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Porter County Council approves $175,000 in recovery and service grants to five organizations
Summary
The council approved five awards totaling $175,000 from county funds to support recovery services, domestic-violence programs and in-school prevention work; the allocation was passed by voice vote.
The Porter County Council voted on Oct. 8 to award five county grants totaling $175,000 to local recovery and service programs, the council said during a special presentation and subsequent agenda vote.
The funding package arose from a grant-review committee made up of council and commissioner representatives. Committee members reviewed applications and recommended five recipients; the council moved and seconded a single motion to approve all five awards for a combined $175,000 and approved it by voice vote.
Speakers representing recipient organizations described how the money will be used. Jessica Luke, who identified herself as president and CEO of Carrying Lights, said the shelter has offered recovery services alongside domestic-violence assistance and that the funds would support “weekly case management” and a full-time recovery director. “We really have improved the services that we’re providing and they can stay in our care for up to 2 years,” Luke said.
Another presenter described combining a donated 15,000-square-foot building into a recovery center that will include a café and resource services; a Chesterton recovery director thanked the council for funding that sustains nutrition, fitness, art and job-assistance programming.
One grant specifically named in the meeting was a $10,000 award to expand in-school programming in the Department of Teaching and Learning’s prevention and peer-mentoring mental-health programs. Committee members said applications for the next cycle will be available Jan. 1 and that the committee will begin review work in February, moving the schedule roughly one month later than the prior year.
Why it matters: Council members said the funded programs are intended to expand recovery pathways and behavioral-health resources countywide. Several speakers emphasized that these awards support evidence-based services — case management, medically supported care and longer-term placement — that aim to increase recovery success rates.
Vote and procedure: A council member moved to approve all five awards together for a total of $175,000; another council member seconded the motion. The council approved the motion by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript. A committee member told the council the recommendations were unanimous.
Ending: Committee members invited eligible organizations to apply next year. The council said it will post the application timeline on the county website.
