Teen Pregnancy Prevention Fund Awards $1,775 to Three Non-profit Organizations

The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Washington County MD, presented its fifth annual grant to three local nonprofit organizations alongside fund founder Carrol Lourie. Each grant will support educational programming that addresses teen pregnancy and unsafe sex practices amongst teens. The nonprofit recipients included Boys and Girls Club of Washington County, Community Free Clinic and Together with Families/Washington County Family Center.Boys and Girls Club of Washington County received their grant to support SMART Girls, a health, fitness, prevention/education and self-esteem enhancement program for girls ages 8-18 that encourages healthy attitudes and lifestyles. Activities include field trips, workshops, speakers and other events.“It basically teaches the kids that are in middle school, transitioning into high school, transitioning into adulthood, and helps them through these different transitions they’ll have in their life – one of them, a huge conversation about teen pregnancy,” says Boys & Girls Club of Washington County Development Director E.J. Fuller.The Community Free Clinic will use their grant for SWAG (Services We All Get), a program focused on healthy lifestyles/healthy living; high-risk behavior prevention; and sexual education, disease testing and prevention. Through SWAG, the Clinic provides free and confidential reproductive health services, including birth control, pregnancy testing, STD treatment and education.Together with Families/Washington County Family Center’s grant will go towards their program Think Twice Pregnancy Prevention Curriculum, educational support that helps teen girls become familiar with infant care, preventative contraception, and more.