What is the Wilson Area Communities that Care (CTC) Coalition?

• Communities That Care Fact Sheet PDF
• Request more information about the Coalition!
• Community Assessment Report 

The Wilson Area Communities that Care (CTC) Coalition is a group of youth, families, community leaders, business members, and residents from the Wilson Area School District and surrounding communities. The coalition consists of a key leader board, to provide group guidance and organization; coalition members, to raise community concerns and develop possible solutions; and work groups that put the plan into action. Our members include WASD students, district parents, residents, local health care experts, law enforcement members, community leaders, and members of non-profit organizations.

What does the Wilson Area CTC Coalition Do?

Our mission statement: Wilson Area is an inclusive and nurturing community that provides opportunities for success, purpose and well-being to empower our youth to become respectful, confident and healthy adults, who contribute positively to society.

The Wilson Area CTC Coalition seeks to combine resources and strategies within our group to address youth problem behaviors in our community. We have prioritized several issues our youth are facing, and are working to develop an evidence-based prevention program to remedy these issues. Based on the 2021 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) Study, the areas of concern we focus on are: drug and alcohol misuse, mental health concerns/suicide risk, and engagement/belonging to school and community. By addressing these issues, we hope to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors for the youth in our community.

Communities That Care Fact Sheet PDF

How do we plan to reduce drug and alcohol misuse, address mental health concerns and increase community engagement?

Our coalition is in the beginning stages of organization. We are analyzing data from the PAYS study as well as the St. Luke’s Anderson and Easton Community Health Needs Assessment to identify at-risk youth behaviors. Work groups are also evaluating existing community resources and identifying gaps in service. We will then create a community action plan and begin implementation of the plan. Evidence-based tested and effective programs will be evaluated to fill gaps and implement services to address the needs of youth in our community.

How will we measure the success of our program?

We will measure the program’s success by reviewing future PAYS data, statistics from the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System and pre and post surveys we conduct of students and families.

Where does our funding come from?

The LINCS Family Center received a grant in 2021 from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to build community capacity to identify and implement programs and resources that ensure the well-being and healthy development of community youth. The objective of the Community Coalition Capacity Building (CCCB) grant is to enable community coalitions to recruit key stakeholders, collect data, and develop collaborative relationships with school districts in order to provide youth with supports, resources, and opportunities needed to become successful adults.

However, other funding is needed in order to provide implementation of programs and continue mobilization within the community. In 2023, the LINCS Family Center was awarded $30,000 in funding from the PA Commission of Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), to reduce violence in the Wilson Borough community and the surrounding area. This grant builds on the prior grant awarded to the community, which implemented the CTC coalition. Our coalition is actively seeking additional funding through grant applications and local donors. Please email LINCS@wilsonareasd.org if you would like to assist or donate.

What is the LINCS Family Center?

The LINCS Family Center is a non-profit organization which provides access to essential services for area families. In addition to building capacity for the Wilson Area Communities That Care coalition, LINCS offers a weekly food pantry, weekend meal program for students, a teaching garden, and summer playground program for elementary age students. For more information, please visit our website at: LincsFamilyCenter.org.

How can I help?

Get involved!

Organizations and individuals in the Wilson Area who would like to make our community better by helping to solve issues affecting our youth, are encouraged to email us at: LINCS@wilsonareasd.org, or call: 484-373-6200.

You can also contact us about opportunities to assist with our family outreach through the LINCS Family Center, including assisting with our food pantry, prepping weekend meal bags, caring for our community garden, working at our summer playground, and making non-perishable goods and monetary donations. We believe showing care to our community, in big or small ways, will improve the lives of our youth and our community as a whole, now and for future generations.

Request more information about the Coalition!