Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Opioid Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Norton awards $26,500 in opioid settlement grants to three local organizations
Summary
The Norton Select Board approved $26,500 in opioid-settlement funding—$15,000 to St. Vincent de Paul, $6,500 to the Sunrise foundation and $5,000 to Grit and Grace—intended to expand local prevention, recovery and bereavement services and require recipients to join the NOPE collaborative.
The Norton Select Board on July 9 awarded $26,500 in opioid settlement grants to three community groups, approving allocations the town’s NOPE (Norton Opioid Prevention and Education) collaborative recommended.
The board’s reading of the NOPE recommendation listed awards of $15,000 to St. Vincent de Paul Attleboro District Council, $6,500 to the Sunrise (Sun Will Rise) Foundation and $5,000 to Grit and Grace sober living. The Select Board voted unanimously to accept the recommendations and release the funds.
Police Chief Brian Clark, who helped coordinate the grant process through the NOPE collaborative, said the three awards were chosen to reach residents with different needs and that the grants are expected to serve “at least 50 residents this year.”
Representatives from all three organizations spoke to the board about how they will use the funds. The Sunrise Foundation representative described peer grief-support groups for families bereaved by substance-related deaths and said the group pivoted to virtual meetings during COVID to reach more people. “We provide peer group support by in-person groups and events where people can come together,” the Sunrise representative said.
Kristen Silva, founder and director of Grit and Grace sober living, said her Attleboro-based sober house focuses on women and regional need, listing direct supports the grant will buy — toiletries, bedding and help obtaining identification and other paperwork that new residents often lack. “These funds will make a dramatic difference in the lives of the women who are my family, and many more to come,” Silva said.
Diana Reeves, representing St. Vincent de Paul’s Attleboro district council, described the organization’s reentry work for people leaving jail or prison and said sober housing and wraparound assistance require substantial funds beyond short-term stays. Reeves said the organization will use the award to help the greatest number of Norton residents in need.
As a condition of accepting the awards, each recipient will designate a representative to participate in the NOPE collaborative’s quarterly meetings, the board said. Town staff also agreed to post contact information for the three organizations on the town website so residents and volunteers can connect with the programs.
The board did not take additional funding action at the meeting; staff said the awards come from existing opioid-settlement funds collected for community programs. The NOPE collaborative and the Select Board said they will monitor program rollouts and coordination among providers.
