Monday, May 12, 2025
5/12/2025
Drug-Free Coalition for Montgomery County, New York - The Montgomery County Cares (MCC) coalition is the youth substance use disorder prevention coalition for Montgomery County in upstate New York. Montgomery County is a small, poor, mostly rural county located in upstate New York along the Mohawk River and the Erie Canal. The total land area is 403.04 square miles with a population density of 124 persons per square mile. The 2019 population estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau is 49,221 persons with 24.5% of the population under the age of 18 years old and 19.2% of the population over the age of 65. The racial make-up in the county is 93.1% White, 3.2% African American, 0.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, and 2% two or more races. One of the growing areas of diversity in Montgomery County is people of Hispanic or Latino origin which is now 15% of the population, up from 6.91% of the population in 2000. Female persons make up 50.8% of the population. The percentage of New York upstate resident who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and other Sexual Orientation is 4% while 0.4% identify as Transgender (BRFSS, 2014-2016). Persons over the age of 25 with a high school diploma are 85.8%, and persons with a bachelor’s degree or higher are 17.5% (about half the New York State rate). The percentage of Montgomery County residents living below the poverty level is 15.8%, above the national average of 11.8% (U.S. Census 2019). The median household income is $45,837 compared to the median household income in New York State of $65, 323 (U.S. Census 2019). According to United Way A.L.I.C.E. (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), 31% of families with children in Montgomery County live below the poverty level (2017). The A.L.I.C.E. data also shows that many families are struggling to make ends meet even if they are employed. From 59% of families in Amsterdam (largest city) to 65% of families in St. Johnsville (small town in western part of the county) to 50% of families in Fonda (county seat), families in Montgomery County are barely getting by. At one time Amsterdam was the leading carpet manufacturer in the United States. However, that industry has moved and all of the carpet mills have closed. The number of abandoned warehouses, factories and textile mills has overwhelmed the community and since most are environmental hazards, they cannot be torn down easily. The other large industry in Montgomery County was, and still is, Beech-Nut foods. The rest of the county was traditionally engaged in farming. And there are still quite a large number of farms in the county, including a large Amish population, and several that use migrant workers in the summer. Montgomery County is changing ethnically and culturally. The growth of the Hispanic population in the last twenty years has not been an easy transition. The new community members have not been welcomed and are often unfairly blamed for community problems. Because of the close proximity to the interstate, Montgomery County is a stop for drug dealers and is part of an active drug network. These factors lead to increased substance abuse by Montgomery County teens. Since Montgomery County is a small, mostly rural county, the coalition, Montgomery County Allies in Prevention (MCAP), serves all of Montgomery County. Coalition meetings are held in the Sheriff’s office in the village of Fultonville on a monthly basis and the coalition has been meeting since 2013.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).