Groves City Council on June 23 heard an informational presentation about a competitive United Way grant that organizers said would fund a peer‑support and family‑support mental‑health program for Groves Fire Department personnel and other South Jefferson County first responders.

Robin, president of Sierra Green Counseling Center, told the council the initiative is a competition-based award and the first level of funding is $30,000, which is decided in part by Facebook votes and small donor contributions. She said organizers also are seeking a $40,000 judged award and a $50,000 innovation award, and that the project would provide training, a 24/7 call line and family supports if fully funded.

The program described would train multiple peer‑support personnel so Groves would not rely on a single mental‑health contact; the presentation said the training and support would extend to volunteers under the Groves Fire Department and allow coordinated peer support across South Jefferson County with neighboring departments.

Robin said the funding process includes an online voting period that ends Wednesday and an event the following Thursday where attendees will cast additional votes; she encouraged sharing the Facebook link and making small donations to increase the project’s vote total. “The first level of funding is $30,000, and that is just strictly voting,” she said. Organizers described the $40,000 award as a judge‑selected grant for community impact and the $50,000 as an innovation prize.

Fire department presenters and other speakers said the city currently has at least one trained peer‑support provider on staff but lacks a broad, locally based peer network. The presenters noted long waits for employee‑assistance counseling appointments — one speaker said the EAP could not schedule a counselor for three months — and argued local, trained peer support and a dedicated helpline would meet urgent needs for first responders and their families.

Council members did not take formal action during the meeting; the item was presented for information and public awareness. Presenters asked the council and community members to share the voting link and consider small donations to improve the project’s competitive standing.

Organizers said additional details about program design and implementation — including how services would be scheduled, which departments would join the network and how family supports would operate — would be worked out with city staff if the grant is awarded. They said they will update city leadership after the competition’s final event.