Grant funding from the Bartholomew County Substance Abuse Council has dropped by about 4.2% from last year.
If approved, a dozen groups would receive grant money from the council, which is two more recipients than last year. The total amount recommended for distribution is $36,890, down from $38,492 awarded last year.
For several years, churches, law enforcement, non-profits and other organizations have utilized these grants, which are financed from funds obtained from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, to help maintain responses to alcohol and substance abuse problems.
However, there are often changes in recipients and amounts that reflect evolving needs in combating substance abuse, according to Drug Free Communities Program Coordinator Rachel Flohr-David, who also serves as a council volunteer.
Grants fall into three general categories: Prevention and Education, Treatment and Intervention, and Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice Services.
The 2020 recommendations for grant allocations are:
Prevention/Education — $11,554 (down $329 from last year)
In their first grant from the council, the “Recover Out Loud” addiction support group is tentatively set to receive $2,350 in funding.
Originating in Decatur County and later expanded to Rush County before coming to Columbus last winter, “Recover Out Loud” attempts to break stigmas and offer an alternative lifestyle to traditional recovery programs. The support group disapproves of any medical-assisted treatments for addiction, preferring that their members recover through total sobriety.
Also receiving a recommendation for first-time funding is the Council for Youth Development, which is tentatively set to receive $2,024. Located on Hope Avenue, the council’s mission is to identify, coordinate, and align community efforts to ensure all youth and families are reaching their full potential, according to their website.
Organizations in this category scheduled to receive funds for two consecutive years, as well as a comparison with the amount received in 2019, are:
Advocates for Children: $1,000 (down $1,000)
Big Brothers Big Sisters: $3,000 (down $1,300)
Community Church of Columbus: $1,980 (down $603)
Turning Point Domestic Violence Shelter: $1,200 (down $1,800)
Treatment/Intervention — $14,085 (up $990 from last year)
Advocates for Children, which serves abused and neglected children in Bartholomew, Decatur, and Jennings counties, received a total of $2,000 last year for prevention and education. hile it is recommend the organization receive the same amount this year, the council is asking that the total grant be split between prevention/education efforts and treatment/intervention programs.
Organizations in this category tentatively slated to receive funds for at least two consecutive years are:
Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation/Youth Care Fund: $4,000 (no change from 2019)
Turning Point Domestic Violence Shelter: $1,200 (up $200)
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church-Life Works: $4,250.00 (down $130)
Healthy Communities: $615 (down $100)
Community Church of Columbus $3,020 (up $20)
Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice Services — $36,890 (down $1,602 from last year)
Out of all organizations tentatively slated to receive funding for at least two consecutive years, the Columbus Police Department had the biggest year-to-year drop in funding. The $4,014 received by city police last year is about three-and-a-half times more than the $1,256 recommended for this year.
The grant application from city police contained a number of conventional projects that council members felt should be financed through traditional funding sources, Flohr-David said.
But an additional $986 dollar increase was recommended for the Bartholomew County Sheriff’s Department, raising its proposed grant amount to $5,000. Sheriff Matt Myers requested extra money to help pay for additional patrols in small towns and rural areas.
The final two recommendations are to provide $3,000 to Court Services, as well as $1,986 for administrative costs. Both proposals are basically unchanged from last year.
While the allocations have been approved by the Bartholomew County commissioners, the council’s recommendations must also receive the consent of the Bartholomew County Council before they can be allocated, Flohr-David said. The matter is expected to be on the council’s July 14 agenda, she said.
