U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, whose district includes OH-09, announced on Friday, Oct. 2 that the Williams County Health Department will get a $125,000 Drug-Free Communities award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to a press release published by The Village Reporter. Kaptur sits on the House Appropriations Committee.
The release says the award goes to the department’s Educating Communities on Healthy Opportunities, or ECHO, Coalition. That group works on substance abuse prevention for young people and adults across Williams County.
Kaptur said in the release that she was honored to work with the health department on federal funding and that Northwest Ohio residents need resources to address substance abuse. She described the ECHO Coalition as drawing together people from many county sectors for a proactive approach to substance abuse and mental health.
Katie Lantzsch, the health department’s director of health education and preparedness, said the Drug-Free Communities grant has strengthened prevention work by involving schools, community organizations, health care providers, law enforcement and youth. She said it has expanded prevention education, helped young people lead change and built a stronger support network to reduce risk factors and encourage healthy choices.
The release also lists earlier federal awards Kaptur announced. In July 2026, she announced two $125,000 Drug-Free Communities awards, for EHOVE Career Center’s Future Leaders Program in Sandusky and the Springfield Area Prevention Coalition in Swanton. On Sept. 25, she announced an $800,000 HHS grant for the Erie County Department of Health for substance abuse treatment. In 2023, she delivered a $1.8 million SAMHSA award to the Erie County Health Department. The release directs readers to echocoalition-wc.com for information about ECHO.