MASSENA -- The Massena Drug Free Community Coalition is getting a resource office to help connect people in the community with information about substance abuse and recovery services.

The office will be at the Massena Community Center, 61 Beach St., and staffed by Coalition Coordinator Kristin Colarusso Martin on Tuesdays and Thursdays during normal business hours.

The Massena Drug Free Community Coalition (MDFCC) “works to address substance abuse in Massena and the surrounding area by assessing the scope of the problem and identifying risk factors that threaten the individual, the family, and the community. This ongoing assessment will serve as the catalyst for developing plans to implement sustainable prevention strategies that will reduce and prevent substance abuse among youth and adults in the local population,” Massena Mayor Tim Currier said in a news release.

Currier said the MDFCC “is leading the way in this community’s broad response to the drug problem we face.”

“The Coalition and its members are implementing a 360-degree partnership strategy of education, prevention, treatment, enforcement and support services,” Currier said in the release.

“This is an exciting opportunity to bring the Massena community together to address substance abuse from a grassroots level. This all-hands-on-deck approach to addressing and combating the drug problem is primarily designed to create awareness and coordinate community efforts across Massena,” Colarusso-Martin said in the release.

In addition to the Tuesday and Thursday office hours at the Community Center, she operates an office in the high school on Mondays and Wednesdays.

“Reducing the likelihood the next generation will turn to opiates is a key strategy for the MDFCC, and the strong partnership with the school district, which has existed for years, is vital to the overall success of this community,” Currier said in the prepared statement.

Massena Central Superintendent Patrick H. Brady is proud of the district’s role with the coalition and the long history the school and staff have played in dealing with the illegal drug use.

“The district’s role in partnering with various community agencies to deal with illegal drug use dates back more than 20 years. Education plays a vital role to the community’s success and our staff is pleased to do our part,” Brady said in a prepared statement.

“So often someone dealing with a family member or loved one using illegal drugs doesn’t know where to go to get advice and access to services. Now, any citizen that’s needs advice, or direction toward resources can visit the Coalition resource office and get that’s assistance,” Larry Calkins, director of the Seaway Valley Prevention Council said in the statement. His agency administers the coalition’s funding.

Massena Chief of Police Adam J. Love, a member of the MDFCC says he encourages members of the greater Massena area to use this resource.

“The MDFCC Coordinator is an excellent resource for anyone seeking advice or help. She has been available in the schools for quite some time and now we are expanding it to the general public,” Love said in the release.

The Massena Drug Free Community Coalitions meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m. in Massena Town Hall. The Colarusso-Martin, can be reached at 315-764-3700 ext. 3621.