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Boys & Girls Club of Jefferson County asks commissioners for opioid‑settlement funds to hire program director
Summary
Dustin Bence, new CEO of the Boys & Girls Club, told commissioners the club is seeing record attendance and requested opioid‑settlement funds to fund a five‑year program‑director position to expand prevention, mentoring and trauma‑informed services to at‑risk youth.
Dustin Bence, who introduced himself as the new CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Jefferson County, asked the board to consider allocating opioid‑settlement funds to hire a full‑time program director and cover associated operational expenses for five years.
Bence said the club’s daily average attendance rose from roughly 130–135 last year to as many as 185 on a recent weekday, stressing that current staffing and funding do not match demand. "I'm the new CEO of the Boys and Girls Club. I started August 1," he said while describing plans to expand programming, mentoring, recovery support and trauma‑informed services.
The proposal would use opioid‑settlement funds to pay the program director's salary and operating costs for five years and to expand programs the club already offers — including Positive Actions, Too Good for Drugs, Passport to Manhood and Smart Girls — while building referral relationships with local health departments, schools, law enforcement and recovery providers.
Bence referenced a local Community Health Assessment and said the club expects to serve more than 150 youth through expanded programming. He offered to provide budget details to commissioners and to follow up with additional materials.
Why it matters: Commissioners decide how to allocate local opioid‑settlement dollars, and the club’s request seeks sustained funding for a staff position intended to broaden prevention and recovery supports for youth.
