For Immediate Release
Contact: Brian Wilcox
410-272-4000 ext. 3114
[email protected]
EDGEWOOD, Md., August 22, 2022 – APG Federal Credit Union (APGFCU) is furthering its commitment to improving lives in the community as the sole private-sector sponsor of the new Harford County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) Community OutReach Effort (CORE) trailer.
The first-of-its-kind educational platform allows youth in middle and high school to experience and prepare for real-world scenarios in which they may find themselves exposed to drugs and alcohol. Interactive tablets display three video scenarios, ask participants to choose a path for each, then display an outcome for those choices, teaching skills for how to best handle the situation.
The trailer was unveiled at a press conference held August 11, 2022, where Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler explained it fills a missing gap in the HCSO’s drug education efforts. Their Pledge Program reaches children in third to fifth grades, typically before being exposed to alcohol and drug use. Their HOPE House simulates a teen’s bedroom to educate parents on signs of teen drug use. However, there was no specific effort to reach young people in the critical middle school and teen years, when exposure to drugs is most likely.
"We know addiction not only takes a personal toll on individuals, families and the community; it also takes a financial toll," stated APGFCU Chief Marketing Officer Brian Wilcox at the press conference. "As a community-based credit union, that’s where we see our role in stepping up to sponsor this project. The more people we can prevent from struggling with addiction, the more people we can help achieve personal and financial success."
After hosting the HOPE House at its Edgewood Branch and corporate headquarters in 2018, APGFCU CEO Don W. Lewis wanted to find out how the credit union could partner with the HCSO to do more about the opioid crisis in the community. Through subsequent conversations, the credit union learned of the CORE trailer opportunity and in 2020 committed to funding $120,000 towards the project.
After approximately two years of delays due to the pandemic and supply chain issues, the CORE trailer is ready to be deployed to middle schools in the upcoming school year and featured at community events.
The CORE trailer during a Harford County Sheriff’s Office press conference on Thursday, August 11, 2022.
Pledge Program participants testing the CORE trailer and drug prevention technology.
APGFCU is committed to building strong families for a stronger community with locations throughout Harford and Cecil counties. Membership is free and open to everyone who lives, works, worships, volunteers or attends school in Harford County, Cecil County, Baltimore County and Baltimore City. For more information, call 410-272-4000 or visit apgfcu.com.