Community for New Direction (CND)

Would you give to help a child reach their potential? 

Building a bridge to a brighter tomorrow:  Our programs empower individuals to be the force for change in themselves, their families, and their communities.  

With 5 service locations in Columbus, CND reaches the most at-need populations in our community and responds to community needs, serving inner-city, economically distressed neighborhoods. CND provides outpatient mental health and substance use disorder treatment services to adults, prevention services to youth grades k-12 to reduce substance use and abuse, and violence intervention to youth and young adults. 

It was 1989 when residents living in Franklinton, west of downtown Columbus, decided to take action.

Why? Too many kids were dropping out of high school and turning to drugs, alcohol, gang activities and crime. So, from a two-bedroom apartment in the Sullivant Gardens Housing Development, Community for New Direction (CND) began as a volunteer-run program providing positive mentoring and prevention programming to high-risk youth. In 1995, the program incorporated as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit agency. When the ADAMH Board of Franklin County noticed the success of CND, it asked the agency to open another office and expand to the near eastside. This was the start of tremendous growth for CND. CND’s first Executive Director was Pastor L’Tanya Lemon and first Board Chairman was Mike Smeltzer. They were instrumental in our growth as an agency.

Today we ask for your support to help us continue our much-needed community work.  The program we would like to highlight is our FOCUS program:  Future Opportunities Created for Urban Students.  Working with high school students, CND helps them get ready for college and the job force, encourages community service, provides positive mentoring and leadership development opportunities.   We even do a college-tour for 35 students every year!