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WHAT IS A COMMUNITY COALITION? The Working Together Coalition is made up of Community members that are concerned about the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs among our youth. We come from what we call the 12 sectors which include:
- Youth
- Parents
- Business Community
- Media
- Schools
- Youth-Serving Organizations
- Law Enforcement agencies
- Religious or fraternal organizations
- Civic and volunteer groups
- Healthcare professionals
- State, Local, or Tribal Governmental agencies
- Other organizations involved in reducing substance abuse
We find it important to have a variety of people around the table to make sure that we understand and work on local problems. This is why the Working Together Coalition members have decided to have three different community meetings, one in each of the school districts that we cover which are the Northland Community School, Pine River-Backus and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley schools. View our member list here.
check out what we have been doing Click here to see what we have been up to! Coalition Meeting Minutes
Working Together Coalition Documents Click any documents below for more information
- Community Assessment
- Working Together Coalition Strategic/Action Plan
- Logic Model
- Evaluation Plan
- Sustainability Plan
- Volunteer Hours Donations
- Committee Descriptions
- Bylaws
- Chairperson Job Description
- Committee Descriptions
- Coalition Member Volunteer Description
- Coalition Meeting Minutes
- Annual Coalition Report
- Coalition Member List
History OF THE WORKING TOGETHER COALITION The Pine River-Backus Violence Prevention Council (now called the Working Together Coalition) was established in the Fall of 1999. The Council was created in response to a trend within the Pine River-Backus School and in the community, which indicated the following was on the rise; gang influence, increased acts of violence, aggression, vandalism and drug use. The Superintendent of the Pine River-Backus Schools applied to the Minnesota Citizens Council on Crime and Justice (now called Citizens for Reducing Rural Violence, CRRV) for assistance in the process of mobilizing the community to take action. Over time, with the assistance of CRRV, the group emerged meeting monthly to identify key stakeholders, developing an initial priority (family violence), and create an action plan.
In the Fall of 2004 a community stakeholders meeting was offered to inform the community of our work. At that meeting community feed-back supported the strong relationship between substance abuse and violence. In February of 2005 Methamphetamine Awareness was added to our work-plan and we held our 1st Community Meth Forum featuring David Parnel. David also presented to all junior and senior high students in our school district. In the Fall of 2005 we held our 2nd Community Meth Forum, continuing to educate community members about methamphetamine.
The Pine River-Backus Violence Prevention Council (Working Together Coalition) applied for and received a Planning and Implementation grant with the Minnesota Department of Human Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division. The Pine River-Backus Family Center served as the grantee. This grant will continue through June of 2011.
In March of 2009 the Coalition applied for a Drug Free Community Grant from the United States Federal Government to expand our efforts in the school districts of Walker-Hackensack-Akeley and Northland Community School District. In September 20, 2009 our Coalition was one of 161 communities nation wide that was awarded this grant. This funding will continue for a period of 5 years, in which we can reapply for another 5 years.
