August 2025

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Community Cookout Recap

On July 16, Peer Advocates Yasin Bhuiyan, Justin Ortiz, and Chris Molina joined SAPCA coordinator Emma Beall at the Acclaim Apartments Community Cookout to support outreach efforts.

Yasin, Justin, and Chris helped promote upcoming events and youth resources, including:

The Alexandria Teen Text Line: This free resource allows Alexandria teens to text the words TEEN, SEX, DRUGS, or GANGS to 571.640.2898 to get answers to non-urgent questions about health, relationships, pregnancy, drugs, alcohol, violence, and gangs. Trained City staff will answer teens' questions within 24 hours, Monday through Friday.

Information about behavioral health services for children and families, including same day access to mental health services for youth. These services are available to Alexandria youth with mental health, substance use or other behavioral challenges, and/or significant trauma. Learn more about services offered by the Department of Community and Human Services here.

The Peer Advocates are a group of Alexandria youth who work closely with SAPCA, the Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy (ACAP), and the Alexandria Sexual Assault Center to support prevention and outreach efforts.

We appreciate this opportunity to connect with our community and look forward to continuing to raise awareness about events and resources for Alexandria’s children, youth, and families.

New Signage at City Parks & Playgrounds

Have you noticed these updated signs at parks and playgrounds in Alexandria? These signs say:

"For everyone's health, thank you for not smoking or vaping in our parks and playground. If you need help to quit smoking, call 1-800-QUITNOW or visit smokefree.gov."

Big thanks to the Department of Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Activities; the Alexandria Health Department; and the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria for helping keep our community safe and healthy.

Explore all the different parks Alexandria has to offer at alexandriava.gov/Parks.

Recognizing International Overdose Awareness Day



On August 31, the City of Alexandria will join communities around the world in support of International Overdose Awareness Day. The goal of this annual campaign is to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died, acknowledge the grief of family and friends left behind, and raise awareness that substance use disorders can be successfully managed with treatment. 

This year's awareness campaign theme is "One big family, driven by hope." Here are some ways our community can come together this month and year-round to support efforts to prevent overdoses:

Store medication safely

The Lock & Talk statewide suicide prevention initiative strives to promote safe care of lethal means and encourages community conversation around mental wellness. Residents can access free locking medication boxes at the following locations and times, except holidays:

• Alexandria Health Department- 4850 Mark Center, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 703.746.3382
• Del Pepper Community Resource Center DCHS, 4850 Mark Center, contact noraine.buttar@alexandriava.gov to schedule a pick up.
• Alexandria Sheriff’s Office, 2003 Mill Road, Visitor Center, 24 hours a day. 703.746.4114.

Dispose of medication safely

In Alexandria, you can dispose of unwanted or unused pills, liquids or other medication at one of three permanent medication drop boxes that provide year-round access to safe drug disposal:

• Neighborhood Pharmacy: 2204 Mt Vernon Ave.; open Mon - Fri: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Sat: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• Inova Alexandria Hospital Emergency Department: 4320 Seminary Rd.; available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
• Alexandria Police Department Headquarters (just inside front entrance, ring bell for access): 3600 Wheeler Ave.; available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day 

Needles are not accepted at permanent medication drop box locations. Dispose of needles and syringes at a separate permanent drop box specifically for these items located in the Emergency Department at Inova Alexandria Hospital.

Learn about harm reduction resources

If given in time, Narcan® (also known as Naloxone) can save the life of someone who is overdosing from opioids. It can stop an overdose and restore normal breathing until emergency response can arrive. Narcan is available for free from the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) by calling 703.746.4888.

Fentanyl test strips detect the presence of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 100 times more potent than morphine, in unregulated injectable drugs, powders and pills. Fentanyl test strips are available for walk-in clients at AHD. AHD will provide information on how to use these test strips safely and effectively. Learn more about fentanyl.

Learn more about Alexandria's efforts to eliminate opioid misuse and its harmful effects at alexandriava.gov/opioids.

Quick Links

Call for Grant Proposals to Improve Community Health and Well-Being

The Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria is seeking grant proposals from qualified nonprofit organizations to improve the health and well-being of youth and adults who live, work, and play in the City of Alexandria. Proposals must advance specific goals, strategies and tactics in the Alexandria Community Health Improvement Plan in one of the Plan’s three priority areas:

• Housing
• Mental Health
• Poverty

Grant proposals must identify the specific (a) strategy or strategies and (b) tactic or tactics within the selected priority area the proposal focuses on. The strategies and tactics within each priority area are identified in the Community Health Improvement Plan. New and innovative tactics, not included in the Plan, will be considered as long as there is a written narrative showing a direct connection between the innovative tactic and its contribution to achieving the strategy or strategies identified in the proposal. In addition, proposals should describe how funding will be used to promote equity or address inequities or disparities.

Important Dates

• Grant Proposals due: August 8, 2025 (by 11:59 p.m.)
• Awards Announced: September 22, 2025
• Grant Period Begins: October 1, 2025
• Grant Ends: September 30, 2026
• Final Grant Report due: October 30, 2026

Eligibility & Funding Availability

• Applicants must be nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3) designation from the IRS or be sponsored by a fiscal agent with a 501(c)(3) status.
• Proposals must demonstrate that funding will be used to benefit adults and/or youth who live, work and play in the City of Alexandria.
• Successful applicants will be required to submit a final report using the report template provided by the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria. Please note, successful grant applicants under the Mental Health priority area may have additional expenditure reporting requirements and will have record retention requirements. These requirements are discussed at the end of the grant application
• The minimum funding request is $2,500 and the maximum funding request is $10,000. Funds must be spent by grantees by September 30, 2026.

To apply, please review the 2025 grant application. For more information, including frequently asked questions about the grant process, please visit the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria website.

SummerQuest 2025

Get ready for a bright and vivid summer with Alexandria Library's SummerQuest reading program! Open to children, teens, and adults, this year's program theme is “Color Our World.” 

Through August, visit Alexandria Library locations in person and online for music, magic, storytelling, reading, nature shows, hands-on activities and more! Participants of all ages can earn prizes for reading and completing activities, including free books and tickets to a Washington Nationals or Washington Spirit game. Scheduled events and the downloadable brochure for this year's SummerQuest are listed here. 

Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria 

4850 Mark Center Drive

Alexandria, VA 22311