Greg interviews Angie Ferguson, the Executive Director of Drug Free Clubs of America (DFCA). Part One discusses the origins of DFCA and the formation of DFCA clubs.

Back in 2005, Angie’s father and a colleague told Angie of an idea they had to combat drug abuse. As firefighters, they had witnessed a lack of heartfelt preventative efforts by others. So they pitched an idea to Angie, formulated for high school students, offering incentives for passing drug tests. Angie shares her initial thoughts of the pitch. “Instantly, I thought of my high school friends who struggled with substance use disorder…Something like [DFCA] could have worked for them,” says Angie. Since 2005, DFCA has expanded to reach over 40 schools within 4 states.

Angie goes on to discuss the formation process of current DFCA chapters. She says people who want to make a difference in their own community are absolutely necessary. She explains how the DFCA executive team helps those committed individuals form a new club. “When those key players bubble to the surface and want to do something about the issue, they don’t know what to do. We can help them, by saying: these are the steps you can take, this is what you can do and this is what you can expect to see,” says Angie.

Listen to the podcast to discover the structure of a successful DFCA club and the future plans of DFCA.