Dubois County CARES Welcomes Candy Neal

Dubois Co. - Dubois County CARES welcomes Candy Neal as its Drug-Free Communities grant coalition manager. 

The mission of Dubois County CARES (Coalition for Adolescent Resiliency and Empowerment Strategies) is to empower youth to be alcohol and drug free. 

Candy is a native of St. Louis and has lived in Jasper for the last 24 years. She has spent that entire time at the Dubois County Herald as a reporter, covering various parts of the county. 

“Throughout my media career, I have met a lot of people all over the county, including some amazing young people. I look forward to promoting the valuable attributes our young people have as well as their important role in our community,” Candy said. “I also want to show Dubois County residents — those who are parents as well as those who aren’t — how they can be a positive and healthy influence on our young people by example and through support”.

 Prior to coming to Indiana, Candy worked at newspapers in St. Louis. She has a bachelor’s degree in Communications/Journalism from St. Louis University. 

Candy is a member of Redemption Christian Church and is a discussion leader for a Bible Study Fellowship group that meets weekly at Shiloh Church. She also organized an annual Valentine dinner for widows and widowers in Dubois County prior to the COVID pandemic. She likes to listen to music, read, scrapbook and make cards, hang out with friends and visit her family in St. Louis, especially her mother, Josephine Neal. 

 “The Dubois County CARES coalition is thankful to have Candy join us,” said Megan Durlauf, chairperson of the coalition’s executive board. “Her relational personality, expertise and community connection will be assets in helping propel youth resiliency and empowerment strategies.”  

Dubois County CARES works toward its mission of empowering youth to be alcohol and drug free by:  
* Educating the community on the detriments of youth substance use  
* Educating adults on the detriments of providing alcohol to youth  
* Providing skills building and encouragement for parents and guardians to talk with youth about substance use  
* Collaborating with and supporting partner agencies  
* Working with local lawmakers to create and sustain a community that does not tolerate underage drinking and drug use. 

Dubois County CARES received a Drug-Free Communities grant from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) in 2017, guaranteeing the organization $125,000 annually for five years, with a possible renewal for an additional five years. TRI-CAP is the fiscal agent for Dubois County CARES. 

“The youth in our community look to their adults as role models,” Candy said. “We want adults to understand that using alcohol or drugs excessively has a negative impact on others, especially on the children watching them. And we all want to be positive role models for our youth. I want to work through Dubois County CARES to drive that message home, for our children’s sake.”