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Casa Grande Alliance outlines homeless, food and anti-vaping programs supporting district families
Summary
Casa Grande Alliance executive director Greta Edwards described the nonprofit's expanded services to district families, including parenting classes, vaping education for students, Narcan distribution, an active homeless-assistance role and a backpack distribution partnership.
The board heard from Greta Edwards, executive director of Casa Grande Alliance, who described an expanded set of community services the nonprofit provides in partnership with the Casa Grande Elementary School District, including parenting classes, youth vaping education, food and clothing distribution, Narcan availability and direct assistance to unhoused students.
Edwards told the board the Alliance had evolved from a drug-prevention agency into a broader community-services organization. She said the Alliance offers free parenting classes, anger-management courses for children and adults, a PALS parent-support program for families affected by addiction, and a youth alliance that coordinates volunteer and training opportunities for middle- and high-school students, including CPR training.
On student health and safety, Edwards said the Alliance provides vaping-education sessions targeted at students who have been identified as using vaping products; the program is delivered in a one-time individualized session and the Alliance offers mentoring and volunteer opportunities afterward. She also said the organization provides Narcan and training on its use for families who may encounter overdoses.
Edwards described the Alliance's role in homelessness response: staff helped place a McKinney-Vento-eligible high school student who had been living in an abandoned car and assisted a mother and 17-year-old identified in a community point-in-time count to find housing. She said the Alliance helps with forms and missing identification that often block access to services and partners with other agencies to connect families to longer-term programs.
Edwards said the Alliance supports district programs such as the backpack distribution program in partnership with Saint Mary's and that about 240 backpacks are being distributed through that effort. She noted the nonprofit is currently running low on diapers and asked the community for donations.
Board members thanked Edwards and asked clarifying questions about services for parents and students dealing with addiction; Edwards described referral networks to residential programs and the Alliance's reentry and support services for justice-involved volunteers.
The board took no formal action on the presentation; members expressed appreciation for the Alliance's role supporting students and families.
