In Western New York, where tight-knit neighborhoods stand resilient against economic shifts and the lasting impact of the opioid crisis, one nonprofit is leading a powerful movement of prevention, education, and hope. In 2025, FOCUS: For Our Community Unity and Support was named a $20,000 Invest in Others Grant for Good recipient, an investment in a safer, stronger future for thousands of young people.
A Financial Advisor with a Community-First Mission
The grant application was submitted by Gwendolyn Bork, Financial Advisor at The Legend Group in Buffalo, NY. For Gwendolyn, financial advising has always been about more than portfolios and retirement projections. It is about people.
Partnering with social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, teachers, widowers, and hardworking, family-focused individuals who want to align their current financial decisions with their long-term goals, Gwendolyn’s mission is simple yet powerful: make investing intentional, accessible, and aligned with purpose.
With more than 20 years of experience launching and leading both for-profit and nonprofit ventures, Gwendolyn understands the challenges individuals and business owners face in constantly changing economic conditions. She has witnessed the sacrifices families make, caring for aging parents, striving to create opportunities for their children, and seeking peace of mind in uncertain times. As a public speaker and author of Walking the Fine Line, she often reflects on how financial well-being and charitable giving together create a deeper sense of hope and fulfillment.
Giving back is not separate from her work, it is the legacy she is building.
The Birth of FOCUS
That legacy took shape in 2017, at the peak of the heroin epidemic in Western New York. As opioid addiction devastated families across the region, community leaders recognized a critical truth: prevention had to start early.
FOCUS: For Our Community Unity and Support was created to prevent and reduce youth substance use while fostering community collaboration. Their vision is bold and clear, a drug-free youth, a drug-free community.
Today, FOCUS serves youth ages 13–18, primarily in grades 8–12, using data-driven, evidence-based strategies proven to create sustainable community change.
Trained by the Drug Free Communities Program at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and monitored by the CDC, FOCUS operates under the federally approved Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF). This public health model allows them to implement both individual-level strategies and environmental community-level change, all centered around collaboration.
Data-Driven Impact
FOCUS collects and analyzes real-time data on youth past 30-day substance use, mental and emotional health, connectedness, risk factors and protective factors.
Using this data, they design targeted programs that respond directly to the needs of local youth. Their initiatives include:
- Media campaigns addressing current youth drug trends and mental health needs
- Public policy advocacy and community-level change
- Parent and school education programs
- Drug-free youth events
- Youth and parent Narcan training
- Leadership development opportunities
- Collaboration with law enforcement to redesign community “hot spots”
- Resource support for families
The impact is substantial. FOCUS serves approximately 7,800 youth annually and has reached over 50,000 young people since its inception.
How the $20,000 Grant Will Make a Difference
The 2025 Invest in Others Grant for Good will directly support FOCUS’s continued prevention efforts, expanding youth education initiatives, strengthening community collaboration strategies, and enhancing evidence-based programming that addresses current substance use trends and youth mental health needs.
The funding allows FOCUS to deepen its reach, scale its most effective programs, and continue building a unified, prevention-focused community in Western New York.
Discover What This Grant Means for Local Youth
A Legacy of Unity and Prevention
For Gwendolyn, most importantly a single mother to her two sons, Gabriel and Julian, this work is deeply personal. When she’s not guiding clients toward financial peace, she is advocating for social and cultural impact across Western New York.
Through FOCUS, she and her team are not just preventing substance use. They are building connection, resilience, leadership, and hope.
Because when youth are empowered, families are strengthened. When communities collaborate, prevention becomes possible. When leaders align purpose with action, entire regions are transformed.
