MISRGO Sub-Grant Award Ceremony a Huge Success

Last Thursday, (July 14) at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) North Little Rock Campus (1333 Main Street, North Little Rock), the Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Grant Office (MISRGO) awarded anti-tobacco grants, ranging from $35,000 - $65,000. Eighteen organizations from across the state received funding to support their leading efforts in effective community-based tobacco prevention and cessation strategies.

The MISRGO at UAPB was established in 2002 as an initiative of the Master Tobacco Settlement Agreement. The Office is responsible for addressing the devastating effects of tobacco consumption within Arkansas’ minority communities by preventing the initiation of tobacco use among youth, promoting cessation among youth and adults, eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke, and identifying and eliminating disparities from tobacco use among different population groups.

“While we’ve made considerable strides in educating communities about the devastating effects of tobacco consumption, our fight is far from over,” stated Dr. Calvin Johnson, MISRGO Program Director. “However, each year, we look forward to awarding organizations that have clearly proven a commitment to joining us in this fight. We know there are more organizations that share our passion for securing healthier lives in the State of Arkansas. Our hope is to identify additional partnerships to further our mission.”

MISRGO 2011-2012 grant award recipients included:
· Arkansas Human Development Corporation (Little Rock)
· Asian Pacific Resource & Cultural Center (Little Rock)
· Calhoun Heights Community Outreach, Inc. (Magnolia)
· Coalition for a Tobacco Free Arkansas (Little Rock)
· Evergreen Baptist Church (El Dorado)
· Family Service Agency (Little Rock)
· Family & Youth Enrichment Network, Inc. (Helena-West Helena)
· Future Builders, Inc. (Wrightsville)
· Garland County C.A.R.E.S. (Hot Springs)
· In His Image Youth Development Center, Inc. (Little Rock)
· Legacy Initiatives (DeQueen)
· Madison County Health Coalition (Huntsville)
· Mississippi County Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Arkansas (Blytheville)
· St. Francis House Northwest Arkansas Tobacco Free Coalition, Inc. (Springdale)
· Southwest Arkansas Community Development Corporation (Magnolia)
· We Care of Pulaski County (Wrightsville)
· Wells Bayou Youth Development, Inc. (Gould)
· Women’s Council on African American Affairs (Little Rock)

“We were extremely proud of each of this year’s sub-grant award recipients,” noted Dr. Marian Evans, MISRGO Program Coordinator. “Our number of recipients continues to increase each year, and this demonstrates that Arkansans not only recognize the harmful effects of tobacco consumption but are willing to bind together to combat them. We have fought for this cause for nearly a decade, and we will continue to do so with the great support of our community.”

Guest speakers included Dr. Calvin Johnson, Program Director, Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Grant Office; Miriam Karanja, Interim Chief, Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program of the Arkansas Department of Health; and Dr. Marian Evans, Program Coordinator, Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Grant Office.

For more information about the Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Grant Office or to learn more about the recent awards ceremony, call 870.575.8923 or visit www.misrgo.org.