How Newton Community Partnership is Redefining Youth-Led Prevention in Newton County
Mollie Melvin, Executive Director of Newton Community Partnership
Meet Mollie Melvin, Executive Director of Newton Community Partnership (NCP)—a nonprofit powerhouse turning prevention into progress across Covington and Newton County. In Episode 49 of The Town Square Podcast (“Mollie Melvin: Prevention, Partnership & the Power of Youth”), host Trey Bailey sits down with Mollie for a no-holds-barred discussion about youth engagement, early literacy, mental wellness, and partnership-building with just two paid staff and a legion of volunteers.
🎧 Listen now: thetownsquarepodcast.com
⚙️ What Is Newton Community Partnership?
Founded in 1989 to confront teen pregnancy, NCP has transformed into Newton County’s official advocacy coalition for children and families. Their mission now centers on prevention, coalition‑building, and strengthening local capacity—especially in sectors like mental health, early literacy, suicide prevention, and substance misuse education. Despite just two staffers, their impact radiates widely through smart partnerships and community trust.
Youth Action Team: Peer Power in Action
One of NCP’s flagship initiatives is the Youth Action Team (YAT), which empowers teens to become peer educators on tough topics like suicide awareness and substance misuse. These young leaders go beyond volunteer hours—they roll out age‑appropriate programs, co-create campus organizations (including one at Oxford College), and spearhead meaningful community change.
As Mollie puts it:
“If one person is doing the work, you’re not going to make a difference. It takes partners pitching into the pot.”
Prevention Is a Tangled Web — But That’s the Point
Mollie uses a plate of spaghetti as a metaphor: prevention is interconnected, messy, and multi-layered. From early literacy to economic stability, each strand must be addressed together—partnering across sectors to build community resilience over time.
📚 Literacy as the Foundation of Success
Early literacy is more than storytime—it’s a birth-to-work pipeline. That’s why NCP is working to reignite Newton READS, a countywide literacy initiative designed to promote reading from birth through adulthood.
Mollie emphasizes that literacy is prevention: it lays the groundwork for everything from school readiness to workforce development. Whether it's helping parents access books, encouraging language-rich homes, or removing barriers to learning, NCP sees literacy as a community-wide responsibility.
Mental Health & Suicide Prevention: Real Talk
Mollie dives into the rising challenges of mental health and suicide among youth and adults. She highlights training using the QPR model (Question, Persuade, Refer) and the complex role of social media—where isolation and affirmation often collide. Building empathy and real-world connections is central to NCP’s prevention strategy.
🧩 Connecting the Dots Through Collaboration
NCP’s real work is behind the scenes: building a network of connections. Whether it’s working with local schools, food pantries, or senior centers, NCP helps link people to resources, share data, and foster a more resilient Newton County. From free books and mental health training to strategic volunteer deployment, the goal is to strengthen the safety net—without duplicating services.
The Elephant in the Room: Funding
Despite its deep impact, NCP operates on minimal staff and resources. Prevention work is often underfunded and difficult to measure. But through grants, donations, and dedicated community partners, NCP continues to lead creative, local solutions to big-picture problems.
How You Can Help
You can be part of this work:
Visit newtonpartnership.org
Subscribe to NCP’s community or parent newsletters
Volunteer with NCP or Youth Action Team
Use NCP’s Community Resource Database to find help or refer families
Donate to support youth, literacy, wellness, and family-centered prevention
📌 Note: The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is not currently available in Newton County. However, NCP is actively working to bring back literacy initiatives like Newton READS to support families across the community.