A national opioid‑response foundation is investing more than half a million dollars in youth prevention efforts on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts has awarded a $550,000, two‑year grant to Project Venture, an Indigenous‑led nonprofit focused on building healthy communities through youth programming.
The funding will expand the group’s “Walking in Strength” initiative, which works to prevent substance abuse among Native youth. Since 2022, the program has reached nearly 600 students.
Project Venture is partnering with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to help ensure long‑term sustainability.
FORE President Dr. Karen Scott says Native communities have been disproportionately affected by the overdose crisis, and that culturally grounded, community‑led prevention strategies are essential.
