The Coalition for a Healthy Middletown has not been approved for another five-year grant and will operate without a project coordinator, said DeAnna Shores, who held that position the past three years.

The coalition was founded in 2008 as a response to a town hall meeting on underage drinking, Shores said. Since then, the coalition has been active in Middletown by promoting the importance of substance abuse prevention.

She said the coalition received a $500,000 Drug Free Communities grant through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Office of National Drug Control Policy in 2011

Without the funds, the coalition will return to its “grassroots campaign,” Shores said. That means Kristy Duritsch, director of Safety Council of Southwestern Ohio, will oversee the coalition and will rely on volunteers. Shores said some of the programs that were funded by the grant will be eliminated or reduced.

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