PROVIDENCE – The Aetna Foundation, a private foundation of CVS Heath Corp. has granted $500,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Providence, the foundation announced Thursday.
The funds will be distributed over five years. The grant will support programs that are focused on preventing underage substance misuses, including tobacco and vaping products. The programs will also focus on improving overall youth health in the community.
The majority of the funding will go towards a program called “Positive Action,” in which participants are exposed to a variety of activities designed to sharpen their decision-making and critical thinking skills. The foundation said that the program will help youths resist and avoid alcohol, tobacco, drugs and premature sexual activity.
The foundation so made a $500,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Hartford, Conn.
“We know how important it is to teach healthy behaviors from a young age in order to ensure that young people have the tools and refusal skills they need to stay away from harmful habits like smoking,” said Dr. Garth Graham, vice president, community health & impact, CVS Health and president, Aetna Foundation. “We believe the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence and Hartford are uniquely equipped to help us evaluate the best approaches to educate young people about the dangers of substance misuse and teach healthy lifestyle choices. From there, we’ll aim to replicate the successful approaches across other partnerships and geographies.”
