City of Alexandria, Virginia
________________
MEMORANDUM
DATE: JANUARY 8, 2026
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: DR. DAVID C. ROSE, DIRECTOR, ALEXANDRIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Grant Application to the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth to Educate Youth about the Evolving Dangers of Fentanyl.
BODY
_________________________________________________________________
ISSUE: Consideration of a grant application to the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth to educate the youth in the city on the dangers of fentanyl.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1. Retroactively approve the submission of a grant application to the National Association of County and City Health Officials for $4,000; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute all the necessary documents that may be required.
BACKGROUND: The Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY) recognized the serious harm that fentanyl posed to youth across the Commonwealth due to teachers lacking resources to inform the youth of these dangers. In response to this growing need for educating youth, VFHY developed the Dangers of Fentanyl Lesson (Lesson), a one-hour lesson designed for high school students and a 30-minute lesson tailored for middle school students to educate the youth on the evolving dangers of fentanyl. To encourage the implementation of the Lesson, VFHY is providing up to thirty-five (35) competitive $4,000 Activation Grants in 2026. Non-profits, school systems, governmental organizations, and charitable organizations operating in Virginia are eligible to apply. The online application was due Friday, December 5, 2025.
DISCUSSION: Fentanyl use continues to be a growing concern in the community. From 2020-2024, Alexandria recorded 79 opioid overdose emergency department visits among youth under age 19, with Black and Latino youth disproportionately impacted. While 2% of ACPS 8th, 10th, ...
Click here for full text