Wes Gallant, Director
As the father of two (almost) grown daughters,
I have watched, cried, stood beside, encouraged ad guided
as these young women have dealt with the sometimes harsh
blows that growing up in our society has brought to them.
I understand the feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
parents and families experience as the values and beliefs
we place in our children are challenged daily. I come to
this position with Drug Free after serving almost 8 years
as a Substance Abuse Counselor and seeing how the Disease
of Addiction and chemical abuse has destroyed the lives
of men, women, their families and their communities. Drug
use (including alcohol) has become a systemic issue of epic
proportions and is daily destroying all that it comes in
contact with. We have an opportunity to make significant
changes in the direction our community is going. Each person
must shoulder the responsibility of doing what they can
to increase their awareness and become a part of the solution.
To do nothing is simply making the problem greater. Apathy
is as destructive as the use of drugs themselves. Our communities
must utilize all of the available resources to help in the
prevention efforts.
Drug Free Marshall County is a community based
resource. The concept of "community" is widely
engaging and solicits participation from all member of our
society. My efforts will be to build an active, thriving
coalition to provide and facilitate resources that will
build self esteem, educate and empower all members of our
community. Drug Free Marshall County stand ready to initiate
new programs and to support as a coalition programs already
in place. A new program that we are very excited about is
the recently completed "LifeQuest" challenge course.
This program will be available as a team building event
to schools, human service organizations, churches, youth
groups, corporations, etc. Also referred to as a "ropes
course" this event has both a low course and a high
course that finds the participant completing the course
at a breathtaking 65 feet in the air in the in the tops
of the trees. More information about LifeQuest will be available
in the coming weeks. Additionally, January of 2006 will
see the implementation of the Drug Free Marshall County
Youth Council (DFMCYC). This will be a Council made up of
young people from each of the five (5) county school systems
who are committed to a drug free lifestyle and the promotion
of that concept within their peer groups, families, and
communities.
The year 2006 holds an exciting array of possibilities
in the area of Prevention. We consider Drug Free Marshall
County to be an available resource to everyone and look
forward to the days ahead. A resource is only as good as
the use its gets. Please feel free to use this resource
for everything from simple questions about drugs and alcohol
to full presentations and speaking engagements and even
YOUR ideas about ways to implement new programs in your
community. You can email me those ideas at wesgallante@dfmarshallco.org
Steve Marshall, Marshall County District
Attorney
Steve Marshall is the elected district attorney
for the 27th Judicial Circuit which is composed entirely
of Marshall County, Alabama. Mr. Marshall was appointed
to his position in August of 2001 and has served continuously
since that time. He is married to the former Bridgette Gentry
of Asbury, and they have one daughter, Faith.
Mr. Marshall has adopted a community prosecution
model to guide the overall efforts of his office. Through
this approach, Mr. Marshall seeks to advance safety issues
in the community through more than simply the prosecution
of those individuals who violate the law. Principally, he
advocates various programs to advance prevention efforts
to reduce problems of juvenile delinquency and substance
abuse. Furthermore, Mr. Marshall has created a Community
Justice Council whose function is to make recommendations
to advance prevention efforts in Marshall County.
Since he has served as district attorney,
Mr. Marshall has concentrated many of the resources of his
office to address the issue of illegal drug use and distribution.
Along with Angela Sparks, he formed the Marshall County
Methamphetamine Task Force to study and offer recommendations
to address the increased use of methamphetamine in his community.
As a result of the group's efforts, several local initiatives
were stared, including, but not limited to, Merchants Against
Meth, Drug Free Marshall County and the Marshall County
Citizen's Academy.
Mr. Marshall serves on the board of directors
of various community agencies and is active within his church.
