At the heart of prevention is connection. Throughout the 2025-2026 year, the Holliston Drug & Alcohol Awareness Coalition (HDAAC) continued to strengthen relationships across Holliston by bringing education, resources, and support directly into the community. Whether through school events, parent workshops, recovery initiatives, faith-based partnerships, or community celebrations, HDAAC worked to create opportunities for residents to learn, connect, and support one another. These efforts not only increased awareness around mental health and substance misuse prevention but also helped strengthen the protective factors that keep young people and families healthy and resilient.
Community outreach remained one of HDAAC’s most visible areas of work this year. The Coalition participated in 23 community engagement events, far exceeding its annual goal and allowing staff, coalition members, and Youth Action Team students to connect with hundreds of residents throughout the year. Community members could find HDAAC at events such as the first home football game of the school year, Celebrate Holliston, SEPAC’s Trunk or Treat, Art Saves Lives, school open houses, and numerous other local fundraisers and community gatherings. These events provided valuable opportunities to distribute resources, answer questions, build relationships, and ensure residents knew where to turn for support when needed.
Many of these outreach efforts were made possible through strong community partnerships. Throughout the year, HDAAC collaborated with local schools, town departments, businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations to expand the reach of prevention efforts. Partnerships with organizations such as Holliston Youth & Family Services, Holliston Public Schools, Holliston Police Department, the Bird & Bear Collective, Fatima Shrine, St. Mary’s, and the Holliston American Legion, helped create meaningful opportunities for engagement while reinforcing the message that prevention is a community-wide responsibility.
Parent and caregiver education also remained a major focus. HDAAC continued to build upon its Parent Meet Up series, offering informal opportunities for parents to discuss topics such as anxiety, stress, and supporting youth through adolescence. Hosted at a friendly community space downtown, the Bird & Bear Collective, these gatherings were intentionally designed to create welcoming environments where parents could connect with one another while learning practical strategies and accessing local resources. Additional parent education efforts included Family Trivia Night, a Parent Wellness and Safety Education Night featuring Hidden in Plain Sight, and a regional webinar featuring New York Times bestselling author Jessica Lahey. Together, these programs helped foster conversations that can often be difficult to start at home while strengthening the support network available to families.
This year also marked significant progress in HDAAC’s opioid response and recovery support efforts. The Coalition conducted eight Narcan trainings throughout the year, training over 100 people, distributing over 200 Narcan kits (400 doses) across Holliston. Trainings were offered to town employees, community organizations, and residents, helping increase the community’s ability to respond to an overdose emergency. Additional harm reduction efforts included expanding access to Deterra medication disposal bags and supporting individuals and families impacted by opioid use through the Community Action Fund and scholarship opportunities.
Alongside these practical prevention efforts, HDAAC worked to elevate stories of recovery, remembrance, and hope. More than 50 community members attended the Fatima Shrine Butterfly Garden Anniversary event, which honors lives lost to substance misuse while celebrating recovery and resilience. The coalition started an annual Remembrance Tree initiative in Blair Square for the holiday season, recognizing 17 individuals who lost their lives too soon. These events provided meaningful opportunities for families and community members to gather, remember loved ones, and help reduce the stigma surrounding substance use disorders and recovery.
As HDAAC looks back on FY26, one theme stands out across every event, initiative, and partnership: prevention happens through relationships. By showing up consistently, creating spaces for meaningful conversations, supporting families, honoring recovery, and building connections across sectors, HDAAC continues to strengthen the foundation of a healthier and more resilient Holliston. The relationships built this year will continue to support the coalition’s work in the years ahead as it expands prevention, recovery, and community engagement efforts throughout town.