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HAZEL PARK — A Hazel Park nonprofit is lining up multiple initiatives this year aimed at reducing substance use among youth.
The Hazel Park Community Coalition is a licensed 501(c)(3) nonprofit closely aligned with the Hazel Park Public Schools. The district serves as its fiscal agent, while the HPCC itself coordinates youth and community-based prevention initiatives directed at students and their families.
The HPCC formed in the fall of 2016, after a 24-year-old resident relapsed and died from a heroin overdose. A neighbor reached out to then-Congressman Sander Levin, who facilitated a partnership with the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities. This, in turn, led to the HPCC.
“I’ve had the opportunity to be with this from the beginning — I was president for some time, but in recent years I’ve taken a bit of a step back so it’s more community-driven, which is key,” said Amy Kruppe, HPPS superintendent. “(The HPCC) has found more ways to invest within the schools and help facilitate knowledge on the harms of vaping, whether it’s just regular vapes or THC vapes. Really, education is key to changing how we look at what we’re doing.”
Currently, the group is led by Shana Williams, its full-time executive director, as well as a board comprising 16 members, among them representatives from the media, businesses, law enforcement, faith-based groups and more.
The HPCC also closely follows guidance from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which emphasizes community-wide collaboration on prevention efforts.
Williams said the primary focus is substance misuse prevention, mental health wellness and community advocacy, taking a data-driven approach to decision-making.
“By continuously gathering and analyzing data, we ensure that our initiatives address the unique challenges of our community,” Williams said in an email. “Our mission is to work with the community to create programs and support that help youth and families live healthy, drug-free lives.”
She described a vision of students attending “fun, educational workshops” teaching them about the risks of substance use and the benefits of healthy choices, and families attending community events where they receive resources like drug lock bags and prevention kits, as well as guidance on talking to their kids about staying drug-free.
“Imagine a community where schools, parents and local organizations work hand-in-hand to provide opportunities for youth to stay engaged — through technology and art programs, sports or leadership activities,” Williams said. “Families have access to resources and support networks that help them navigate challenges and build strong, connected relationships.”
Most recently, the HPCC has been involved in initiatives such as running compliance checks on local smoke shops to ensure responsible sale of tobacco products; distributing hundreds of free lock bags and drug deactivation kits to families at the Hazel Park Schools’ annual Hometown Huddle; and stocking a drug deactivation kit station at the Hazel Park Police Department, with free supplies available to the community.
Other recent efforts included moderating a 2024 school board forum; providing games, giveaways and prevention resources at events such as Hazel Park Recreation’s Lunch with Santa, enrollment nights at the Hazel Park Schools and a Red Cross blood drive; coordinating a student focus group regarding their perceptions of marijuana use; and distributing lock bags to school administrators for families with students who incurred vape or marijuana-related offenses.
Even more initiatives are already in the planning stages for the new year, including five-minute walk-up trainings at the Hazel Park Resource Fair from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8 at Hazel Park Junior High School — a free event open to the public where attendees can learn how to use Narcan, which reverses the effects of a drug overdose, in just five minutes.
The HPCC is also planning marijuana and vape prevention workshops to educate families on the true risks of substance use, including vaping pens; a Youth Dialogue Day on April 11 that will engage students on topics of race, ethnicity and social justice, in collaboration with the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work; the “Photo Voice Project,” where students will identify a theme and use phone photography to capture risk and protective factors in their community, leading to a collage exhibit reflecting their perspectives; and efforts with the local Chamber of Commerce including narcan training and data sharing.
In 2023, the HPCC received a major boost when it was awarded $625,000 for a five-year period through the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with eligibility to seek another five years of funding totaling $1.25 million over 10 years. The HPCC entered the second year of the grant last September.
To qualify for the grant, the HPCC studied the use of tobacco, nicotine and marijuana products among youth in Hazel Park, presenting its findings to the CDC. Students in grades 6-12 were surveyed on their perceptions of harm, parental disapproval and friend disapproval. What the HPCC found at the time is that students generally don’t understand the health impacts of substance use.
“Many students believed that marijuana, for example, is ‘natural,’ and therefore harmless, especially when compared to substances like cigarettes,” Williams said. “Some students thought vaping was safer than smoking cigarettes because it doesn’t ‘smell bad,’ or because they’ve seen it marketed as a ‘healthier’ alternative. Others underestimated the addictive potential of nicotine in e-cigarettes and didn’t realize how quickly dependency could develop.”
She said these misconceptions by students are fueled by a number of modern influences, including family members at home who normalize drugs by openly using them, as well as discarded drugs in public spaces, marketing that targets youth with bright packaging and candy-like flavors, social media glorifying drugs as trendy, depictions of substance use as casual and consequence-free fun in movies and music, and a general lack of conversation from adults about the risks.
“Many students have reported that these products are available in their own homes, either intentionally left unsecured or overlooked by adults,” Williams said. “For example, vape pens and marijuana are often left within reach, creating an environment where access feels effortless and risk seems minimal.”
It’s a daunting problem, she said, but there are ways residents can help the HPCC’s mission.
Donations to the nonprofit HPCC are tax-deductible and help support its initiatives. There are also volunteer opportunities, with youth and parent representatives needed, as well as helping hands at the Hazel Park Resource Fair on Feb. 8. In addition, the HPCC is currently hiring, in need of a project coordinator.
“We’re looking for motivated individuals who are passionate about youth engagement and community advocacy,” Williams said.
To make a donation to the HPCC, or to apply as a volunteer or as the paid project coordinator, visit online at https://www.hazelparkschools.org/communtiy/hazel-park-community-coalition-new.
Williams also said that everyone can do their part by simply talking with youths about the risks associated with substance use including vaping and marijuana, as well as how to handle situations where they may feel peer pressure to try substances.
“By donating, volunteering or attending events, (residents) can help HPCC create a safer, healthier community for Hazel Park youth and families,” Williams said.
Added Kruppe: “The more we educate and inform our kids, the more likely it is that they will refrain from doing harmful activities.”
