-dents to become economically self-sufficient. Tourism is Hawaii’s majorindustry and the thousands who visitthe islands each year need to eat. Apopular suggestion was the establish-ment of a commercial kitchen thatcould provide training and prospectsfor self-employment in the food indus-try. Once that was decided, supportwas sought and received from thePacific Gateway Center.

The center is a private, nonprofitorganization established in 1973 andhas a staff of 50 who speak more than35 languages. It has been a frontrun-ner in devising economic developmentsolutions for low-income immigrantsand refugees in Hawaii. The center,which is the only U.S. Small BusinessAdministration Intermediary Leaderin the State, embraced the project.Additionally, the U.S. Departmentof the Treasury has certified the cen-ter as a Community DevelopmentFinancial Institution and a Com-munity Development Entity.

The kitchen incubator offers low-income, disadvantaged, and minorityentrepreneurs the opportunity to cre-ate and build their own businesses inthe culinary field. It provides themaccess to a 24-hour kitchen facilityrental, training and technical assistancein the field of food preparation, helpwith business development and man-agement, English language courses,computer training, and practical expe-rience learning to deal with individualclients. The incubator already has awaiting list of more than 80 individualseager to train there.

The incubator will have an onsite day-care program so students can leavetheir children in a safe environmentwhile they use the kitchen facilitiesand attend classes. The PacificGateway Center will also provide loansfor qualified small businesses throughthe RED Manini MicroLoan Fundprogram.

For more information on the incu-bator, contact Dean Masuno,Manager, Pacific Gateway Center,at 808–845–3918.

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Joanne Harrison of the Office of Justice Programs presents the certificate officiallyrecognizing Cleveland’s Weed and Seed site.

Operation Weed and Seed To Rebuild Ward 17 NeighborhoodMaureen R. Harper, Public Relations Manager, City of Cleveland, Office of the Council

T he area of Ward 17 betweenWest 73rd and West 85th Streets,from Lorain Avenue to Lake

Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio, is nowan official Weed and Seed site. TheWeed and Seed strategy unites resi-dents, law enforcement officials, andcivic and community organizationsin a common goal to reduce violentcrime and drug trafficking as theyrebuild the community.

“We are the first community in Cleve-land to receive the designation as anofficial Weed and Seed site,” saidCouncilman Matt Zone of Ward 17.“The reason this area was selected isbecause it has the highest crime rateand the most challenging housingstock in the First Police District.”

The Weed and Seed strategy is coordi-nated through the U.S. Attorney’sOffice and involves all levels of lawenforcement, including the ClevelandPolice Department; Federal Bureauof Investigation; Drug Enforcement

Administration; Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives;U.S. Marshals Service; and the countyprosecutor’s and sheriff’s offices. Thestrategy requires that communityorganizers for the Weed and Seedprogram use all available resourcesfor neighborhood restoration.

“The combination of weeding out thecriminals and planting seeds of hopethrough intervention and revitaliza-tion is what makes the plan effective,”said Councilman Zone.

The weeding process relies heavily oncommunity policing—which includesfoot patrols, victim referrals to supportservices, and community relationsactivities—to help prevent crime andto keep repeat offenders from return-ing to the targeted area. The seeds ofrevitalization will grow as the programestablishes itself in the target area.Neighborhood restoration will includecommunity and economic develop-ment; intervention services for drug

abuse, child abuse, and domestic vio-lence; and improved youth activitiesand community education to maintaina safe and healthy neighborhood.

“We have the law enforcement groupsat the table,” said Interim ProjectCoordinator Collette Appolito. “Now,we are looking for residents to take anactive role on the Steering Committeeand the subcommittees because theresidents are the most important partof the Weed and Seed strategy.”

A survey was distributed to residentsin the target area inviting them to par-ticipate in the program and providefeedback regarding pressing neigh-borhood concerns, suggestions forimprovements, and what resourcesare most needed in the community.A community meeting was held inApril, and a Steering Committee com-prising local residents, business leaders,and community groups worked dili-gently for months to receive designa-tion as an official Weed and Seed site.

“We are beginning the process of tak-ing back our community and it willtake a community effort for it to bea success,” said Councilman Zone.“Residents are critical to the successof this program, and without theirextensive involvement, the Weed andSeed strategy won’t be as effective.”

For more information aboutCleveland’s Weed and Seed program,contact Councilman Zone, at216–664–4235, or Collette Appolito,at 216–664–3674.

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orkingNEIGHBORHOOD RESTORATION

Aurora Uses Weed and Seed To EaseIntegration

In addition to boosting theemployable skills of new immi-grants, Original Aurora Renewal(OAR) is using Weed and Seedto facilitate immigrants’ assimi-lation. Last year, this city division,which administers the Weedand Seed program, developed“Welcome to America,” a 6- to8-hour course that offers civicstraining to help immigrantsintegrate into Original Auroraneighborhoods. Immigrants aretaught about the rights theyhave while living in the UnitedStates, the public and privateresources available to them, andtheir responsibilities as residents.

The course explores topics rang-ing from building code enforce-ment to crime prevention.Classes touch on immigrationissues, landlord/tenant rights,neighborly etiquette, domesticviolence, and more. Taught intwo to four sessions, the coursehas been rolled out to severalarea churches, schools, andresource centers.

OAR also provides a course ondiversity for longtime residents.Led by a diversity consultant,the course informs neighbor-hood residents about the differ-ences and distinctions betweencultures to foster an apprecia-tion and understanding of theirSpanish-speaking neighbors.

Original Aurora Renewal DeliversEducation and Training to Residents

Renewal (OAR), the munici-pal division that administersthe Weed and Seed program,the project delivers basic edu-cation and English-languageinstruction to Weed and Seedresidents in Colorado’s third-largest city.

The project is made possible,in part, with a Weed andSeed grant from the U.S.Department of Justice, whichsince September 1998 hasawarded more than $1 mil-lion to reduce crime andimprove the quality of life in the 128-block area of Original Aurora.Coordinated with the CommunityCollege of Aurora and implementedwith help from Wells Fargo Bank,several Catholic churches, and a faith-based nonprofit organization, theeffort has served more than 250 residents.

The number of Hispanics in OriginalAurora has increased by 689 percentover the past decade. Hispanics nowaccount for 48 percent of OriginalAurora’s population, compared to 9percent of the population in 1990.The 2000 Census reports that half ofthe area’s residents speak little or noEnglish and that many are under-educated. In the Original AuroraWeed and Seed site, nearly 40 percentof its residents age 25 and older lacka high school diploma.

This low rate of education hampersresidents’ ability to tap into theunprecedented prosperity that is onthe horizon. The Weed and Seed areais located at the epicenter of threemajor economic development projects,with the most significant being theformer Fitzsimons Army MedicalBase. The base is being redevelopedas a 500-acre “health sciences city”which will be home to the Universityof Colorado Health Sciences Center,University Hospital, Children’s

Hospital, several Veterans BenefitsAdministration facilities, and a bio-science campus.

Adjacent to the health sciences cityis the former Stapleton InternationalAirport, a 7.5-square-mile propertywhich is being redeveloped as a hous-ing, commercial, and retail destina-tion. South of the airport lies theformer Lowry Air Force Base, whichwill become a 1,866-acre urban villagecomplete with residential, educational,retail, recreational, and service facilities.

OAR designed the Workforce De-velopment Project to prepare Weedand Seed residents for the thousandsof public- and private-sector employ-ment opportunities that will stemfrom these projects. “We hope thatwhen employers move into the threemajor redevelopment areas, theywill first look for employees in theirown backyard,” said OAR Weed andSeed Coordinator Dawn Barrett. “TheWeed and Seed project will help ourresidents acquire the skills that willultimately help them compete forthose opportunities.”

Timed to coincide with the communitycollege calendar, the Workforce Devel-opment Project offers two beginner’sEnglish classes each semester. For a

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T o equip new immigrants andlow-income residents with thebasic skills needed to find jobs,

the Weed and Seed site in Aurora,Colorado, has launched an innovativeWorkforce Development Project. De-veloped in 2002 by Original Aurora

Resident Angela Badilla-Gonzalez studies for her GED.

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NEIGHBORHOOD RESTORATION

G reen space is an important partof a healthy community. Itimproves the look of property

and helps combat the “broken windowtheory,” which asserts that if a neigh-borhood gives the appearance of beingrun down it becomes a self-fulfillingprophesy. Trees can reduce utility billsby providing shade in the summerand, according to realtors, add valueto property. But landscape improve-ment can prove a costly venture.

Owing to a fortuitous set of circum-stances, the Weed and Seed AreaTwo site in Shreveport, Louisiana,was able to distribute more that$10,000 worth of trees to target arearesidents. The 700 fruit trees weredonated by Gandy’s Nursery in EastTexas. The trees became availablebecause of a delivery error by Gandy’swhich sent them to Home Depot inBossier City. Rather than recollect thetrees and return them to East Texas,

Gandy’s offered to donate them toan organization. When Weed andSeed learned of this, it seized theopportunity.

With the help of the environmentalgroup Shreveport Green and its youthvolunteers, ShrevCORPS, HomeDepot, and the Diesel DrivingAcademy, which provided an 18-wheeler and trailer, the treeswere transported to a give-away site. The ShreveportPolice Department providedofficers to direct traffic andthe city probation depart-ment assigned communityservice workers to helpWeed and Seed staff distrib-ute the trees.

Residents were informedof the giveaway, which wasto begin at 8:30 Saturdaymorning. It was received

with such enthusiasm that a line beganto form by 7 a.m. Three trees wereallotted per vehicle and the residentshad to provide proof that they lived inthe Weed and Seed target area.Residents were given tickets for thenumber of trees they requestedat sign-in and volunteers loaded theminto their vehicles. By noon, all thetrees had been given away.

Tree Giveaway in Shreveport, LouisianaMary Ellen Hoffman, Weed and Seed Coordinator

Weed and Seed residents appreciate the windfallof trees.

Badilla-Gonzalez, who earned herGED through the program. An ele-mentary school teacher in Mexico whocurrently works as a teacher’s aide, shesees her new certificate as a way to getin front of students again.

“I hope to teach in this country some-day,” Badilla-Gonzalez said. “I wantthe children to see me and know thatthey can become professionals andachieve great things too.”

Although a major portion of the pro-gram is geared toward immigrants,the area’s longtime residents andEnglish-speaking families have notbeen forgotten. The project incorpo-rates the services of Self-ImprovementOpportunities (SIO), a local faith-based nonprofit organization thatprovides self-paced GED preparation

and computer literacy classes toEnglish speakers. SIO also hopes toroll out their computer literacy classesto Spanish-speaking residents.

“We don’t want to see anyone inour neighborhoods left behind,”Barrett said. “These skill-buildingclasses are leveling the playing fieldfor growing numbers of working poorin our community.”

The Workforce Development Projecthas been embraced by the commu-nity. Class enrollment has increasedeach semester and the partnersregularly explore new options.For more information on the proj-ect, call 303–739–7928, or visitwww.auroragov.org.

Original Aurora Renewal (continued from previous page)

small tuition that covers the cost ofmaterials, participants learn conversa-tional English and basic phrases during90 hours of instruction.

“The program is helping me to fulfillone of my dreams, which is to learnEnglish,” said Miguel Diaz, 28, aMexican immigrant who has lived inthe United States since 1998. “It willhelp me progress in this country andhave a better future.”

General equivalency diploma (GED)preparatory classes are offered throughthe project in both Spanish and English.The GED classes in Spanish give resi-dents, many of whom were white-collarprofessionals or industry certified intheir native countries, an opportunityto contribute again in their field. Suchis the case with 37-year-old Angela

Spring 2004 25

What’s W

orkingHarvey Street: The Sun Shines Brighteron This Former Skid Row

T he light that was at the end ofthe tunnel for so long nowshines brilliantly over Harvey

Street. Less than 2 years ago, the areaknown as Harvey Street in WestValley City, Utah, was one of Utah’smost dangerous and crime-strickenneighborhoods. The Weed and Seedsite in West Valley City had spent the4 years preceding the revitalizationefforts targeting the area for crimereduction and economic develop-ment. In October 2003, HarveyStreet became an example of theamazing feats that can be accom-plished through the collaborativeefforts of an entire city.

In spring 2002, city officials, includ-ing the West Valley City chief build-ing inspector, and managers from thenonprofit Utah Housing Corporationinspected the wasteland on HarveyStreet. More than 30 buildings hadbeen burned out, condemned, board-ed up, and used as transient drughavens, creating a crime-ridden andoppressive neighborhood. “Thereprobably wasn’t a crime that didn’thappen on that street, and with greatfrequency,” said West Valley Commu-nity Police Officer Bruce Champaign.Further inspections showed occupiedand unoccupied units with nonfunc-tioning furnaces and water heaters;water damage to ceilings, walls, andfloors; leaking roofs; the need forelectrical and plumbing repairs; bro-ken windows and doors; infestationof roaches and rats; cracked toilets;unsecured units; missing refrigeratorsand stoves; and many other problemsthat made the units uninhabitable.

The blighted condition of HarveyStreet appeared to be an overwhelm-ing problem with no solution. How-ever, a collaboration among nonprofitand government agencies, fundedwith donations from West ValleyCity and Salt Lake County, Federalgrants, and low-interest loans, led to

The fears that Harvey Street couldreturn to its previous condition havealready been taken into consideration.Background checks are performedon all prospective residents and candi-dates are thoroughly screened. Thereis also a constant police presence aswell as security cameras. Also, if thereis a drug arrest, the tenant automati-cally receives a 24-hour notice of evic-tion. The Utah Housing Corporationplans to monitor the property for thenext 15 years to ensure that the deso-lation that occurred on the previousHarvey Street will not permeate thenew neighborhood. The collaboratorswho worked so hard to change HarveyStreet have no intention of allowing itto revert back to the way it was.

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Above: A prerevitalized HarveyStreet building shows theneed for Weed and Seed’sintervention. Right: WillowPark Family Housing showcasesWest Valley City’s collaborativerevitalization efforts.

a solution. Collaboratorsdrafted a plan to create amultiunit complex for low-income families and a multi-unit complex for low-income seniorson the site.

As part of this plan, the city boughtthe entire block in spring 2002. OnOctober 17, 2002, the first physicalsteps were taken toward the newfuture of Harvey Street: The entirearea was leveled and constructionbegan. On October 29, 2003, thefirst of the two projects held its GrandOpening. The 88-unit rental propertyopened its doors to provide a betterlife for many families. Where crimeand devastation used to be the statusquo, there now stands an apartmentcomplex outfitted with a swimmingpool, a playground, and a computerlab for children. The place that usedto be known as one of the worst areasin all of Utah is now a solid founda-tion upon which families can buildpromising futures.

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Community First Fund Works WithReading Weed and SeedMarcelino Colon, Weed and Seed Coordinator

S ince 1992, the CommunityFirst Fund (CFF) has providedresources to support economic

and housing initiatives that improvethe quality of life in the low-incomecommunities of central Pennsylvania.CFF provides opportunities for busi-nesses, individuals, and others to par-ticipate in the revitalization of theirneighborhoods and empowermentof low-income individuals. This nine-county region includes Berks Countyand the city of Reading, the site ofthis proposed Weed and Seed initiative.

With funding from the Weed andSeed program and an adequate levelof resources, CFF is prepared to workclosely with the Hispanic Center inReading to direct its energies to theresidents of the Reading Weed and

Seed site. Support from the Weed andSeed program and collaborative effortsthroughout the community provideCFF with the ability to

■ Develop new businesses and busi-ness owners.

■ Increase the level of local businessownership in Weed and Seed areas.

■ Create more jobs that pay livablewages and provide adequatebenefits.

Through its microlending program,CFF makes loans to establish orenhance businesses located in Weedand Seed areas. It is geared primarilytoward new business startups or theexpansion of existing businesses.

Funds can be used for machinery andequipment, site improvements, work-ing capital, inventory, materials, sup-plies, and expansion. The programserves as an intermediary for the U.S.Small Business Administration.

CFF provides counseling on the manyaspects of small business ownership,including finances, marketing, humanresources, inventory, and cash flow.Counseling is customized for theneeds of each individual and compre-hensive counseling is provided foreach CFF borrower.

For additional information, contact JimHufford, CFF Director of Small Busi-ness and Lending, at 610–685–4940or Nelson DeLeon, Business Counselor,at 610–372–9675.

Harvey Street (continued from previous page)

It’s been a long road, but the cooper-ative efforts of local and national partners—the Utah Housing Corpora-tion, the State of Utah, Salt LakeCounty, the U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Development,West Valley City, West Valley CityHousing Authority, the Olene WalkerHousing Trust Fund, the RichmanGroup, Wells Fargo, Merrill Lynch,Fannie Mae, and Kier Construction—have more than paid off. “The Weedand Seed revitalization project onHarvey Street showcases what is possi-ble when Federal, State, and localagencies unite resources in an effort to reduce the opportunity for crime

to flourish in a community. The multimillion dollar revitalization proj-ect has planted the seed of opportuni-ty for families to enjoy a clean, safeneighborhood,” commented PaulWarner, U.S. Attorney for the Districtof Utah.

Two years ago, the problem seemedinsurmountable, but children nowplay in the sunshine of parks whereHarvey Street shadows used to hidethe vermin of society. The West ValleyCity Manager has noticed first handthat “the sun literally shines morebrilliantly on that area now.”

What WorksEEDAccountabilityNDSustainmentEED

Spring 2004 27

CAPT Region Current CAPT Contracts Contact Information

Central CAPT Minnesota Institute of 1–800–782–1878Public Health (MIPH)

Mounds View, MN

Northeast CAPT Education Development 1–888–332–2278Center, Inc. (EDC)

Newton, MA

Western CAPT University of Nevada 1–888–734–7476Reno, NV

CAPT Region CAPT Cooperative Contact InformationAgreements

Southeast CAPT Developing Resources for 1–800–233–7326Education in America

(DREAM) Jackson, MS

Southwest CAPT University of Oklahoma 1–800–853–2572Norman, OK

AI/AN NRC The Center for 1–503–494–8112One Sky Center American Indian Health, R. Dale Walker, M.D.

Education, and Research walkerrd@ohsu.eduOregon Health and Science University

Portland, OR

The American Indian/Alaska Native National Resource Center for SubstanceAbuse Services—AI/AN NRC—One Sky Center is the first national resource center dedicated to improving substance abuse prevention and treatment servicesfor American Indian and Alaska Native populations.

AI/AN NRC One Sky Center Consultants and Partners

Eastern U.S. Tribal Jack Brown Adolescent White Bison (CO)Consortium (ME) Treatment Center (OK)

National Indian Youth United American Indian Northwest PortlandLeadership Project (NM) Involvement (CA) Area Indian Health

Board (OR)

Alaska Native Tribal All Tribal Colleges Health Consortium (AK) and Universities

T he Office of Weed and Seed hasmade an agreement with theDepartment of Health and

Human Services’ (HHS) Center forSubstance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)for Weed and Seed sites to have accessto training from HHS’s Centers forthe Application of PreventionTechnology (CAPTs).

Primary CAPT clients are States withHHS State Incentive Grants and activesubrecipients.

Current additional client groupsinclude—

■ Weed and Seed sites.

■ Safe and Drug Free Schoolsites/grantees.

Types of services include—

✔ Identifying/selecting/implementingevidence-based prevention programs.

✔ Developing prevention systems.

✔ Organizational development.

✔ Prevention in specific settings (e.g., workplaces, correctional facilities).

✔ Prevention fundamentals.

✔ Community development.

✔ Collaboration.

✔ Evaluation.

✔ Strategic planning/sustainability.

For more information on CAPTs, visitwww.captus.org.

Weed and Seed Brings Research toPractice With CAPTs Training

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