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Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation asks Fairhope for grant support, reports expanded peer‑helper reach
Summary
The Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation asked Fairhope officials for help as it expands Peer Helpers Plus, saying the program trained nearly 1,500 student peer helpers this school year and supported almost 3,500 peers; the group requested city partnership on grants and space for adult trainings.
Allison Moore, executive director of the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation and Peer Helpers Plus, told the Fairhope City Council on Dec. 8 that the nonprofit’s peer‑to‑peer program has grown substantially and needs municipal support to scale prevention and adult training programs.
Moore said Peer Helpers Plus equipped nearly 1,500 students with training this school year and that those students provided direct support to almost 3,500 peers. "We have equipped nearly 1,500 peer helpers with training to support their fellow students," she said. She described the curriculum as covering bullying, suicide prevention, substance use and other youth mental‑health topics and noted the foundation also offers an eight‑hour Youth Mental Health First Aid course for adults.
The foundation asked the council to serve as a co‑applicant on grant applications, provide access to public facilities for workshops and help identify local funding opportunities. Moore described the course’s typical $170 value and said the foundation offers it to groups for $100 or free when grant funding is available.
Council members pressed on adult‑training availability, course format and local partnerships. Moore said the training is adaptable across ages and can be delivered to school staffs, first responders or community groups. She also cited local data from the coroner’s office indicating increases in suicide and overdose counts in recent years, and she requested city collaboration on grant development and convening stakeholders to expand prevention and grief‑support services.
The council responded with offers to help where possible and asked Moore to keep staff informed when formal grant applications are ready. The council did not take formal action on the request during the meeting; members broadly expressed support and asked the foundation to follow up with specific funding requests.
The presentation came during the council work session portion of the Dec. 8 meeting. The council encouraged Moore to coordinate with city staff on co‑applicant requirements and venue availability.
