• From that first official Coalition meeting on July 14, 1988, led by Tad Foote, Bob McCabe, Armando Codina, Alvah Chapman and Sister Jeanne, guided by consultants from Andersen Consulting Company, and following the strategic plan described by the previous speakers, many opportunities came our way and we responded. So, along the way...

• Under the leadership of Ambassador Ambler Moss, we held the first International Symposium on Money Laundering in the United States.

• We have assisted 564 American cities and 64 nations around the world establish anti-drug community coalitions.

• Our Scientific Advisory Committee, composed of area college and university researchers, has provided us with the tools to measure the impact of our actions. Results of the surveys conducted in the schools, workplaces and in the general population, guide our planning process.

• In 1990, members of our Executive Committee flew to Washington to discuss the possibility of a "Compre-Grant" which we believed could be created to provide a single grant to our community for our anti-drug efforts with funding coming from multiple agencies (The Department of Justice, The Department of Education, The Department of Labor, The Department of Health and Human Services). We sought $100 million for three years, with identified local and state match, to help us show the nation what one community can do with adequate resources. While we did not get the funding, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) today is that Compre-Grant entity, overseeing the drug budgets of those mentioned agencies to insure a coordinated, comprehensive approach to reduce the rate of drug use.

• The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) created funding for the Community Partnership Programs based on the model of The Miami Coalition. We received five years of funding from them and that allowed us to become even more visible in the community. As a result of our success with that funding we:

• Received over $1 million to fund drug prevention programs in South Dade after Hurricane Andrew.
• Received funding from the Department of Labor to pilot a program placing substance abuse counseling services in job training programs.
• Received money from CSAP to fund drug prevention programs specific to the Haitian and Cuban immigrants.

• The "No Casinos" Committee needed help and, after lengthy discussions, we responded. Our Law Enforcement Committee presented the relationship between gambling and organized crime. Our Intervention/Treatment and Recovery Committee presented the problems of the addiction of gambling. In less then eight weeks we were able to organize our committees and distribute over three-quarters of a million pieces of information. The Casinos initiative was defeated.

• The Love Your Neighbor program, created with the belief that we can reduce drug use, mental health problems, anger, violence, etc., if we just stopped and thought about loving our neighbor, needed support. Jim Ward, the creator of this campaign, sought guidance and support from The Miami Coalition. Ray Goode, one of our board members, serves as the Chair of Love Your Neighbor. The Coalition supports the program.

• The Florida National Guard Drug Demand Reduction program wanted to become involved with community coalitions but did not know how to do it. We created a partnership with the guard here in Miami that is now being replicated across the country. All requests for National Guard help must come through the local drug coalitions. The coalitions will prioritize requests consistent with their prevention goals.

• Metro-Miami Weed & Seed became a reality in 1996. After years of applying, we wrote a successful strategy for The Department of Justice. That strategy is now used as a model for other communities. Weed & Seed is working with the residents of Liberty City to first "weed" the area of crime, drug and violence and then "seed" the area with prevention and intervention programs. To be successful, the community must be the decision makers. That is happening with the leadership of Wayne Rawlins and Patrick White of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

• For six months, we hosted a live call-in television show on WLRN Cable Tap. Addressing the issues of youth drug use, violence, gangs, etc., each show had adults and youth discussing issues and responding to callers.

• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provided us with an opportunity to apply for a grant to address the health and safety of our children. We spent two years in the planning process and writing a proposal to reduce youth violence. While we were not successful with the grant, we learned so much in the process that we have developed the Research and Information Center (RIC) as part of The Miami Coalition. The RIC will help provide the data to develop data-driven strategies for our community prevention, intervention, treatment and law enforcement providers in youth drug use and violence.

• The Recovery Network, a 24 hour media access depicting the pathways of wellness, was launched in California. We will help locally to identify cable stations interested in carrying the message and means of recovery to area viewers.

• Since the Coalition’s birth in 1988, there have been two U.S. Presidents, George Bush and Bill Clinton. Both have nationally recognized our community’s anti-drug efforts.
• We have helped identify and secure $94 million in new money for Greater Miami’s anti-drug efforts in prevention, intervention, treatment and law enforcement.

• Our interest in reducing youth violence propelled us to work with local law enforcement, the media coalition, residents and other interested groups in the gun buy back program. Providing incentives to individuals turning in their weapons resulted in the collection of over 500 guns, assault weapons, rifles, etc.

• Looming ahead of us is the "Marijuana Initiative", an attempt to legalize marijuana through the disguise of medicine. Pat Seitz, formerly with ONDCP, has provided us with community strategies based on similar experiences with the initiatives in California and Arizona. Members of the Executive committee are already laying strong foundations for response when sufficient signatures are obtained to place the issue on the ballot. Anyone interested in helping should let us know.

• We have funders who truly understand the work of coalitions and have supported our efforts. We are very grateful.

• The Health Foundation of South Florida.
• The James S. & John L. Knight Foundation.
• The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.
• Barnett Bank
• Knight-Ridder, Inc.
• Lennar Corporation
• Northern Trust Bank

 

• Along the way we changed our name:

1988 The Miami Coalition Inc.

1992 The Miami Coalition For A Drug-Free Community.

1993 The Miami Coalition For A Safe And Drug-Free Community.

• Along the way we changed our structure allowing us to respond more rapidly to issues of drug abuse and violence.

The chairmanship of The Miami Coalition:

1988 - 1993 Tad Foote

1994 - 1996 Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin

1997 - Present - Bob McCabe